diff --git a/objectivec/include/ort_env.h b/objectivec/include/ort_env.h
index 8456b57bfa..67db76668b 100644
--- a/objectivec/include/ort_env.h
+++ b/objectivec/include/ort_env.h
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ NSString* _Nullable ORTVersion(void);
 
 /**
  * The ORT environment.
+ * It maintains shared state including the default logger.
+ *
+ * @note One ORTEnv should be created before and destroyed after other ORT API usage.
  */
 @interface ORTEnv : NSObject
 
diff --git a/objectivec/include/ort_training_session.h b/objectivec/include/ort_training_session.h
index 15c0137817..2ad4fed93c 100644
--- a/objectivec/include/ort_training_session.h
+++ b/objectivec/include/ort_training_session.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
  * session which will be moved to the device specified in the session option if needed.
  *
  * @param env The `ORTEnv` instance to use for the training session.
- * @param sessionOptions The `ORTSessionOptions` to use for the training session.
+ * @param sessionOptions The optional `ORTSessionOptions` to use for the training session.
  * @param checkpoint Training states that are used as a starting point for training.
  * @param trainModelPath The path to the training onnx model.
  * @param evalModelPath The path to the evaluation onnx model.
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
  * keeps a strong (owning) pointer to the checkpoint state.
  */
 - (nullable instancetype)initWithEnv:(ORTEnv*)env
-                      sessionOptions:(ORTSessionOptions*)sessionOptions
+                      sessionOptions:(nullable ORTSessionOptions*)sessionOptions
                           checkpoint:(ORTCheckpoint*)checkpoint
                       trainModelPath:(NSString*)trainModelPath
                        evalModelPath:(nullable NSString*)evalModelPath
diff --git a/objectivec/ort_session.mm b/objectivec/ort_session.mm
index d27c3e2cef..87288bd1e9 100644
--- a/objectivec/ort_session.mm
+++ b/objectivec/ort_session.mm
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ enum class NamedValueType {
 NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
 @implementation ORTSession {
+  ORTEnv* _env;  // keep a strong reference so the ORTEnv doesn't get destroyed before this does
   std::optional<Ort::Session> _session;
 }
 
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
       }
     }
 
+    _env = env;
     _session = Ort::Session{[env CXXAPIOrtEnv],
                             path.UTF8String,
                             [sessionOptions CXXAPIOrtSessionOptions]};
diff --git a/objectivec/ort_training_session.mm b/objectivec/ort_training_session.mm
index 285151b412..5387bfda6d 100644
--- a/objectivec/ort_training_session.mm
+++ b/objectivec/ort_training_session.mm
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
 NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
 @implementation ORTTrainingSession {
-  std::optional<Ort::TrainingSession> _session;
+  ORTEnv* _env;  // keep a strong reference so the ORTEnv doesn't get destroyed before this does
   ORTCheckpoint* _checkpoint;
+  std::optional<Ort::TrainingSession> _session;
 }
 
 - (Ort::TrainingSession&)CXXAPIOrtTrainingSession {
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 }
 
 - (nullable instancetype)initWithEnv:(ORTEnv*)env
-                      sessionOptions:(ORTSessionOptions*)sessionOptions
+                      sessionOptions:(nullable ORTSessionOptions*)sessionOptions
                           checkpoint:(ORTCheckpoint*)checkpoint
                       trainModelPath:(NSString*)trainModelPath
                        evalModelPath:(nullable NSString*)evalModelPath
@@ -39,9 +40,17 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
   }
 
   try {
+    if (!sessionOptions) {
+      sessionOptions = [[ORTSessionOptions alloc] initWithError:error];
+      if (!sessionOptions) {
+        return nil;
+      }
+    }
+
     std::optional<std::string> evalPath = utils::toStdOptionalString(evalModelPath);
     std::optional<std::string> optimizerPath = utils::toStdOptionalString(optimizerModelPath);
 
+    _env = env;
     _checkpoint = checkpoint;
     _session = Ort::TrainingSession{
         [env CXXAPIOrtEnv],
@@ -50,6 +59,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
         trainModelPath.UTF8String,
         evalPath,
         optimizerPath};
+
     return self;
   }
   ORT_OBJC_API_IMPL_CATCH_RETURNING_NULLABLE(error)
diff --git a/objectivec/test/ort_session_test.mm b/objectivec/test/ort_session_test.mm
index f00f5db2f9..508289f7bc 100644
--- a/objectivec/test/ort_session_test.mm
+++ b/objectivec/test/ort_session_test.mm
@@ -295,6 +295,32 @@ static OrtStatus* _Nullable DummyRegisterCustomOpsFn(OrtSessionOptions* /*sessio
   XCTAssertTrue([stringData isEqualToArray:outputStringData]);
 }
 
+- (void)testKeepORTEnvReference {
+  ORTEnv* __weak envWeak = _ortEnv;
+  // Remove sole strong reference to the ORTEnv created in setUp.
+  _ortEnv = nil;
+  // There should be no more strong references to it.
+  XCTAssertNil(envWeak);
+
+  // Create a new ORTEnv.
+  NSError* err = nil;
+  ORTEnv* env = [[ORTEnv alloc] initWithLoggingLevel:ORTLoggingLevelWarning
+                                               error:&err];
+  ORTAssertNullableResultSuccessful(env, err);
+
+  ORTSession* session = [[ORTSession alloc] initWithEnv:env
+                                              modelPath:[ORTSessionTest getAddModelPath]
+                                         sessionOptions:[ORTSessionTest makeSessionOptions]
+                                                  error:&err];
+  ORTAssertNullableResultSuccessful(session, err);
+
+  envWeak = env;
+  // Remove strong reference to the ORTEnv passed to the ORTSession initializer.
+  env = nil;
+  // ORTSession should keep a strong reference to it.
+  XCTAssertNotNil(envWeak);
+}
+
 @end
 
 NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_END