diff --git a/examples/platform/esp32/shell_extension/openthread_cli_register.cpp b/examples/platform/esp32/shell_extension/openthread_cli_register.cpp
index c82bd33849edd2..46484a4916013f 100644
--- a/examples/platform/esp32/shell_extension/openthread_cli_register.cpp
+++ b/examples/platform/esp32/shell_extension/openthread_cli_register.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "openthread_cli_register.h"
 #include "platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.h"
 #include <lib/shell/Engine.h>
+#include <memory>
 
 #define CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH 256u
 namespace chip {
@@ -30,27 +31,25 @@ namespace chip {
 static CHIP_ERROR OtcliHandler(int argc, char * argv[])
 {
     /* the beginning of command "matter esp ot cli" has already been removed */
-    char * cli_str = (char *) malloc(CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH);
-    memset(cli_str, 0, CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH);
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> cli_str(new char[CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH]);
+    memset(cli_str.get(), 0, CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH);
     uint8_t len = 0;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < (size_t) argc; ++i)
     {
         len = len + strlen(argv[i]) + 1;
         if (len > CLI_INPUT_BUFF_LENGTH - 1)
         {
-            free(cli_str);
             return CHIP_ERROR_INTERNAL;
         }
-        strcat(cli_str, argv[i]);
-        strcat(cli_str, " ");
+        strcat(cli_str.get(), argv[i]);
+        strcat(cli_str.get(), " ");
     }
 
-    QueueHandle_t cli_trans_queue = get_cli_transmit_task_queue();
-    if (!cli_trans_queue || xQueueSend(cli_trans_queue, &cli_str, portMAX_DELAY) != pdTRUE)
+    if (cli_transmit_task_post(cli_str) != CHIP_NO_ERROR)
     {
-        free(cli_str);
         return CHIP_ERROR_INTERNAL;
     }
+    cli_str.release();
     return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/BUILD.gn b/src/platform/ESP32/BUILD.gn
index 1d27940db829fa..a9c0879a0e8a76 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/BUILD.gn
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/BUILD.gn
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ static_library("ESP32") {
       "../OpenThread/GenericNetworkCommissioningThreadDriver.cpp",
       "../OpenThread/GenericNetworkCommissioningThreadDriver.h",
       "../OpenThread/OpenThreadUtils.cpp",
-      "OpenthreadLauncher.c",
+      "OpenthreadLauncher.cpp",
       "OpenthreadLauncher.h",
       "ThreadStackManagerImpl.cpp",
       "ThreadStackManagerImpl.h",
diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.c b/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.cpp
similarity index 88%
rename from src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.c
rename to src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.cpp
index 72bc6ece63cb76..81d81de0683d41 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.c
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.cpp
@@ -31,15 +31,21 @@
 #include "openthread/instance.h"
 #include "openthread/logging.h"
 #include "openthread/tasklet.h"
+#include <lib/core/CHIPError.h>
+#include <memory>
 
 static esp_netif_t * openthread_netif                       = NULL;
 static esp_openthread_platform_config_t * s_platform_config = NULL;
 static TaskHandle_t cli_transmit_task                       = NULL;
 static QueueHandle_t cli_transmit_task_queue                = NULL;
 
-QueueHandle_t get_cli_transmit_task_queue(void)
+CHIP_ERROR cli_transmit_task_post(std::unique_ptr<char[]> & cli_str)
 {
-    return cli_transmit_task_queue;
+    if (!cli_transmit_task_queue || xQueueSend(cli_transmit_task_queue, &cli_str, portMAX_DELAY) != pdTRUE)
+    {
+        return CHIP_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+    }
+    return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
 }
 
 static int cli_output_callback(void * context, const char * format, va_list args)
@@ -65,20 +71,21 @@ static void esp_openthread_matter_cli_init(void)
 
 static void cli_transmit_worker(void * context)
 {
-    cli_transmit_task_queue = xQueueCreate(8, sizeof(char **));
+    cli_transmit_task_queue = xQueueCreate(8, sizeof(std::unique_ptr<char[]>));
     if (!cli_transmit_task_queue)
     {
+        vTaskDelete(NULL);
         return;
     }
-    char * command_line = NULL;
+
     while (true)
     {
+        std::unique_ptr<char[]> command_line(nullptr);
         if (xQueueReceive(cli_transmit_task_queue, &command_line, portMAX_DELAY) == pdTRUE)
         {
             if (command_line)
             {
-                esp_openthread_cli_input(command_line);
-                free(command_line);
+                esp_openthread_cli_input(command_line.get());
             }
             else
             {
@@ -93,7 +100,7 @@ static void cli_transmit_worker(void * context)
 
 static esp_err_t cli_command_transmit_task(void)
 {
-    xTaskCreate(cli_transmit_worker, "ocli_trans", 3072, xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle(), 4, &cli_transmit_task);
+    xTaskCreate(cli_transmit_worker, "ocli_trans", 3072, xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle(), 5, &cli_transmit_task);
     return ESP_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.h b/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.h
index 033a55518fd56b..ba1b115a7355d6 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.h
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/OpenthreadLauncher.h
@@ -19,16 +19,10 @@
 
 #include <esp_err.h>
 #include <esp_openthread_types.h>
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
+#include <lib/core/CHIPError.h>
+#include <memory>
 
 esp_err_t set_openthread_platform_config(esp_openthread_platform_config_t * config);
 esp_err_t openthread_init_stack(void);
 esp_err_t openthread_launch_task(void);
-QueueHandle_t get_cli_transmit_task_queue(void);
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
+CHIP_ERROR cli_transmit_task_post(std::unique_ptr<char[]> & cli_str);