diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 963b199a4..0c5efb02c 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ endif()
 
 find_package(ament_cmake_ros REQUIRED)
 
+find_package(rcpputils REQUIRED)
 find_package(rcutils REQUIRED)
 find_package(rmw_dds_common REQUIRED)
 find_package(rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp REQUIRED)
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ target_link_libraries(rmw_fastrtps_cpp
 
 # specific order: dependents before dependencies
 ament_target_dependencies(rmw_fastrtps_cpp
+  "rcpputils"
   "rcutils"
   "rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_c"
   "rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_cpp"
diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/package.xml b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/package.xml
index 776e4afe6..b216426f4 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/package.xml
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/package.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
   <build_depend>fastcdr</build_depend>
   <build_depend>fastrtps</build_depend>
   <build_depend>fastrtps_cmake_module</build_depend>
+  <build_depend>rcpputils</build_depend>
   <build_depend>rcutils</build_depend>
   <build_depend>rmw</build_depend>
   <build_depend>rmw_dds_common</build_depend>
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
   <build_export_depend>rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_c</build_export_depend>
   <build_export_depend>rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_cpp</build_export_depend>
 
+  <exec_depend>rcpputils</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>rcutils</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>rmw</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp</exec_depend>
diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
index 9fda70589..e621b5b6e 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
@@ -13,17 +13,22 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "rcutils/strdup.h"
 #include "rcutils/types.h"
 
+#include "rmw/error_handling.h"
 #include "rmw/init.h"
 #include "rmw/impl/cpp/macros.hpp"
 #include "rmw/init_options.h"
 #include "rmw/publisher_options.h"
 #include "rmw/rmw.h"
 
+#include "rcpputils/scope_exit.hpp"
+
 #include "rmw_dds_common/context.hpp"
 #include "rmw_dds_common/msg/participant_entities_info.hpp"
 
@@ -68,55 +73,63 @@ using rmw_dds_common::msg::ParticipantEntitiesInfo;
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_init(const rmw_init_options_t * options, rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  std::unique_ptr<rmw_context_t, void (*)(rmw_context_t *)> clean_when_fail(
-    context,
-    [](rmw_context_t * context)
-    {
-      *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
-    });
-  rmw_ret_t ret = RMW_RET_OK;
-
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(options, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(options, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    options->implementation_identifier,
+    "expected initialized init options",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     options,
     options->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
+  if (NULL != context->implementation_identifier) {
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("expected a zero-initialized context");
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+  }
+
+  const rmw_context_t zero_context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
+  assert(0 == std::memcmp(context, &zero_context, sizeof(rmw_context_t)));
+  auto restore_context = rcpputils::make_scope_exit(
+    [context, &zero_context]() {*context = zero_context;});
+
   context->instance_id = options->instance_id;
   context->implementation_identifier = eprosima_fastrtps_identifier;
 
-  std::unique_ptr<rmw_context_impl_t> context_impl(new (std::nothrow) rmw_context_impl_t());
-  if (!context_impl) {
+  context->impl = new (std::nothrow) rmw_context_impl_t();
+  if (nullptr == context->impl) {
     RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("failed to allocate context impl");
     return RMW_RET_BAD_ALLOC;
   }
+  auto cleanup_impl = rcpputils::make_scope_exit(
+    [context]() {delete context->impl;});
+
+  context->impl->is_shutdown = false;
   context->options = rmw_get_zero_initialized_init_options();
-  ret = rmw_init_options_copy(options, &context->options);
+  rmw_ret_t ret = rmw_init_options_copy(options, &context->options);
   if (RMW_RET_OK != ret) {
-    if (RMW_RET_OK != rmw_init_options_fini(&context->options)) {
-      RMW_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR(
-        "'rmw_init_options_fini' failed while being executed due to '"
-        RCUTILS_STRINGIFY(__function__) "' failing.\n");
-    }
     return ret;
   }
-  context_impl->is_shutdown = false;
-  context->impl = context_impl.release();
-  clean_when_fail.release();
+
+  cleanup_impl.cancel();
+  restore_context.cancel();
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
 
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    context->impl,
+    "expected initialized context",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     context,
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context->impl, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   context->impl->is_shutdown = true;
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
@@ -124,7 +137,11 @@ rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    context->impl,
+    "expected initialized context",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     context,
     context->implementation_identifier,
@@ -134,8 +151,9 @@ rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
     RCUTILS_SET_ERROR_MSG("context has not been shutdown");
     return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
   }
+  rmw_ret_t ret = rmw_init_options_fini(&context->options);
   delete context->impl;
   *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
-  return RMW_RET_OK;
+  return ret;
 }
 }  // extern "C"
diff --git a/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp b/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
index aedf8974d..a5a35143d 100644
--- a/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
+++ b/rmw_fastrtps_dynamic_cpp/src/rmw_init.cpp
@@ -13,17 +13,22 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "rcutils/strdup.h"
 #include "rcutils/types.h"
 
+#include "rmw/error_handling.h"
 #include "rmw/impl/cpp/macros.hpp"
 #include "rmw/init.h"
 #include "rmw/init_options.h"
 #include "rmw/publisher_options.h"
 #include "rmw/rmw.h"
 
+#include "rcpputils/scope_exit.hpp"
+
 #include "rmw_dds_common/context.hpp"
 #include "rmw_dds_common/msg/participant_entities_info.hpp"
 
@@ -68,54 +73,63 @@ using rmw_dds_common::msg::ParticipantEntitiesInfo;
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_init(const rmw_init_options_t * options, rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  std::unique_ptr<rmw_context_t, void (*)(rmw_context_t *)> clean_when_fail(
-    context,
-    [](rmw_context_t * context)
-    {
-      *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
-    });
-  rmw_ret_t ret = RMW_RET_OK;
-
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(options, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(options, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    options->implementation_identifier,
+    "expected initialized init options",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     options,
     options->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
+  if (NULL != context->implementation_identifier) {
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("expected a zero-initialized context");
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+  }
+
+  const rmw_context_t zero_context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
+  assert(0 == std::memcmp(context, &zero_context, sizeof(rmw_context_t)));
+  auto restore_context = rcpputils::make_scope_exit(
+    [context, &zero_context]() {*context = zero_context;});
+
   context->instance_id = options->instance_id;
   context->implementation_identifier = eprosima_fastrtps_identifier;
 
-  std::unique_ptr<rmw_context_impl_t> context_impl(new (std::nothrow) rmw_context_impl_t());
-  if (!context_impl) {
+  context->impl = new (std::nothrow) rmw_context_impl_t();
+  if (nullptr == context->impl) {
     RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("failed to allocate context impl");
     return RMW_RET_BAD_ALLOC;
   }
+  auto cleanup_impl = rcpputils::make_scope_exit(
+    [context]() {delete context->impl;});
+
+  context->impl->is_shutdown = false;
   context->options = rmw_get_zero_initialized_init_options();
-  ret = rmw_init_options_copy(options, &context->options);
+  rmw_ret_t ret = rmw_init_options_copy(options, &context->options);
   if (RMW_RET_OK != ret) {
-    if (RMW_RET_OK != rmw_init_options_fini(&context->options)) {
-      RMW_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR(
-        "'rmw_init_options_fini' failed while being executed due to '"
-        RCUTILS_STRINGIFY(__function__) "' failing.\n");
-    }
     return ret;
   }
-  context->impl = context_impl.release();
-  clean_when_fail.release();
+
+  cleanup_impl.cancel();
+  restore_context.cancel();
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
 
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    context->impl,
+    "expected initialized context",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     context,
     context->implementation_identifier,
     eprosima_fastrtps_identifier,
     return RMW_RET_INCORRECT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context->impl, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   context->impl->is_shutdown = true;
   return RMW_RET_OK;
 }
@@ -123,7 +137,11 @@ rmw_shutdown(rmw_context_t * context)
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
 {
-  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(context, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+  RMW_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    context->impl,
+    "expected initialized context",
+    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
   RMW_CHECK_TYPE_IDENTIFIERS_MATCH(
     context,
     context->implementation_identifier,
@@ -133,8 +151,9 @@ rmw_context_fini(rmw_context_t * context)
     RCUTILS_SET_ERROR_MSG("context has not been shutdown");
     return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
   }
+  rmw_ret_t ret = rmw_init_options_fini(&context->options);
   delete context->impl;
   *context = rmw_get_zero_initialized_context();
-  return RMW_RET_OK;
+  return ret;
 }
 }  // extern "C"