diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/bridgeless/platform/ios/Core/RCTInstance.mm b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/bridgeless/platform/ios/Core/RCTInstance.mm
index 56535683c782dd..3873592bf54517 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/bridgeless/platform/ios/Core/RCTInstance.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/bridgeless/platform/ios/Core/RCTInstance.mm
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ - (void)_start
   RCTLogSetBridgelessCallableJSModules(_bridgeModuleDecorator.callableJSModules);
 
   auto contextContainer = [_delegate createContextContainer];
+  if (!contextContainer) {
+    contextContainer = std::make_shared<ContextContainer>();
+  }
   contextContainer->insert(
       "RCTImageLoader", facebook::react::wrapManagedObject([_turboModuleManager moduleForName:"RCTImageLoader"]));
   contextContainer->insert(