diff --git a/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js b/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
index a8c20e3960c776..e4489d0543bf60 100644
--- a/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
+++ b/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import type {
   LayoutAnimationType,
 } from '../Renderer/shims/ReactNativeTypes';
 
+import {getFabricUIManager} from '../ReactNative/FabricUIManager';
 import ReactNativeFeatureFlags from '../ReactNative/ReactNativeFeatureFlags';
 import Platform from '../Utilities/Platform';
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ function configureNext(
 
   // In Fabric, LayoutAnimations are unconditionally enabled for Android, and
   // conditionally enabled on iOS (pending fully shipping; this is a temporary state).
-  const FabricUIManager: FabricUIManagerSpec = global?.nativeFabricUIManager;
+  const FabricUIManager = getFabricUIManager();
   if (FabricUIManager?.configureNextLayoutAnimation) {
     global?.nativeFabricUIManager?.configureNextLayoutAnimation(
       config,
diff --git a/Libraries/ReactNative/FabricUIManager.js b/Libraries/ReactNative/FabricUIManager.js
index 71f7f8fe4dc18e..4adf2cc2f63d09 100644
--- a/Libraries/ReactNative/FabricUIManager.js
+++ b/Libraries/ReactNative/FabricUIManager.js
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ export type Spec = {|
   +findShadowNodeByTag_DEPRECATED: (reactTag: number) => ?Node,
 |};
 
-const FabricUIManager: ?Spec = global.nativeFabricUIManager;
-
-module.exports = FabricUIManager;
+// This is exposed as a getter because apps using the legacy renderer AND
+// Fabric can define the binding lazily. If we evaluated the global and cached
+// it in the module we might be caching an `undefined` value before it is set.
+export function getFabricUIManager(): ?Spec {
+  return global.nativeFabricUIManager;
+}
diff --git a/Libraries/ReactNative/UIManager.js b/Libraries/ReactNative/UIManager.js
index ac28590f23deef..71c124f312065b 100644
--- a/Libraries/ReactNative/UIManager.js
+++ b/Libraries/ReactNative/UIManager.js
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import type {RootTag} from '../Types/RootTagTypes';
 import type {Spec as FabricUIManagerSpec} from './FabricUIManager';
 import type {Spec} from './NativeUIManager';
 
+import {getFabricUIManager} from './FabricUIManager';
+import nullthrows from 'nullthrows';
+
 export interface UIManagerJSInterface extends Spec {
   +getViewManagerConfig: (viewManagerName: string) => Object;
   +hasViewManagerConfig: (viewManagerName: string) => boolean;
@@ -57,8 +60,7 @@ const UIManager = {
     ) => void,
   ): void {
     if (isFabricReactTag(reactTag)) {
-      const FabricUIManager: FabricUIManagerSpec =
-        global?.nativeFabricUIManager;
+      const FabricUIManager = nullthrows(getFabricUIManager());
       const shadowNode =
         FabricUIManager.findShadowNodeByTag_DEPRECATED(reactTag);
       if (shadowNode) {
@@ -84,8 +86,7 @@ const UIManager = {
     ) => void,
   ): void {
     if (isFabricReactTag(reactTag)) {
-      const FabricUIManager: FabricUIManagerSpec =
-        global?.nativeFabricUIManager;
+      const FabricUIManager = nullthrows(getFabricUIManager());
       const shadowNode =
         FabricUIManager.findShadowNodeByTag_DEPRECATED(reactTag);
       if (shadowNode) {
@@ -113,8 +114,7 @@ const UIManager = {
     ) => void,
   ): void {
     if (isFabricReactTag(reactTag)) {
-      const FabricUIManager: FabricUIManagerSpec =
-        global?.nativeFabricUIManager;
+      const FabricUIManager = nullthrows(getFabricUIManager());
       const shadowNode =
         FabricUIManager.findShadowNodeByTag_DEPRECATED(reactTag);
       const ancestorShadowNode =
@@ -155,8 +155,7 @@ const UIManager = {
       console.warn(
         'RCTUIManager.measureLayoutRelativeToParent method is deprecated and it will not be implemented in newer versions of RN (Fabric) - T47686450',
       );
-      const FabricUIManager: FabricUIManagerSpec =
-        global?.nativeFabricUIManager;
+      const FabricUIManager = nullthrows(getFabricUIManager());
       const shadowNode =
         FabricUIManager.findShadowNodeByTag_DEPRECATED(reactTag);
       if (shadowNode) {