diff --git a/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp b/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
index 505892d..5dc4406 100644
--- a/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
+++ b/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@
 #include <regex>
 
 #include "rcutils/filesystem.h"
+#include "rcutils/format_string.h"
 #include "rcutils/get_env.h"
 #include "rcutils/logging_macros.h"
 #include "rcutils/strdup.h"
-#include "rcutils/format_string.h"
 
 #include "rmw/allocators.h"
 #include "rmw/convert_rcutils_ret_to_rmw_ret.h"
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #include "namespace_prefix.hpp"
 
 #include "dds/dds.h"
+#include "dds/ddsc/dds_public_qos.h"
 #include "dds/ddsi/ddsi_sertopic.h"
 #include "rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/serdes.hpp"
 #include "serdata.hpp"
@@ -81,6 +82,13 @@
 #define SUPPORT_LOCALHOST 0
 #endif
 
+/* Security must be enabled when compiling and requires cyclone to support QOS property lists */
+#if DDS_HAS_SECURITY && DDS_HAS_PROPERTY_LIST_QOS
+#define RMW_SUPPORT_SECURITY 1
+#else
+#define RMW_SUPPORT_SECURITY 0
+#endif
+
 /* Set to > 0 for printing warnings to stderr for each messages that was taken more than this many
    ms after writing */
 #define REPORT_LATE_MESSAGES 0
@@ -644,6 +652,7 @@ static std::string get_node_user_data(const char * node_name, const char * node_
          std::string(";");
 }
 
+#if RMW_SUPPORT_SECURITY
 /*  Returns the full URI of a security file properly formatted for DDS  */
 char * get_security_file_URI(
   const char * security_filename, const char * node_secure_root,
@@ -680,11 +689,14 @@ void store_security_filepath_in_qos(
     allocator.deallocate(security_file_path, allocator.state);
   }
 }
+#endif  /* RMW_SUPPORT_SECURITY */
 
 /*  Set all the qos properties needed to enable DDS security  */
-void configure_qos_for_security(
+rmw_ret_t configure_qos_for_security(
   dds_qos_t * qos, const rmw_node_security_options_t * security_options)
 {
+
+#if RMW_SUPPORT_SECURITY
   /*  File path is set to nullptr if file does not exist or is not readable  */
   store_security_filepath_in_qos(
     qos, "dds.sec.auth.identity_ca", "identity_ca.cert.pem",
@@ -705,17 +717,28 @@ void configure_qos_for_security(
     qos, "dds.sec.access.permissions", "permissions.p7s",
     security_options);
 
-  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.auth.library.path", "libdds_security_auth.so");
+  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.auth.library.path", "dds_security_auth");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.auth.library.init", "init_authentication");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.auth.library.finalize", "finalize_authentication");
 
-  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.crypto.library.path", "libdds_security_crypto.so");
+  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.crypto.library.path", "dds_security_crypto");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.crypto.library.init", "init_crypto");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.crypto.library.finalize", "finalize_crypto");
 
-  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.access.library.path", "libdds_security_ac.so");
+  dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.access.library.path", "dds_security_ac");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.access.library.init", "init_access_control");
   dds_qset_prop(qos, "dds.sec.access.library.finalize", "finalize_access_control");
+
+  return RMW_RET_OK;
+#else
+  (void) qos;
+  (void) security_options;
+  RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(
+    "Security was requested but the Cyclone DDS being used does not have security "
+    "support enabled. Recompile Cyclone DDS with the '-DENABLE_SECURITY=ON' "
+    "CMake option");
+  return RMW_RET_UNSUPPORTED;
+#endif
 }
 
 extern "C" rmw_node_t * rmw_create_node(
@@ -743,11 +766,7 @@ extern "C" rmw_node_t * rmw_create_node(
   const dds_domainid_t did = DDS_DOMAIN_DEFAULT;
 #endif
 
-  if (security_options == nullptr) {
-    RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR_NAMED(
-      "rmw_cyclonedds_cpp", "rmw_create_node: security options null");
-    return nullptr;
-  }
+  RCUTILS_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(security_options, nullptr);
 
   rmw_ret_t ret;
   int dummy_validation_result;
@@ -770,16 +789,15 @@ extern "C" rmw_node_t * rmw_create_node(
 #endif
 
   dds_qos_t * qos = dds_create_qos();
-  if (qos == nullptr) {
-    RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR_NAMED(
-      "rmw_cyclonedds_cpp", "rmw_create_node: Unable to create qos");
-    return nullptr;
-  }
+  RCUTILS_CHECK_FOR_NULL_WITH_MSG(
+    security_options, "rmw_create_node: Unable to create qos", return nullptr);
   std::string user_data = get_node_user_data(name, namespace_);
   dds_qset_userdata(qos, user_data.c_str(), user_data.size());
 
   if (security_options->enforce_security) {
-    configure_qos_for_security(qos, security_options);
+    if (configure_qos_for_security(qos, security_options) != RMW_RET_OK) {
+      return nullptr;
+    }
   }
 
   dds_entity_t pp = dds_create_participant(did, qos, nullptr);