diff --git a/android/src/legacy/java/com/rive/RiveReactNativeView.kt b/android/src/legacy/java/com/rive/RiveReactNativeView.kt
index 5b9244f2..7a3863d5 100644
--- a/android/src/legacy/java/com/rive/RiveReactNativeView.kt
+++ b/android/src/legacy/java/com/rive/RiveReactNativeView.kt
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ class RiveReactNativeView(context: ThemedReactContext) : FrameLayout(context) {
     if (willDispose) {
       riveAnimationView?.dispose()
       removeEventListeners()
+      // Post-dispose reads must resolve null, not the retained (released)
+      // instance; also stops pinning it for the view's remaining lifetime.
+      lastKnownViewModelInstance = null
     }
     super.onDetachedFromWindow()
   }
@@ -181,7 +184,13 @@ class RiveReactNativeView(context: ThemedReactContext) : FrameLayout(context) {
   @Volatile
   private var lastKnownViewModelInstance: ViewModelInstance? = null
 
+  private val mainHandler = android.os.Handler(android.os.Looper.getMainLooper())
+
   private fun readViewModelInstanceOnMain(): ViewModelInstance? {
+    // A refresh posted before dispose() can run after it; reading the
+    // torn-down controller's stale list here would re-cache a released
+    // instance right after onDetachedFromWindow cleared it.
+    if (willDispose) return null
     val stateMachines = riveAnimationView?.controller?.stateMachines
     return if (!stateMachines.isNullOrEmpty()) {
       stateMachines.first().viewModelInstance
@@ -195,7 +204,7 @@ class RiveReactNativeView(context: ThemedReactContext) : FrameLayout(context) {
       lastKnownViewModelInstance = readViewModelInstanceOnMain()
       return lastKnownViewModelInstance
     }
-    android.os.Handler(android.os.Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
+    mainHandler.post {
       lastKnownViewModelInstance = readViewModelInstanceOnMain()
     }
     return lastKnownViewModelInstance