diff --git a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
index ed669cd002..f2ba1b92d1 100644
--- a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "rosidl_runtime_c/service_type_support_struct.h"
 #include "rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp/identifier.hpp"
 #include "rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp/service_introspection.hpp"
+#include "rcutils/allocator.h"
 
 namespace rclcpp
 {
@@ -90,9 +91,21 @@ GenericClient::create_response()
 std::shared_ptr<rmw_request_id_t>
 GenericClient::create_request_header()
 {
-  // TODO(wjwwood): This should probably use rmw_request_id's allocator.
-  //                (since it is a C type)
-  return std::shared_ptr<rmw_request_id_t>(new rmw_request_id_t);
+  rcutils_allocator_t allocator = rcutils_get_default_allocator();
+  
+  rmw_request_id_t * request_header =
+    static_cast<rmw_request_id_t *>(allocator.zero_allocate(1, sizeof(rmw_request_id_t), allocator.state));
+
+  if (!request_header) {
+    throw std::bad_alloc();
+  }
+
+  return std::shared_ptr<rmw_request_id_t>(
+    request_header,
+    [allocator](rmw_request_id_t * p) mutable
+    {
+      allocator.deallocate(p, allocator.state);
+    });
 }
 
 void