diff --git a/rcl_lifecycle/src/default_state_machine.c b/rcl_lifecycle/src/default_state_machine.c
index 17eeb82..4c228bd 100644
--- a/rcl_lifecycle/src/default_state_machine.c
+++ b/rcl_lifecycle/src/default_state_machine.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "rcl/error_handling.h"
 #include "rcl/rcl.h"
+#include "rcutils/strdup.h"
 
 #include "rcl_lifecycle/transition_map.h"
 
@@ -658,7 +659,11 @@ rcl_lifecycle_init_default_state_machine(
 {
   rcl_ret_t ret = RCL_RET_ERROR;
   // Used for concatenating error messages in the fail: block.
-  const char * fail_error_message = "";
+  // The cause or error which leads to jump to fail:
+  char * fail_error_message = NULL;
+  // The error happens in fail:
+  char * fini_error_message = NULL;
+  rcl_allocator_t default_allocator;
 
   // ***************************
   // register all primary states
@@ -695,25 +700,40 @@ rcl_lifecycle_init_default_state_machine(
 fail:
   // If rcl_lifecycle_transition_map_fini() fails, it will clobber the error string here.
   // Concatenate the error strings if that happens
+  default_allocator = rcl_get_default_allocator();
+
   if (rcl_error_is_set()) {
-    fail_error_message = rcl_get_error_string().str;
+    fail_error_message = rcutils_strdup(rcl_get_error_string().str, default_allocator);
+    rcl_reset_error();
   }
 
   if (rcl_lifecycle_transition_map_fini(&state_machine->transition_map, allocator) != RCL_RET_OK) {
-    const char * fini_error = "";
     if (rcl_error_is_set()) {
-      fini_error = rcl_get_error_string().str;
+      fini_error_message = rcutils_strdup(rcl_get_error_string().str, default_allocator);
       rcl_reset_error();
     }
     RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG_WITH_FORMAT_STRING(
       "Freeing transition map failed while handling a previous error. Leaking memory!"
       "\nOriginal error:\n\t%s\nError encountered in rcl_lifecycle_transition_map_fini():\n\t%s\n",
-      fail_error_message, fini_error);
+      fail_error_message != NULL ?
+      fail_error_message : "Failed to duplicate error while init state machine !",
+      fini_error_message != NULL ?
+      fini_error_message : "Failed to duplicate error while fini transition map !");
   }
 
   if (!rcl_error_is_set()) {
-    RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG("Unspecified error in default_state_machine _register_transitions()");
+    RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG(
+      (fail_error_message != NULL) ?
+      fail_error_message : "Unspecified error in rcl_lifecycle_init_default_state_machine() !");
   }
+
+  if (fail_error_message != NULL) {
+    default_allocator.deallocate(fail_error_message, default_allocator.state);
+  }
+  if (fini_error_message != NULL) {
+    default_allocator.deallocate(fini_error_message, default_allocator.state);
+  }
+
   return RCL_RET_ERROR;
 }
 
diff --git a/rcl_lifecycle/test/test_rcl_lifecycle.cpp b/rcl_lifecycle/test/test_rcl_lifecycle.cpp
index 5288053..6474d8c 100644
--- a/rcl_lifecycle/test/test_rcl_lifecycle.cpp
+++ b/rcl_lifecycle/test/test_rcl_lifecycle.cpp
@@ -133,14 +133,23 @@ TEST(TestRclLifecycle, lifecycle_transition) {
 
   ret = rcl_lifecycle_transition_init(
     &transition, expected_id, &expected_label[0], nullptr, nullptr, &allocator);
-  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK);
+  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  rcutils_reset_error();
+  ret = rcl_lifecycle_transition_fini(&transition, &allocator);
+  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
   rcutils_reset_error();
 
   ret = rcl_lifecycle_transition_init(
     &transition, expected_id, &expected_label[0], start, nullptr, &allocator);
-  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK);
+  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  rcutils_reset_error();
+  ret = rcl_lifecycle_transition_fini(&transition, &allocator);
+  EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
   rcutils_reset_error();
 
+  start = reinterpret_cast<rcl_lifecycle_state_t *>(
+    allocator.allocate(sizeof(rcl_lifecycle_state_t), allocator.state));
+  *start = rcl_lifecycle_get_zero_initialized_state();
   rcl_allocator_t bad_allocator = rcl_get_default_allocator();
   bad_allocator.allocate = bad_malloc;
   bad_allocator.reallocate = bad_realloc;
@@ -190,15 +199,16 @@ TEST(TestRclLifecycle, state_machine) {
   ret = rcl_init(0, nullptr, &init_options, &context);
   EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
 
-  OSRF_TESTING_TOOLS_CPP_SCOPE_EXIT(
-  {
-    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_shutdown(&context));
-    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_context_fini(&context));
-  });
-
   ret = rcl_node_init(&node, "node", "namespace", &context, &options);
   EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
 
+  OSRF_TESTING_TOOLS_CPP_SCOPE_EXIT(
+  {
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_node_fini(&node)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_shutdown(&context)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_context_fini(&context)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  });
+
   const rosidl_message_type_support_t * pn =
     ROSIDL_GET_MSG_TYPE_SUPPORT(lifecycle_msgs, msg, TransitionEvent);
   const rosidl_service_type_support_t * cs =
@@ -326,6 +336,7 @@ TEST(TestRclLifecycle, state_machine) {
   // Node is null
   ret = rcl_lifecycle_state_machine_fini(&state_machine, nullptr, &allocator);
   EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+  rcutils_reset_error();
 }
 
 TEST(TestRclLifecycle, state_transitions) {
@@ -348,15 +359,16 @@ TEST(TestRclLifecycle, state_transitions) {
   ret = rcl_init(0, nullptr, &init_options, &context);
   EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
 
-  OSRF_TESTING_TOOLS_CPP_SCOPE_EXIT(
-  {
-    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_shutdown(&context));
-    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_context_fini(&context));
-  });
-
   ret = rcl_node_init(&node, "node", "namespace", &context, &options);
   EXPECT_EQ(ret, RCL_RET_OK) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
 
+  OSRF_TESTING_TOOLS_CPP_SCOPE_EXIT(
+  {
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_node_fini(&node)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_shutdown(&context)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+    ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_context_fini(&context)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  });
+
   const rosidl_message_type_support_t * pn =
     ROSIDL_GET_MSG_TYPE_SUPPORT(lifecycle_msgs, msg, TransitionEvent);
   const rosidl_service_type_support_t * cs =