diff --git a/rmw_implementation/package.xml b/rmw_implementation/package.xml
index 8cc43b45..7a1f6345 100644
--- a/rmw_implementation/package.xml
+++ b/rmw_implementation/package.xml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
   <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>
 
-  <build_depend>rcpputils</build_depend>
+  <depend>rcpputils</depend>
   <build_depend>rcutils</build_depend>
   <build_depend>rmw</build_depend>
   <!--
diff --git a/rmw_implementation/src/functions.cpp b/rmw_implementation/src/functions.cpp
index 1376f04d..77e19b12 100644
--- a/rmw_implementation/src/functions.cpp
+++ b/rmw_implementation/src/functions.cpp
@@ -34,12 +34,19 @@
 #define STRINGIFY_(s) #s
 #define STRINGIFY(s) STRINGIFY_(s)
 
+namespace {
+
 Poco::SharedLibrary *
 get_library()
 {
   static Poco::SharedLibrary * lib = nullptr;
   if (!lib) {
-    const char * cenv_var = getenv("RMW_IMPLEMENTATION");
+    const char * cenv_var{};
+    const char * cenv_err = rcutils_get_env("RMW_IMPLEMENTATION", &cenv_var);
+    if (cenv_err) {
+      RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(cenv_err);
+      return nullptr;
+    }
     std::string env_var = cenv_var ? cenv_var : "";
     if (env_var.empty()) {
       env_var = STRINGIFY(DEFAULT_RMW_IMPLEMENTATION);
@@ -90,6 +97,8 @@ get_symbol(const char * symbol_name)
   return lib->getSymbol(symbol_name);
 }
 
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 {