diff --git a/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.h b/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.h
index c9a1b0b8..f063c30f 100644
--- a/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.h
+++ b/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.h
@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
 @interface MarkdownTextFieldObserver : NSObject
 
-@property (nonatomic, nullable, strong) RCTMarkdownUtils *markdownUtils;
-
-@property (nonatomic, nullable, strong) RCTUITextField *textField;
-
-@property (nonatomic) BOOL active;
+- (instancetype)initWithTextField:(nonnull RCTUITextField *)textField markdownUtils:(nonnull RCTMarkdownUtils *)markdownUtils;
 
 - (void)textFieldDidChange:(UITextField *)textField;
 
diff --git a/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.mm b/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.mm
index 7ad54e25..8544c1d0 100644
--- a/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.mm
+++ b/apple/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.mm
@@ -1,20 +1,33 @@
 #import <RNLiveMarkdown/MarkdownTextFieldObserver.h>
 #import "react_native_assert.h"
 
-@implementation MarkdownTextFieldObserver
+@implementation MarkdownTextFieldObserver {
+  RCTUITextField *_textField;
+  RCTMarkdownUtils *_markdownUtils;
+  BOOL _active;
+}
 
-- (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(NSDictionary<NSKeyValueChangeKey,id> *)change context:(void *)context
+- (instancetype)initWithTextField:(nonnull RCTUITextField *)textField markdownUtils:(nonnull RCTMarkdownUtils *)markdownUtils
 {
-  react_native_assert(_textField != nil);
+  if ((self = [super init])) {
+    react_native_assert(textField != nil);
+    react_native_assert(markdownUtils != nil);
 
+    _textField = textField;
+    _markdownUtils = markdownUtils;
+    _active = YES;
+  }
+  return self;
+}
+
+- (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(NSDictionary<NSKeyValueChangeKey,id> *)change context:(void *)context
+{
   if (_active && ([keyPath isEqualToString:@"text"] || [keyPath isEqualToString:@"attributedText"])) {
     [self textFieldDidChange:_textField];
   }
 }
 
 - (void)textFieldDidChange:(__unused UITextField *)textField {
-  react_native_assert(_markdownUtils != nil);
-  react_native_assert(_textField != nil);
   react_native_assert(_textField.defaultTextAttributes != nil);
 
   if (_textField.markedTextRange != nil) {
diff --git a/apple/MarkdownTextInputDecoratorView.mm b/apple/MarkdownTextInputDecoratorView.mm
index d2ef2cdd..bc9cbf4b 100644
--- a/apple/MarkdownTextInputDecoratorView.mm
+++ b/apple/MarkdownTextInputDecoratorView.mm
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ - (void)didMoveToWindow {
     // make sure `adjustsFontSizeToFitWidth` is disabled, otherwise formatting will be overwritten
     react_native_assert(_textField.adjustsFontSizeToFitWidth == NO);
     
-    _markdownTextFieldObserver = [[MarkdownTextFieldObserver alloc] init];
-    _markdownTextFieldObserver.markdownUtils = _markdownUtils;
-    _markdownTextFieldObserver.textField = _textField;
-    _markdownTextFieldObserver.active = YES;
+    _markdownTextFieldObserver = [[MarkdownTextFieldObserver alloc] initWithTextField:_textField markdownUtils:_markdownUtils];
     
     // register observers for future edits
     [_textField addTarget:_markdownTextFieldObserver action:@selector(textFieldDidChange:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventEditingChanged];
@@ -84,12 +81,9 @@ - (void)didMoveToWindow {
   } else if ([backedTextInputView isKindOfClass:[RCTUITextView class]]) {
     _textView = (RCTUITextView *)backedTextInputView;
 
-    _markdownTextStorageDelegate = [[MarkdownTextStorageDelegate alloc] init];
-    _markdownTextStorageDelegate.markdownUtils = _markdownUtils;
-    _markdownTextStorageDelegate.textView = _textView;
-
     // register delegate for future edits
     react_native_assert(_textView.textStorage.delegate == nil);
+    _markdownTextStorageDelegate = [[MarkdownTextStorageDelegate alloc] initWithTextView:_textView markdownUtils:_markdownUtils];
     _textView.textStorage.delegate = _markdownTextStorageDelegate;
 
 #ifdef RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED
diff --git a/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.h b/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.h
index bfdebbbd..e7cb244a 100644
--- a/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.h
+++ b/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.h
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
 @interface MarkdownTextStorageDelegate : NSObject <NSTextStorageDelegate>
 
-@property(nonatomic, nullable) RCTMarkdownUtils *markdownUtils;
-
-@property(nonatomic, nullable, strong) RCTUITextView *textView;
+- (instancetype)initWithTextView:(nonnull RCTUITextView *)textView markdownUtils:(nonnull RCTMarkdownUtils *)markdownUtils;
 
 @end
 
diff --git a/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.mm b/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.mm
index ffd13a58..9bcb40dd 100644
--- a/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.mm
+++ b/apple/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.mm
@@ -1,11 +1,24 @@
 #import <RNLiveMarkdown/MarkdownTextStorageDelegate.h>
 #import "react_native_assert.h"
 
-@implementation MarkdownTextStorageDelegate
+@implementation MarkdownTextStorageDelegate {
+  RCTUITextView *_textView;
+  RCTMarkdownUtils *_markdownUtils;
+}
+
+- (instancetype)initWithTextView:(nonnull RCTUITextView *)textView markdownUtils:(nonnull RCTMarkdownUtils *)markdownUtils
+{
+  if ((self = [super init])) {
+    react_native_assert(textView != nil);
+    react_native_assert(markdownUtils != nil);
+
+    _textView = textView;
+    _markdownUtils = markdownUtils;
+  }
+  return self;
+}
 
 - (void)textStorage:(NSTextStorage *)textStorage didProcessEditing:(NSTextStorageEditActions)editedMask range:(NSRange)editedRange changeInLength:(NSInteger)delta {
-  react_native_assert(_markdownUtils != nil);
-  react_native_assert(_textView != nil);
   react_native_assert(_textView.defaultTextAttributes != nil);
 
   [_markdownUtils applyFormatting:textStorage withDefaultTextAttributes:_textView.defaultTextAttributes];