diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController.mm b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController.mm
index 4630ff7fe00b4f..650aba4b24a700 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController.mm
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController.mm
@@ -331,14 +331,14 @@ - (BOOL)isRunning
     return _cppCommissioner != nullptr;
 }
 
-- (BOOL)matchesPendingShutdownWithParams:(MTRDeviceControllerParameters *)parameters
+- (BOOL)matchesPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)rootCertificate
 {
-    if (!parameters.operationalCertificate || !parameters.rootCertificate) {
+    if (!operationalCertificate || !rootCertificate) {
         return FALSE;
     }
-    NSNumber * nodeID = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters nodeIDFromNOC:parameters.operationalCertificate];
-    NSNumber * fabricID = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters fabricIDFromNOC:parameters.operationalCertificate];
-    NSData * publicKey = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters publicKeyFromCertificate:parameters.rootCertificate];
+    NSNumber * nodeID = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters nodeIDFromNOC:operationalCertificate];
+    NSNumber * fabricID = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters fabricIDFromNOC:operationalCertificate];
+    NSData * publicKey = [MTRDeviceControllerParameters publicKeyFromCertificate:rootCertificate];
 
     std::lock_guard lock(_assertionLock);
 
diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceControllerFactory.mm b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceControllerFactory.mm
index bd0b90450b9ac4..00b59f525b0f16 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceControllerFactory.mm
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceControllerFactory.mm
@@ -660,6 +660,12 @@ - (MTRDeviceController * _Nullable)createControllerOnExistingFabric:(MTRDeviceCo
         return nil;
     }
 
+    // If there is a controller already running with matching parameters that is conceptually shut down from the API consumer's viewpoint, re-use it.
+    MTRDeviceController * existingController = [self _findPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:startupParams.operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:startupParams.rootCertificate];
+    if (existingController) {
+        return existingController;
+    }
+
     return [self _startDeviceController:[MTRDeviceController alloc]
                           startupParams:startupParams
                           fabricChecker:^MTRDeviceControllerStartupParamsInternal *(
@@ -1133,11 +1139,11 @@ - (void)operationalInstanceAdded:(chip::PeerId &)operationalID
     }
 }
 
-- (nullable MTRDeviceController *)_findControllerWithPendingShutdownMatchingParams:(MTRDeviceControllerParameters *)parameters
+- (nullable MTRDeviceController *)_findPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)rootCertificate
 {
     std::lock_guard lock(_controllersLock);
     for (MTRDeviceController * controller in _controllers) {
-        if ([controller matchesPendingShutdownWithParams:parameters]) {
+        if ([controller matchesPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:rootCertificate]) {
             MTR_LOG("%@ Found existing controller %@ that is pending shutdown and matching parameters, re-using it", self, controller);
             [controller clearPendingShutdown];
             return controller;
@@ -1153,7 +1159,7 @@ - (nullable MTRDeviceController *)initializeController:(MTRDeviceController *)co
     [self _assertCurrentQueueIsNotMatterQueue];
 
     // If there is a controller already running with matching parameters that is conceptually shut down from the API consumer's viewpoint, re-use it.
-    MTRDeviceController * existingController = [self _findControllerWithPendingShutdownMatchingParams:parameters];
+    MTRDeviceController * existingController = [self _findPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:parameters.operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:parameters.rootCertificate];
     if (existingController) {
         return existingController;
     }
diff --git a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController_Internal.h b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController_Internal.h
index e625d13a80e77e..f37d6fbf08c6d9 100644
--- a/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController_Internal.h
+++ b/src/darwin/Framework/CHIP/MTRDeviceController_Internal.h
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 /**
  * This method returns TRUE if this controller matches the fabric reference and node ID as listed in the parameters.
  */
-- (BOOL)matchesPendingShutdownWithParams:(MTRDeviceControllerParameters *)parameters;
+- (BOOL)matchesPendingShutdownControllerWithOperationalCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)operationalCertificate andRootCertificate:(nullable MTRCertificateDERBytes)rootCertificate;
 
 /**
  * Clear any pending shutdown request.