diff --git a/src/platform/Darwin/PlatformManagerImpl.cpp b/src/platform/Darwin/PlatformManagerImpl.cpp
index 6102d1e599effc..4b82a7460c5fa7 100644
--- a/src/platform/Darwin/PlatformManagerImpl.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/Darwin/PlatformManagerImpl.cpp
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ CHIP_ERROR PlatformManagerImpl::_InitChipStack()
     SuccessOrExit(err);
 #endif // CHIP_DISABLE_PLATFORM_KVS
 
-    mRunLoopSem = dispatch_semaphore_create(0);
-
     // Ensure there is a dispatch queue available
     static_cast<System::LayerSocketsLoop &>(DeviceLayer::SystemLayer()).SetDispatchQueue(GetWorkQueue());
 
@@ -127,7 +125,10 @@ void PlatformManagerImpl::_RunEventLoop()
     // Block on the semaphore till we're signalled to stop by
     // _StopEventLoopTask()
     //
+    mRunLoopSem = dispatch_semaphore_create(0);
     dispatch_semaphore_wait(mRunLoopSem, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);
+    dispatch_release(mRunLoopSem);
+    mRunLoopSem = nullptr;
 }
 
 void PlatformManagerImpl::_Shutdown()