diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
index 196391bd8c7301..a14b700a0b2e22 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.cpp
@@ -310,14 +310,19 @@ void ShadowNode::setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
   runtimeShadowNodeReference_ = runtimeShadowNodeReference;
 }
 
+void ShadowNode::updateRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
+    const Shared& destinationShadowNode) const {
+  if (auto reference = runtimeShadowNodeReference_.lock()) {
+    reference->shadowNode = destinationShadowNode;
+  }
+}
+
 void ShadowNode::transferRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
     const Shared& destinationShadowNode) const {
   destinationShadowNode->runtimeShadowNodeReference_ =
       runtimeShadowNodeReference_;
 
-  if (auto reference = runtimeShadowNodeReference_.lock()) {
-    reference->shadowNode = destinationShadowNode;
-  }
+  updateRuntimeShadowNodeReference(destinationShadowNode);
 }
 
 void ShadowNode::transferRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
index 7a3ad9cbc1b8b3..ae648988875ade 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/core/ShadowNode.h
@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ class ShadowNode : public Sealable,
   void setRuntimeShadowNodeReference(const std::shared_ptr<ShadowNodeWrapper>&
                                          runtimeShadowNodeReference) const;
 
+  /*
+   * Update the runtime reference to point to the provided shadow node.
+   */
+  void updateRuntimeShadowNodeReference(
+      const Shared& destinationShadowNode) const;
+
   /*
    * Transfer the runtime reference to this `ShadowNode` to a new instance,
    * updating the reference to point to the new `ShadowNode` referencing it.