diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUIKit.h b/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUIKit.h
index d01c4029f8b371..edffb66e4aefd3 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUIKit.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUIKit.h
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ extern "C" {
 
 // UIGraphics.h
 CGContextRef UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext(void);
-CGImageRef UIImageGetCGImageRef(NSImage *image);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
@@ -330,7 +329,14 @@ NS_INLINE NSEdgeInsets UIEdgeInsetsMake(CGFloat top, CGFloat left, CGFloat botto
 #define UIApplication NSApplication
 
 // UIImage
-@compatibility_alias UIImage NSImage;
+// RCTUIImage is a subclass of NSImage that caches its CGImage representation.
+// This is needed because NSImage's CGImageForProposedRect: returns a new autoreleased
+// CGImage each time, which causes issues when used with CALayer.contents.
+@interface RCTUIImage : NSImage
+@property (nonatomic, readonly, nullable) CGImageRef CGImage;
+@end
+
+@compatibility_alias UIImage RCTUIImage;
 
 typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, UIImageRenderingMode) {
     UIImageRenderingModeAlwaysOriginal,
@@ -338,20 +344,24 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSInteger, UIImageRenderingMode) {
 };
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
+extern "C" {
 #endif
-CGFloat UIImageGetScale(NSImage *image);
 
-CGImageRef UIImageGetCGImageRef(NSImage *image);
+CGFloat UIImageGetScale(RCTUIImage *image);
+CGImageRef UIImageGetCGImageRef(RCTUIImage *image);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
 
-NS_INLINE UIImage *UIImageWithContentsOfFile(NSString *filePath)
+NS_INLINE RCTUIImage *UIImageWithContentsOfFile(NSString *filePath)
 {
-  return [[NSImage alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
+  return [[RCTUIImage alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
 }
 
-NS_INLINE UIImage *UIImageWithData(NSData *imageData)
+NS_INLINE RCTUIImage *UIImageWithData(NSData *imageData)
 {
-  return [[NSImage alloc] initWithData:imageData];
+  return [[RCTUIImage alloc] initWithData:imageData];
 }
 
 NSData *UIImagePNGRepresentation(NSImage *image);
@@ -624,7 +634,7 @@ typedef void (^RCTUIGraphicsImageDrawingActions)(RCTUIGraphicsImageRendererConte
 
 - (instancetype)initWithSize:(CGSize)size;
 - (instancetype)initWithSize:(CGSize)size format:(RCTUIGraphicsImageRendererFormat *)format;
-- (NSImage *)imageWithActions:(NS_NOESCAPE RCTUIGraphicsImageDrawingActions)actions;
+- (RCTUIImage *)imageWithActions:(NS_NOESCAPE RCTUIGraphicsImageDrawingActions)actions;
 
 @end
 NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_END
diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Base/macOS/RCTUIKit.m b/packages/react-native/React/Base/macOS/RCTUIKit.m
index 5ab447832ed5a9..79351305dbf064 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Base/macOS/RCTUIKit.m
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Base/macOS/RCTUIKit.m
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ CGContextRef UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext(void)
 
 // UIImage
 
-CGFloat UIImageGetScale(NSImage *image)
+CGFloat UIImageGetScale(RCTUIImage *image)
 {
   if (image == nil) {
     return 0.0;
@@ -76,9 +76,33 @@ CGFloat UIImageGetScale(NSImage *image)
   return 1.0;
 }
 
-CGImageRef __nullable UIImageGetCGImageRef(NSImage *image)
+// RCTUIImage - NSImage subclass with cached CGImage
+
+@implementation RCTUIImage {
+  CGImageRef _cachedCGImage;
+}
+
+- (void)dealloc {
+  if (_cachedCGImage != NULL) {
+    CGImageRelease(_cachedCGImage);
+  }
+}
+
+- (CGImageRef)CGImage {
+  if (_cachedCGImage == NULL) {
+    CGImageRef cgImage = [self CGImageForProposedRect:NULL context:NULL hints:NULL];
+    if (cgImage != NULL) {
+      _cachedCGImage = CGImageRetain(cgImage);
+    }
+  }
+  return _cachedCGImage;
+}
+
+@end
+
+CGImageRef __nullable UIImageGetCGImageRef(RCTUIImage *image)
 {
-  return [image CGImageForProposedRect:NULL context:NULL hints:NULL];
+  return image.CGImage;
 }
 
 static NSData *NSImageDataForFileType(NSImage *image, NSBitmapImageFileType fileType, NSDictionary<NSString *, id> *properties)
@@ -825,19 +849,55 @@ - (nonnull instancetype)initWithSize:(CGSize)size format:(nonnull RCTUIGraphicsI
     return self;
 }
 
-- (nonnull NSImage *)imageWithActions:(NS_NOESCAPE RCTUIGraphicsImageDrawingActions)actions {
-
-    NSImage *image = [NSImage imageWithSize:_size
-                                    flipped:YES
-                             drawingHandler:^BOOL(NSRect dstRect) {
-        
-        RCTUIGraphicsImageRendererContext *context = [NSGraphicsContext currentContext];
-        if (self->_format.opaque) {
-            CGContextSetAlpha([context CGContext], 1.0);
-        }
-        actions(context);
-        return YES;
-    }];
+- (nonnull RCTUIImage *)imageWithActions:(NS_NOESCAPE RCTUIGraphicsImageDrawingActions)actions {
+    // Create an RCTUIImage which caches its CGImage for efficient layer.contents usage.
+    // We draw into a bitmap context and create the image from that.
+    
+    CGFloat scale = _format.scale > 0 ? _format.scale : [[NSScreen mainScreen] backingScaleFactor];
+    NSInteger pixelWidth = (NSInteger)(_size.width * scale);
+    NSInteger pixelHeight = (NSInteger)(_size.height * scale);
+    
+    if (pixelWidth <= 0 || pixelHeight <= 0) {
+        return [[RCTUIImage alloc] initWithSize:_size];
+    }
+    
+    // Create a bitmap context
+    NSBitmapImageRep *bitmapRep = [[NSBitmapImageRep alloc]
+        initWithBitmapDataPlanes:NULL
+                      pixelsWide:pixelWidth
+                      pixelsHigh:pixelHeight
+                   bitsPerSample:8
+                 samplesPerPixel:4
+                        hasAlpha:YES
+                        isPlanar:NO
+                  colorSpaceName:NSCalibratedRGBColorSpace
+                     bytesPerRow:0
+                    bitsPerPixel:0];
+    
+    bitmapRep.size = _size;
+    
+    NSGraphicsContext *context = [NSGraphicsContext graphicsContextWithBitmapImageRep:bitmapRep];
+    [NSGraphicsContext saveGraphicsState];
+    [NSGraphicsContext setCurrentContext:context];
+    
+    // Flip the context to match iOS coordinate system (origin at top-left)
+    CGContextRef cgContext = [context CGContext];
+    CGContextTranslateCTM(cgContext, 0, _size.height);
+    CGContextScaleCTM(cgContext, 1.0, -1.0);
+    
+    if (_format.opaque) {
+        CGContextSetAlpha(cgContext, 1.0);
+    }
+    
+    // Execute the drawing actions
+    actions(context);
+    
+    [NSGraphicsContext restoreGraphicsState];
+    
+    // Create an RCTUIImage from the bitmap representation
+    RCTUIImage *image = [[RCTUIImage alloc] initWithSize:_size];
+    [image addRepresentation:bitmapRep];
+    
     return image;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/View/RCTViewComponentView.mm b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/View/RCTViewComponentView.mm
index 0086fc4ce33536..17387e7aeef598 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/View/RCTViewComponentView.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/View/RCTViewComponentView.mm
@@ -854,7 +854,9 @@ static void RCTAddContourEffectToLayer(
     layer.contents = (id)image.CGImage;
     layer.contentsScale = image.scale;
 #else // [macOS
-    layer.contents = (__bridge id) UIImageGetCGImageRef(image);
+    // RCTUIImage caches its CGImage, so it stays valid as long as the image is alive.
+    // The image is retained by the layer.contents assignment.
+    layer.contents = (__bridge id)image.CGImage;
     layer.contentsScale = UIImageGetScale(image);
 #endif // macOS]
 
@@ -1015,10 +1017,20 @@ - (RCTUIView *)currentContainerView // [macOS]
   if (_useCustomContainerView) {
     if (!_containerView) {
       _containerView = [[RCTPlatformView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, self.frame.size.width, self.frame.size.height)]; // [macOS]
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+      _containerView.wantsLayer = YES;
+#endif // macOS]
       for (RCTPlatformView *subview in self.subviews) { // [macOS]
         [_containerView addSubview:subview];
       }
+#if !TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS]
       _containerView.clipsToBounds = self.clipsToBounds;
+#else // [macOS
+      // On macOS, clipsToBounds doesn't automatically set layer.masksToBounds
+      // like it does on iOS, so we need to set it directly.
+      _containerView.clipsToBounds = _props->getClipsContentToBounds();
+      _containerView.layer.masksToBounds = _props->getClipsContentToBounds();
+#endif // macOS]
       self.clipsToBounds = NO;
       _containerView.layer.mask = self.layer.mask;
       self.layer.mask = nil;
@@ -1050,8 +1062,15 @@ - (void)invalidateLayer
   }
 
 #if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
-  // clipsToBounds is stubbed out on macOS because it's not part of NSView
-  layer.masksToBounds = self.clipsToBounds;
+  // On macOS, clipsToBounds doesn't automatically set layer.masksToBounds like iOS does.
+  // When _useCustomContainerView is true (boxShadow + overflow:hidden), the container
+  // view handles clipping children while the main layer stays unclipped for the shadow.
+  // The container view's masksToBounds is set in currentContainerView getter.
+  if (_useCustomContainerView) {
+    layer.masksToBounds = NO;
+  } else {
+    layer.masksToBounds = _props->getClipsContentToBounds();
+  }
 #endif // macOS]
 
   const auto borderMetrics = _props->resolveBorderMetrics(_layoutMetrics);
@@ -1189,6 +1208,10 @@ - (void)invalidateLayer
       [layer addSublayer:borderLayer];
       _borderLayer = borderLayer;
     }
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+    // Update frame on every call in case view was resized
+    _borderLayer.frame = layer.bounds;
+#endif // macOS]
 
     layer.borderWidth = 0;
     layer.borderColor = nil;
@@ -1289,7 +1312,8 @@ - (void)invalidateLayer
   if (!_props->boxShadow.empty()) {
     _boxShadowLayer = [CALayer layer];
     [self.layer addSublayer:_boxShadowLayer];
-    _boxShadowLayer.zPosition = _borderLayer.zPosition;
+    // Box shadow should be behind all content but still visible
+    _boxShadowLayer.zPosition = BACKGROUND_COLOR_ZPOSITION - 1;
     _boxShadowLayer.frame = RCTGetBoundingRect(_props->boxShadow, self.layer.bounds.size);
 
     UIImage *boxShadowImage = RCTGetBoxShadowImage(
@@ -1301,7 +1325,8 @@ - (void)invalidateLayer
 #if !TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS]
     _boxShadowLayer.contents = (id)boxShadowImage.CGImage;
 #else // [macOS
-    _boxShadowLayer.contents = (__bridge id)UIImageGetCGImageRef(boxShadowImage);
+    // RCTUIImage caches its CGImage, so it stays valid as long as the image is alive.
+    _boxShadowLayer.contents = (__bridge id)boxShadowImage.CGImage;
 #endif // macOS]
   }