diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
index 7e2ea40fb8..e41565c3b1 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ FLUTTER_DARWIN_EXPORT
  * `FlutterViewController` is initialized with or a new `FlutterEngine` implicitly created if
  * no engine was supplied during initialization.
  */
-@property(weak, nonatomic, readonly) FlutterEngine* engine;
+@property(nonatomic, readonly) FlutterEngine* engine;
 
 /**
  * The `FlutterBinaryMessenger` associated with this FlutterViewController (used for communicating
diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
index e4dbf2546f..d6e4c59f3c 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/ios/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ typedef struct MouseState {
 @end
 
 @implementation FlutterViewController {
-  FlutterEngine* _engine;
   flutter::ViewportMetrics _viewportMetrics;
   MouseState _mouseState;
 }
@@ -302,10 +301,6 @@ typedef struct MouseState {
   [self setUpNotificationCenterObservers];
 }
 
-- (FlutterEngine*)engine {
-  return _engine;
-}
-
 - (void)setUpNotificationCenterObservers {
   NSNotificationCenter* center = [NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter];
   [center addObserver:self