diff --git a/rcl/include/rcl/init_options.h b/rcl/include/rcl/init_options.h
index 1d33a0739e..a62d7e0ce5 100644
--- a/rcl/include/rcl/init_options.h
+++ b/rcl/include/rcl/init_options.h
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ typedef struct rcl_init_options_t
 {
   /// Implementation specific pointer.
   struct rcl_init_options_impl_t * impl;
+
+  /// If set, then this value overrides the ROS_DOMAIN_ID environment variable.
+  /**
+   * It defaults to RCL_NODE_OPTIONS_DEFAULT_DOMAIN_ID, which will cause the
+   * context to use the ROS domain ID set in the ROS_DOMAIN_ID environment
+   * variable, or on some systems 0 if the environment variable is not set.
+   */
+  size_t domain_id;
+
 } rcl_init_options_t;
 
 /// Return a zero initialized rcl_init_options_t struct.
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/init.c b/rcl/src/rcl/init.c
index a18f675bb3..7174a7788b 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/init.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/init.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ rcl_init(
   rcutils_atomic_store((atomic_uint_least64_t *)(&context->instance_id_storage), next_instance_id);
   context->impl->init_options.impl->rmw_init_options.instance_id = next_instance_id;
 
-  size_t * domain_id = &context->impl->init_options.impl->rmw_init_options.domain_id;
+  size_t * domain_id = &context->impl->init_options.domain_id;
   if (RCL_DEFAULT_DOMAIN_ID == *domain_id) {
     // Get actual domain id based on environment variable.
     ret = rcl_get_default_domain_id(domain_id);
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ rcl_init(
       goto fail;
     }
   }
+  context->impl->init_options.impl->rmw_init_options.domain_id = *domain_id;
 
   rmw_localhost_only_t * localhost_only =
     &context->impl->init_options.impl->rmw_init_options.localhost_only;
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/init_options.c b/rcl/src/rcl/init_options.c
index 713337d609..552fd0f264 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/init_options.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/init_options.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ extern "C"
 {
 #endif
 
+#include "rcl/node_options.h"
 #include "rcl/init_options.h"
 
 #include "./common.h"
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ rcl_get_zero_initialized_init_options(void)
 {
   return (const rcl_init_options_t) {
            .impl = 0,
+           .domain_id = 0,
   };  // NOLINT(readability/braces): false positive
 }
 
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ rcl_init_options_init(rcl_init_options_t * init_options, rcl_allocator_t allocat
     RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG(rmw_get_error_string().str);
     return rcl_convert_rmw_ret_to_rcl_ret(rmw_ret);
   }
+  init_options->domain_id = RCL_NODE_OPTIONS_DEFAULT_DOMAIN_ID;
   return RCL_RET_OK;
 }
 
@@ -111,6 +114,8 @@ rcl_init_options_copy(const rcl_init_options_t * src, rcl_init_options_t * dst)
     RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG(error_string.str);
     return rcl_convert_rmw_ret_to_rcl_ret(rmw_ret);
   }
+  // copy domain_id
+  dst->domain_id = src->domain_id;
 
   return RCL_RET_OK;
 }
@@ -128,6 +133,7 @@ rcl_init_options_fini(rcl_init_options_t * init_options)
     return rcl_convert_rmw_ret_to_rcl_ret(rmw_ret);
   }
   allocator.deallocate(init_options->impl, allocator.state);
+  init_options->domain_id = RCL_NODE_OPTIONS_DEFAULT_DOMAIN_ID;
   return RCL_RET_OK;
 }