diff --git a/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph.py b/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph.py
index d30a3885c..957418513 100644
--- a/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph.py
+++ b/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph.py
@@ -990,21 +990,23 @@ def merge(
 @dataclasses.dataclass
 class UpdateContextManager:
   tag: str
-  ctx: UpdateContext | None
 
   def __enter__(self):
-    self.ctx = UpdateContext(self.tag, None, None)
-    GRAPH_CONTEXT.update_context_stacks[self.tag].append(self.ctx)
-    return self.ctx
+    ctx = UpdateContext(self.tag, None, None)
+    GRAPH_CONTEXT.update_context_stacks[self.tag].append(ctx)
+    return ctx
 
   def __exit__(self, *args):
-    if self.ctx is None:
-      raise RuntimeError('ctx should not be None, this is a bug.')
+    stack = GRAPH_CONTEXT.update_context_stacks[self.tag]
+    if not stack:
+      raise RuntimeError(
+          f'No update context found for tag {self.tag!r}, this is a bug.'
+      )
 
-    GRAPH_CONTEXT.update_context_stacks[self.tag].pop()
-    self.ctx.refmap = None
-    self.ctx.idxmap = None
-    self.ctx = None
+    ctx = GRAPH_CONTEXT.update_context_stacks[self.tag].pop()
+    # clear references
+    ctx.refmap = None
+    ctx.idxmap = None
 
   def __call__(self, f: F) -> F:
     @functools.wraps(f)
@@ -1107,7 +1109,7 @@ def update_context(tag: str):
   Args:
     tag: A string tag to identify the context.
   """
-  return UpdateContextManager(tag, None)
+  return UpdateContextManager(tag)
 
 
 def current_update_context(tag: str) -> UpdateContext: