diff --git a/tensorflow/core/common_runtime/function.cc b/tensorflow/core/common_runtime/function.cc
index 9affc9fb188..313cdfa2200 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/common_runtime/function.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/core/common_runtime/function.cc
@@ -382,8 +382,8 @@ class FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl : public FunctionLibraryRuntime {
   Status FunctionDefToBody(const FunctionDef& fdef, AttrSlice attrs,
                            const FunctionLibraryDefinition* lib_def,
                            FunctionBody** fbody);
-  Status CreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item);
-  Status GetOrCreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item);
+  Status CreateItem(Item** item);
+  Status GetOrCreateItem(LocalHandle local_handle, Item** item);
   Status InstantiateSymbolicGradient(const NameAttrList& func,
                                      const FunctionLibraryDefinition* lib_def,
                                      FunctionBody** g_body);
@@ -691,13 +691,14 @@ Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Instantiate(
     TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(FunctionDefToBody(*fdef, attrs, lib_def, &fbody));
   }
 
+  LocalHandle local_handle;
   {
     mutex_lock l(mu_);
     *handle = parent_->GetHandle(key);
     if (*handle != kInvalidHandle) {
       delete fbody;
-      ++items_[parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, *handle)]
-            ->instantiation_counter;
+      local_handle = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, *handle);
+      ++items_[local_handle]->instantiation_counter;
     } else {
       *handle = parent_->AddHandle(key, device_name_, next_handle_);
       Item* item = new Item;
@@ -709,26 +710,24 @@ Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Instantiate(
         item->overlay_flr =
             new FunctionLibraryRuntimeOverlay(this, options.overlay_lib);
       }
-      items_.emplace(next_handle_, std::unique_ptr<Item>(item));
-      next_handle_++;
+      local_handle = next_handle_++;
+      items_.emplace(local_handle, std::unique_ptr<Item>(item));
     }
   }
 
   if (options.create_kernels_eagerly) {
     Item* item;
-    TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(GetOrCreateItem(*handle, &item));
+    TF_RETURN_IF_ERROR(GetOrCreateItem(local_handle, &item));
   }
 
   return Status::OK();
 }
 
 Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::ReleaseHandle(Handle handle) {
-  if (!parent_->IsInstantiatedOnDevice(device_name_, handle)) {
+  LocalHandle h = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
+  if (h == kInvalidLocalHandle) {
     return parent_->ReleaseHandle(handle);
   }
-
-  LocalHandle h = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
-  CHECK_NE(h, kInvalidLocalHandle);
   mutex_lock l(mu_);
   CHECK_EQ(1, items_.count(h));
   std::unique_ptr<Item>& item = items_[h];
@@ -789,7 +788,7 @@ void PruneFunctionBody(Graph* g) {
 }
 }  // namespace
 
-Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::CreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item) {
+Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::CreateItem(Item** item) {
   const FunctionBody* fbody;
   const FunctionLibraryDefinition* lib_def;
   string executor_type;
@@ -843,13 +842,13 @@ Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::CreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item) {
   return Status::OK();
 }
 
-Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::GetOrCreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item) {
-  LocalHandle local_handle = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
+Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::GetOrCreateItem(LocalHandle local_handle,
+                                                   Item** item) {
   {
     tf_shared_lock l(mu_);
     auto iter = items_.find(local_handle);
     if (iter == items_.end()) {
-      return errors::NotFound("Function handle ", handle,
+      return errors::Internal("Local function handle ", local_handle,
                               " is not valid. Likely an internal error.");
     }
     *item = iter->second.get();
@@ -859,7 +858,7 @@ Status FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::GetOrCreateItem(Handle handle, Item** item) {
   }
   // NOTE: We need to call CreateItem out of mu_ because creating an
   // executor needs to call CreateKernel.
-  return CreateItem(handle, item);
+  return CreateItem(item);
 }
 
 void FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::ExecutorArgsFromOptions(
@@ -994,7 +993,8 @@ void FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Run(const Options& opts, Handle handle,
     };
   }
 
-  if (!parent_->IsInstantiatedOnDevice(device_name_, handle)) {
+  LocalHandle local_handle = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
+  if (local_handle == kInvalidLocalHandle) {
     parent_->Run(run_opts, handle, args, rets, done);
     return;
   }
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ void FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Run(const Options& opts, Handle handle,
   DCHECK(run_opts.runner != nullptr);
 
   Item* item = nullptr;
-  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(handle, &item);
+  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(local_handle, &item);
   if (!s.ok()) {
     done(s);
     return;
@@ -1052,8 +1052,8 @@ void FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Run(const Options& opts, Handle handle,
     done(errors::Cancelled(""));
     return;
   }
-  if (!parent_->IsInstantiatedOnDevice(device_name_, handle) ||
-      opts.remote_execution) {
+  LocalHandle local_handle = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
+  if (local_handle == kInvalidLocalHandle || opts.remote_execution) {
     done(errors::Unimplemented("Remote calling with CallFrameInterface"));
     return;
   }
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ void FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::Run(const Options& opts, Handle handle,
   }
 
   Item* item = nullptr;
-  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(handle, &item);
+  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(local_handle, &item);
   if (!s.ok()) {
     done(s);
     return;
@@ -1097,7 +1097,8 @@ bool FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::IsStateful(const string& func) {
 
 string FunctionLibraryRuntimeImpl::DebugString(Handle handle) {
   Item* item = nullptr;
-  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(handle, &item);
+  LocalHandle local_handle = parent_->GetHandleOnDevice(device_name_, handle);
+  Status s = GetOrCreateItem(local_handle, &item);
   if (s.ok()) {
     return tensorflow::DebugString(item->graph);
   } else {