diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRControllerFactory.mm b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRControllerFactory.mm
index 38d0cfe927388c..03d4fc8496d1c0 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRControllerFactory.mm
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRControllerFactory.mm
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ @interface MTRControllerFactory ()
 - (BOOL)findMatchingFabric:(FabricTable &)fabricTable
                     params:(MTRDeviceControllerStartupParams *)params
                     fabric:(const FabricInfo * _Nullable * _Nonnull)fabric;
+
+- (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)maybeInitializeOTAProvider:(MTRDeviceController * _Nonnull)controller;
 @end
 
 @implementation MTRControllerFactory
@@ -387,7 +389,7 @@ - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)startControllerOnExistingFabric:(MTRDeviceCon
         return nil;
     }
 
-    return controller;
+    return [self maybeInitializeOTAProvider:controller];
 }
 
 - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)startControllerOnNewFabric:(MTRDeviceControllerStartupParams *)startupParams
@@ -447,7 +449,7 @@ - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)startControllerOnNewFabric:(MTRDeviceControll
         return nil;
     }
 
-    return controller;
+    return [self maybeInitializeOTAProvider:controller];
 }
 
 - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)createController
@@ -462,11 +464,6 @@ - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)createController
         // Bringing up the first controller.  Start the event loop now.  If we
         // fail to bring it up, its cleanup will stop the event loop again.
         chip::DeviceLayer::PlatformMgrImpl().StartEventLoopTask();
-
-        if (_otaProviderDelegateBridge) {
-            auto systemState = _controllerFactory->GetSystemState();
-            _otaProviderDelegateBridge->Init(systemState->SystemLayer(), systemState->ExchangeMgr());
-        }
     }
 
     // Add the controller to _controllers now, so if we fail partway through its
@@ -516,6 +513,27 @@ - (BOOL)findMatchingFabric:(FabricTable &)fabricTable
     return YES;
 }
 
+// Initialize the MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge if it has not been initialized already
+//
+// Returns NO on failure, YES on success.
+// If the provider has been initialized already, it is not considered as a failure.
+//
+- (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)maybeInitializeOTAProvider:(MTRDeviceController * _Nonnull)controller
+{
+    VerifyOrReturnValue(_otaProviderDelegateBridge != nil, controller);
+    VerifyOrReturnValue([_controllers count] == 1, controller);
+
+    auto systemState = _controllerFactory->GetSystemState();
+    CHIP_ERROR err = _otaProviderDelegateBridge->Init(systemState->SystemLayer(), systemState->ExchangeMgr());
+    if (CHIP_NO_ERROR != err) {
+        MTR_LOG_ERROR("Failed to init provider delegate bridge");
+        [controller shutdown];
+        return nil;
+    }
+
+    return controller;
+}
+
 @end
 
 @implementation MTRControllerFactory (InternalMethods)
diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.h b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.h
index 8240ae9e56cb63..97aa258dad2617 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.h
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge : public chip::app::Clusters::OTAProviderDele
     MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge(id<MTROTAProviderDelegate> delegate);
     ~MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge();
 
-    void Init(chip::System::Layer * systemLayer, chip::Messaging::ExchangeManager * exchangeManager);
+    CHIP_ERROR Init(chip::System::Layer * systemLayer, chip::Messaging::ExchangeManager * exchangeManager);
     void Shutdown();
 
     void HandleQueryImage(
diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.mm b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.mm
index 5ef05cb0adaff0..2045ce1f2627ce 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.mm
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge.mm
@@ -314,9 +314,9 @@ void ResetState()
     Clusters::OTAProvider::SetDelegate(kOtaProviderEndpoint, nullptr);
 }
 
-void MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge::Init(System::Layer * systemLayer, Messaging::ExchangeManager * exchangeManager)
+CHIP_ERROR MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge::Init(System::Layer * systemLayer, Messaging::ExchangeManager * exchangeManager)
 {
-    gOtaSender.Init(systemLayer, exchangeManager);
+    return gOtaSender.Init(systemLayer, exchangeManager);
 }
 
 void MTROTAProviderDelegateBridge::Shutdown() { gOtaSender.Shutdown(); }