diff --git a/rcl/include/rcl/logging_rosout.h b/rcl/include/rcl/logging_rosout.h
index 279363fa24..1beca94d11 100644
--- a/rcl/include/rcl/logging_rosout.h
+++ b/rcl/include/rcl/logging_rosout.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include "rcl/types.h"
 #include "rcl/visibility_control.h"
 
+extern bool g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled;
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 {
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c b/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
index ee93fc0a2f..6a71b1ac2c 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ static rcutils_logging_output_handler_t
 static uint8_t g_rcl_logging_num_out_handlers = 0;
 static rcl_allocator_t g_logging_allocator;
 static bool g_rcl_logging_stdout_enabled = false;
-static bool g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled = false;
 static bool g_rcl_logging_ext_lib_enabled = false;
 
 /**
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/logging_rosout.c b/rcl/src/rcl/logging_rosout.c
index 9c92ee9be4..32c0f90e27 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/logging_rosout.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/logging_rosout.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include "rcutils/types/rcutils_ret.h"
 #include "rosidl_generator_c/string_functions.h"
 
+bool g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled = false;
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 {
diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/node.c b/rcl/src/rcl/node.c
index d6ad720988..409e8052ec 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/node.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/node.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ extern "C"
 
 #include "rcl/arguments.h"
 #include "rcl/error_handling.h"
+#include "rcl/logging.h"
 #include "rcl/logging_rosout.h"
 #include "rcl/rcl.h"
 #include "rcl/remap.h"
@@ -355,17 +356,19 @@ rcl_node_init(
   }
   // The initialization for the rosout publisher requires the node to be in initialized to a point
   // that it can create new topic publishers
-  ret = rcl_logging_rosout_init_publisher_for_node(node);
-  if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
-    // error message already set
-    goto fail;
+  if (g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled) {
+    ret = rcl_logging_rosout_init_publisher_for_node(node);
+    if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+      // error message already set
+      goto fail;
+    }
   }
   RCUTILS_LOG_DEBUG_NAMED(ROS_PACKAGE_NAME, "Node initialized");
   ret = RCL_RET_OK;
   goto cleanup;
 fail:
   if (node->impl) {
-    if (node->impl->logger_name) {
+    if (g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled && node->impl->logger_name) {
       ret = rcl_logging_rosout_fini_publisher_for_node(node);
       RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR_EXPRESSION_NAMED((ret != RCL_RET_OK && ret != RCL_RET_NOT_INIT),
         ROS_PACKAGE_NAME, "Failed to fini publisher for node: %i", ret);
@@ -431,10 +434,13 @@ rcl_node_fini(rcl_node_t * node)
   }
   rcl_allocator_t allocator = node->impl->options.allocator;
   rcl_ret_t result = RCL_RET_OK;
-  rcl_ret_t rcl_ret = rcl_logging_rosout_fini_publisher_for_node(node);
-  if (rcl_ret != RCL_RET_OK && rcl_ret != RCL_RET_NOT_INIT) {
-    RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG("Unable to fini publisher for node.");
-    result = RCL_RET_ERROR;
+  rcl_ret_t rcl_ret = RCL_RET_OK;
+  if (g_rcl_logging_rosout_enabled) {
+    rcl_ret = rcl_logging_rosout_fini_publisher_for_node(node);
+    if (rcl_ret != RCL_RET_OK && rcl_ret != RCL_RET_NOT_INIT) {
+      RCL_SET_ERROR_MSG("Unable to fini publisher for node.");
+      result = RCL_RET_ERROR;
+    }
   }
   rmw_ret_t rmw_ret = rmw_destroy_node(node->impl->rmw_node_handle);
   if (rmw_ret != RMW_RET_OK) {