diff --git a/nav2_graceful_controller/src/parameter_handler.cpp b/nav2_graceful_controller/src/parameter_handler.cpp
index 2b9cfdfbca..78d9c45ace 100644
--- a/nav2_graceful_controller/src/parameter_handler.cpp
+++ b/nav2_graceful_controller/src/parameter_handler.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 namespace nav2_graceful_controller
 {
 
-using nav2::declare_parameter_if_not_declared;
 using rcl_interfaces::msg::ParameterType;
 
 ParameterHandler::ParameterHandler(
@@ -33,49 +32,15 @@ ParameterHandler::ParameterHandler(
 : nav2_util::ParameterHandler<Parameters>(node, logger)
 {
   plugin_name_ = plugin_name;
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".transform_tolerance", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.1));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".min_lookahead", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.25));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".max_lookahead", rclcpp::ParameterValue(1.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".max_robot_pose_search_dist",
-    rclcpp::ParameterValue(costmap_size_x / 2.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name_ + ".k_phi", rclcpp::ParameterValue(2.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name_ + ".k_delta", rclcpp::ParameterValue(1.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name_ + ".beta", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.4));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name_ + ".lambda", rclcpp::ParameterValue(2.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_min", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.1));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_max", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.5));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_max", rclcpp::ParameterValue(1.0));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_min_in_place", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.25));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".slowdown_radius", rclcpp::ParameterValue(1.5));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation", rclcpp::ParameterValue(true));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation_tolerance", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.75));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".prefer_final_rotation", rclcpp::ParameterValue(true));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".rotation_scaling_factor", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.5));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".allow_backward", rclcpp::ParameterValue(false));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".in_place_collision_resolution", rclcpp::ParameterValue(0.1));
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(
-    node, plugin_name_ + ".use_collision_detection", rclcpp::ParameterValue(true));
 
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".transform_tolerance", params_.transform_tolerance);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".min_lookahead", params_.min_lookahead);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".max_lookahead", params_.max_lookahead);
-  node->get_parameter(
-    plugin_name_ + ".max_robot_pose_search_dist", params_.max_robot_pose_search_dist);
+  params_.transform_tolerance = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".transform_tolerance", 0.1);
+  params_.min_lookahead = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".min_lookahead", 0.25);
+  params_.max_lookahead = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".max_lookahead", 1.0);
+  params_.max_robot_pose_search_dist = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".max_robot_pose_search_dist", costmap_size_x / 2.0);
   if (params_.max_robot_pose_search_dist < 0.0) {
     RCLCPP_WARN(
       logger_, "Max robot search distance is negative, setting to max to search"
@@ -83,29 +48,38 @@ ParameterHandler::ParameterHandler(
     params_.max_robot_pose_search_dist = std::numeric_limits<double>::max();
   }
 
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".k_phi", params_.k_phi);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".k_delta", params_.k_delta);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".beta", params_.beta);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".lambda", params_.lambda);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_min", params_.v_linear_min);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_max", params_.v_linear_max);
-  params_.v_linear_max_initial = params_.v_linear_max;
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_max", params_.v_angular_max);
-  params_.v_angular_max_initial = params_.v_angular_max;
-  node->get_parameter(
-    plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_min_in_place", params_.v_angular_min_in_place);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".slowdown_radius", params_.slowdown_radius);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation", params_.initial_rotation);
-  node->get_parameter(
-    plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation_tolerance", params_.initial_rotation_tolerance);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".prefer_final_rotation", params_.prefer_final_rotation);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".rotation_scaling_factor", params_.rotation_scaling_factor);
-  node->get_parameter(plugin_name_ + ".allow_backward", params_.allow_backward);
-  node->get_parameter(
-    plugin_name_ + ".in_place_collision_resolution", params_.in_place_collision_resolution);
-  node->get_parameter(
-    plugin_name_ + ".use_collision_detection", params_.use_collision_detection);
-
+  params_.k_phi = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".k_phi", 2.0);
+  params_.k_delta = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".k_delta", 1.0);
+  params_.beta = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".beta", 0.4);
+  params_.lambda = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".lambda", 2.0);
+  params_.v_linear_min = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_min", 0.1);
+  params_.v_linear_max = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".v_linear_max", 0.5);
+  params_.v_angular_max = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_max", 1.0);
+  params_.v_angular_min_in_place = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".v_angular_min_in_place", 0.25);
+  params_.slowdown_radius = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".slowdown_radius", 1.5);
+  params_.initial_rotation = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation", true);
+  params_.initial_rotation_tolerance = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".initial_rotation_tolerance", 0.75);
+  params_.prefer_final_rotation = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".prefer_final_rotation", true);
+  params_.rotation_scaling_factor = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".rotation_scaling_factor", 0.5);
+  params_.allow_backward = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".allow_backward", false);
+  params_.in_place_collision_resolution = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".in_place_collision_resolution", 0.1);
+  params_.use_collision_detection = node->declare_or_get_parameter(
+    plugin_name_ + ".use_collision_detection", true);
   if (params_.initial_rotation && params_.allow_backward) {
     RCLCPP_WARN(
       logger_, "Initial rotation and allow backward parameters are both true, "