diff --git a/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.cpp b/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.cpp
index e4e419978d8a2d..248e96cf237f3a 100644
--- a/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.cpp
@@ -73,41 +73,36 @@ CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::Init(FactoryInitParams params)
     return err;
 }
 
-CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::InitSystemState()
+CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::ReinitSystemStateIfNecessary()
 {
+    VerifyOrReturnError(mSystemState != nullptr, CHIP_ERROR_INCORRECT_STATE);
+    VerifyOrReturnError(mSystemState->IsShutdown(), CHIP_NO_ERROR);
+
     FactoryInitParams params;
-    if (mSystemState != nullptr)
-    {
-        params.systemLayer        = mSystemState->SystemLayer();
-        params.udpEndPointManager = mSystemState->UDPEndPointManager();
+    params.systemLayer        = mSystemState->SystemLayer();
+    params.udpEndPointManager = mSystemState->UDPEndPointManager();
 #if INET_CONFIG_ENABLE_TCP_ENDPOINT
-        params.tcpEndPointManager = mSystemState->TCPEndPointManager();
+    params.tcpEndPointManager = mSystemState->TCPEndPointManager();
 #endif
 #if CONFIG_NETWORK_LAYER_BLE
-        params.bleLayer = mSystemState->BleLayer();
+    params.bleLayer = mSystemState->BleLayer();
 #endif
-        params.listenPort                = mListenPort;
-        params.fabricIndependentStorage  = mFabricIndependentStorage;
-        params.enableServerInteractions  = mEnableServerInteractions;
-        params.groupDataProvider         = mSystemState->GetGroupDataProvider();
-        params.sessionKeystore           = mSystemState->GetSessionKeystore();
-        params.fabricTable               = mSystemState->Fabrics();
-        params.operationalKeystore       = mOperationalKeystore;
-        params.opCertStore               = mOpCertStore;
-        params.certificateValidityPolicy = mCertificateValidityPolicy;
-        params.sessionResumptionStorage  = mSessionResumptionStorage;
-    }
+    params.listenPort                = mListenPort;
+    params.fabricIndependentStorage  = mFabricIndependentStorage;
+    params.enableServerInteractions  = mEnableServerInteractions;
+    params.groupDataProvider         = mSystemState->GetGroupDataProvider();
+    params.sessionKeystore           = mSystemState->GetSessionKeystore();
+    params.fabricTable               = mSystemState->Fabrics();
+    params.operationalKeystore       = mOperationalKeystore;
+    params.opCertStore               = mOpCertStore;
+    params.certificateValidityPolicy = mCertificateValidityPolicy;
+    params.sessionResumptionStorage  = mSessionResumptionStorage;
 
     return InitSystemState(params);
 }
 
 CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::InitSystemState(FactoryInitParams params)
 {
-    if (mSystemState != nullptr && mSystemState->IsInitialized())
-    {
-        return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
-    }
-
     if (mSystemState != nullptr)
     {
         Platform::Delete(mSystemState);
@@ -331,10 +326,8 @@ void DeviceControllerFactory::ControllerInitialized(const DeviceController & con
 
 CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::SetupController(SetupParams params, DeviceController & controller)
 {
-    VerifyOrReturnError(mSystemState != nullptr, CHIP_ERROR_INCORRECT_STATE);
     VerifyOrReturnError(params.controllerVendorId != VendorId::Unspecified, CHIP_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-
-    ReturnErrorOnFailure(InitSystemState());
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(ReinitSystemStateIfNecessary());
 
     ControllerInitParams controllerParams;
     PopulateInitParams(controllerParams, params);
@@ -351,10 +344,8 @@ CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::SetupController(SetupParams params, DeviceCo
 
 CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::SetupCommissioner(SetupParams params, DeviceCommissioner & commissioner)
 {
-    VerifyOrReturnError(mSystemState != nullptr, CHIP_ERROR_INCORRECT_STATE);
     VerifyOrReturnError(params.controllerVendorId != VendorId::Unspecified, CHIP_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-
-    ReturnErrorOnFailure(InitSystemState());
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(ReinitSystemStateIfNecessary());
 
     CommissionerInitParams commissionerParams;
 
@@ -397,6 +388,13 @@ bool DeviceControllerFactory::ReleaseSystemState()
     return mSystemState->Release();
 }
 
+CHIP_ERROR DeviceControllerFactory::EnsureAndRetainSystemState()
+{
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(ReinitSystemStateIfNecessary());
+    RetainSystemState();
+    return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
+}
+
 DeviceControllerFactory::~DeviceControllerFactory()
 {
     Shutdown();
diff --git a/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.h b/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.h
index 19b19e54eab414..d4e50e9c44b57a 100644
--- a/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.h
+++ b/src/controller/CHIPDeviceControllerFactory.h
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ class DeviceControllerFactory
     //
     bool ReleaseSystemState();
 
+    // Like RetainSystemState(), but will re-initialize the system state first if necessary.
+    CHIP_ERROR EnsureAndRetainSystemState();
+
     //
     // Retrieve a read-only pointer to the system state object that contains pointers to key stack
     // singletons. If the pointer is null, it indicates that the DeviceControllerFactory has yet to
@@ -272,7 +275,7 @@ class DeviceControllerFactory
     DeviceControllerFactory() {}
     void PopulateInitParams(ControllerInitParams & controllerParams, const SetupParams & params);
     CHIP_ERROR InitSystemState(FactoryInitParams params);
-    CHIP_ERROR InitSystemState();
+    CHIP_ERROR ReinitSystemStateIfNecessary();
     void ControllerInitialized(const DeviceController & controller);
 
     uint16_t mListenPort;