diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveView.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveView.kt
index bb3316e5..f9e975fe 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveView.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/rive/HybridRiveView.kt
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ class HybridRiveView(val context: ThemedReactContext) : HybridRiveViewSpec() {
     private const val TAG = "HybridRiveView"
   }
 
+  //region Lifecycle
+  override fun dispose() {
+    view.dispose()
+  }
+  //endregion
+
   //region State
   override val view: RiveReactNativeView = RiveReactNativeView(context)
   private var needsReload = false
diff --git a/ios/HybridRiveFileFactory.swift b/ios/HybridRiveFileFactory.swift
index 3b7cb736..154f1d02 100644
--- a/ios/HybridRiveFileFactory.swift
+++ b/ios/HybridRiveFileFactory.swift
@@ -36,11 +36,9 @@ final class HybridRiveFileFactory: HybridRiveFileFactorySpec, @unchecked Sendabl
 
               let referencedAssetCache = SendableRef(ReferencedAssetCache())
               let factoryCache: SendableRef<RiveFactory?> = .init(nil)
-              let fileRef: SendableRef<RiveFile?> = .init(nil)
               let customLoader = self.assetLoader.createCustomLoader(
                 referencedAssets: referencedAssets, cache: referencedAssetCache,
-                factory: factoryCache,
-                fileRef: fileRef
+                factory: factoryCache
               )
 
               let riveFile =
@@ -49,7 +47,7 @@ final class HybridRiveFileFactory: HybridRiveFileFactorySpec, @unchecked Sendabl
                 } else {
                   try file(prepared)
                 }
-              fileRef.value = riveFile
+              self.assetLoader.setFileRef(riveFile)
 
               let result = (
                 file: riveFile, cache: referencedAssetCache.value, factory: factoryCache.value,
diff --git a/ios/HybridRiveView.swift b/ios/HybridRiveView.swift
index 2067e618..b8c470a7 100644
--- a/ios/HybridRiveView.swift
+++ b/ios/HybridRiveView.swift
@@ -197,6 +197,13 @@ class HybridRiveView: HybridRiveViewSpec {
     }
   }
 
+  func dispose() {
+    let riveView = view as? RiveReactNativeView
+    DispatchQueue.main.async {
+      riveView?.cleanup()
+    }
+  }
+
   // MARK: Internal State
   private var needsReload = false
   private var dataBindingChanged = false
diff --git a/ios/ReferencedAssetLoader.swift b/ios/ReferencedAssetLoader.swift
index 052805a2..b46e3caf 100644
--- a/ios/ReferencedAssetLoader.swift
+++ b/ios/ReferencedAssetLoader.swift
@@ -11,6 +11,26 @@ func createAssetFileError(_ assetName: String) -> NitroRiveError {
 }
 
 final class ReferencedAssetLoader {
+  private var activeLoadCount = 0
+  private var activeFileRef: RiveFile?
+
+  func setFileRef(_ file: RiveFile) {
+    activeFileRef = file
+  }
+
+  private func retainFile() {
+    activeLoadCount += 1
+  }
+
+  private func releaseFile() {
+    dispatchPrecondition(condition: .onQueue(.main))
+    activeLoadCount -= 1
+    if activeLoadCount <= 0 {
+      activeLoadCount = 0
+      activeFileRef = nil
+    }
+  }
+
   private func handleRiveError(error: Error) {
     RCTLogError("\(error)")
   }
@@ -115,8 +135,7 @@ final class ReferencedAssetLoader {
 
   func createCustomLoader(
     referencedAssets: ReferencedAssetsType?, cache: SendableRef<ReferencedAssetCache>,
-    factory factoryOut: SendableRef<RiveFactory?>,
-    fileRef: SendableRef<RiveFile?>
+    factory factoryOut: SendableRef<RiveFactory?>
   )
     -> LoadAsset?
   {
@@ -124,7 +143,7 @@ final class ReferencedAssetLoader {
     else {
       return nil
     }
-    return { (asset: RiveFileAsset, _: Data, factory: RiveFactory) -> Bool in
+    return { [weak self] (asset: RiveFileAsset, _: Data, factory: RiveFactory) -> Bool in
       let assetByUniqueName = referencedAssets[asset.uniqueName()]
       guard let assetData = assetByUniqueName ?? referencedAssets[asset.name()] else {
         return false
@@ -133,10 +152,11 @@ final class ReferencedAssetLoader {
       cache.value[asset.uniqueName()] = asset
       factoryOut.value = factory
 
-      self.loadAssetInternal(
+      self?.retainFile()
+      self?.loadAssetInternal(
         source: assetData, asset: asset, factory: factory,
-        completion: {
-          withExtendedLifetime(fileRef) {}
+        completion: { [weak self] in
+          self?.releaseFile()
         })
 
       return true
diff --git a/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift b/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
index a74ba50d..324688f4 100644
--- a/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
+++ b/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ class RiveReactNativeView: UIView, RiveStateMachineDelegate {
     }
   }
 
-  private func cleanup() {
+  func cleanup() {
     riveView?.removeFromSuperview()
     riveView?.stateMachineDelegate = nil
     riveView = nil
diff --git a/src/core/RiveView.tsx b/src/core/RiveView.tsx
index ab09ab89..4023e4df 100644
--- a/src/core/RiveView.tsx
+++ b/src/core/RiveView.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-import type { ComponentProps } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef, type ComponentProps } from 'react';
 import { NitroRiveView } from './NitroRiveViewComponent';
 import { RiveErrorType, type RiveError } from './Errors';
+import { callDispose } from './callDispose';
+import type { RiveViewRef } from '../index';
 
 export interface RiveViewProps
   extends Omit<ComponentProps<typeof NitroRiveView>, 'onError'> {
@@ -41,8 +43,31 @@ const defaultOnError = (error: RiveError) =>
  * - pause(): Pauses the Rive graphic
  */
 export function RiveView(props: RiveViewProps) {
-  const { onError, ...rest } = props;
+  const { onError, hybridRef: userHybridRef, ...rest } = props;
   const wrappedOnError = onError ?? defaultOnError;
+  const viewRef = useRef<RiveViewRef | null>(null);
 
-  return <NitroRiveView {...rest} onError={{ f: wrappedOnError }} />;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      if (viewRef.current) {
+        callDispose(viewRef.current);
+        viewRef.current = null;
+      }
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const setRef = (ref: RiveViewRef) => {
+    viewRef.current = ref;
+    if (userHybridRef?.f) {
+      userHybridRef.f(ref);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <NitroRiveView
+      {...rest}
+      onError={{ f: wrappedOnError }}
+      hybridRef={{ f: setRef }}
+    />
+  );
 }