diff --git a/rclcpp_components/src/component_container_mt.cpp b/rclcpp_components/src/component_container_mt.cpp
index 9dcbade712..8e2a113bec 100644
--- a/rclcpp_components/src/component_container_mt.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp_components/src/component_container_mt.cpp
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
   /// Component container with a multi-threaded executor.
   rclcpp::init(argc, argv);
 
-  auto exec = std::make_shared<rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor>();
-  auto node = std::make_shared<rclcpp_components::ComponentManager>();
+  rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor::SharedPtr exec = nullptr;
+  const auto node = std::make_shared<rclcpp_components::ComponentManager>();
   if (node->has_parameter("thread_num")) {
     const auto thread_num = node->get_parameter("thread_num").as_int();
     exec = std::make_shared<rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor>(
       rclcpp::ExecutorOptions{}, thread_num);
-    node->set_executor(exec);
   } else {
-    node->set_executor(exec);
+    exec = std::make_shared<rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor>();
   }
+  node->set_executor(exec);
   exec->add_node(node);
   exec->spin();
 }