diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index dd3bf953..32e5a827 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -746,17 +746,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "cxx",
- "cxx-build",
- "dora-node-api",
- "eyre",
- "rand",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "cxx-dataflow-example-operator-rust-api"
 version = "0.1.0"
@@ -1007,6 +996,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "tracing",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "dora-node-api-cxx"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "cxx",
+ "cxx-build",
+ "dora-node-api",
+ "eyre",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "dora-node-api-python"
 version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 3438425c..5075bf1d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 [workspace]
 members = [
     "apis/c/*",
+    "apis/c++/*",
     "apis/python/node",
     "apis/python/operator",
     "apis/rust/*",
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ members = [
     "apis/rust/operator/types",
     "binaries/*",
     "examples/rust-dataflow/*",
-    "examples/c++-dataflow/*-rust-*",
+    "examples/c++-dataflow/operator-rust-api",
     "examples/iceoryx/*",
     "libraries/communication-layer",
     "libraries/core",
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/Cargo.toml b/apis/c++/node/Cargo.toml
similarity index 70%
rename from examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/Cargo.toml
rename to apis/c++/node/Cargo.toml
index 042f8f92..3b7ab157 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/Cargo.toml
+++ b/apis/c++/node/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
 [package]
-name = "cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api"
+name = "dora-node-api-cxx"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
+[lib]
+crate-type = ["staticlib"]
+
 [dependencies]
 cxx = "1.0.73"
-dora-node-api = { version = "0.1.0", path = "../../../apis/rust/node" }
+dora-node-api = { version = "0.1.0", path = "../../../apis/rust/node", default-features = false, features = [
+    "zenoh",
+] }
 eyre = "0.6.8"
-rand = "0.8.5"
 
 [build-dependencies]
 cxx-build = "1.0.73"
diff --git a/apis/c++/node/build.rs b/apis/c++/node/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dba00707
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apis/c++/node/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+fn main() {
+    let _build = cxx_build::bridge("src/lib.rs");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/lib.rs");
+}
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.rs b/apis/c++/node/src/lib.rs
similarity index 50%
rename from examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.rs
rename to apis/c++/node/src/lib.rs
index 30d37d24..a963017e 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.rs
+++ b/apis/c++/node/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
-use dora_node_api::{self, DoraNode, Input, Receiver};
+use dora_node_api::{self, Input, Receiver};
 
 #[cxx::bridge]
 mod ffi {
+    struct DoraNode {
+        inputs: Box<Inputs>,
+        send_output: Box<OutputSender>,
+    }
+
     struct DoraInput {
         end_of_input: bool,
         id: String,
@@ -14,22 +19,38 @@ mod ffi {
 
     extern "Rust" {
         type Inputs;
-        type OutputSender<'a>;
+        type OutputSender;
 
-        fn next_input(inputs: &mut Inputs) -> DoraInput;
-        fn send_output(output_sender: &mut OutputSender, id: String, data: &[u8]) -> DoraResult;
+        fn init_dora_node() -> Result<DoraNode>;
+        fn free_dora_node(node: DoraNode);
+        fn next_input(inputs: &mut Box<Inputs>) -> DoraInput;
+        fn send_output(
+            output_sender: &mut Box<OutputSender>,
+            id: String,
+            data: &[u8],
+        ) -> DoraResult;
     }
+}
 
-    unsafe extern "C++" {
-        include!("cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api/src/main.h");
+fn init_dora_node() -> eyre::Result<ffi::DoraNode> {
+    let mut node = dora_node_api::DoraNode::init_from_env()?;
+    let input_stream = node.inputs()?;
+    let inputs = Inputs(input_stream);
+    let send_output = OutputSender(node);
 
-        fn cxx_main(inputs: &mut Inputs, output_sender: &mut OutputSender);
-    }
+    Ok(ffi::DoraNode {
+        inputs: Box::new(inputs),
+        send_output: Box::new(send_output),
+    })
+}
+
+fn free_dora_node(node: ffi::DoraNode) {
+    let _ = node;
 }
 
 pub struct Inputs(Receiver<Input>);
 
-fn next_input(inputs: &mut Inputs) -> ffi::DoraInput {
+fn next_input(inputs: &mut Box<Inputs>) -> ffi::DoraInput {
     match inputs.0.recv() {
         Ok(input) => {
             let id = input.id.clone().into();
@@ -48,9 +69,9 @@ fn next_input(inputs: &mut Inputs) -> ffi::DoraInput {
     }
 }
 
-pub struct OutputSender<'a>(&'a mut DoraNode);
+pub struct OutputSender(dora_node_api::DoraNode);
 
-fn send_output(sender: &mut OutputSender, id: String, data: &[u8]) -> ffi::DoraResult {
+fn send_output(sender: &mut Box<OutputSender>, id: String, data: &[u8]) -> ffi::DoraResult {
     let result = sender
         .0
         .send_output(&id.into(), Default::default(), data.len(), |out| {
@@ -62,13 +83,3 @@ fn send_output(sender: &mut OutputSender, id: String, data: &[u8]) -> ffi::DoraR
     };
     ffi::DoraResult { error }
 }
-
-fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
-    let mut node = DoraNode::init_from_env()?;
-    let input_stream = node.inputs()?;
-    let mut inputs = Inputs(input_stream);
-    let mut outputs = OutputSender(&mut node);
-    ffi::cxx_main(&mut inputs, &mut outputs);
-
-    Ok(())
-}
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml b/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
index 23caf7cc..ffa0f061 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/dataflow.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ communication:
 nodes:
   - id: cxx-node-rust-api
     custom:
-      source: ../../target/debug/cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api
+      source: build/node_rust_api
       inputs:
         tick: dora/timer/millis/300
       outputs:
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/build.rs b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/build.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 82011d84..00000000
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/build.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-fn main() {
-    cxx_build::bridge("src/main.rs") // returns a cc::Build
-        .file("src/main.cc")
-        .flag_if_supported("-std=c++14")
-        .compile("cxx-example-dataflow-node");
-
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/main.rs");
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/main.cc");
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/main.h");
-}
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.cc b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/main.cc
similarity index 70%
rename from examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.cc
rename to examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/main.cc
index 97815ac0..3490d5a3 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.cc
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/main.cc
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
-#include "cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api/src/main.h"
+#include "../build/dora-node-api.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <vector>
 
-void cxx_main(Inputs &inputs, OutputSender &output_sender)
+int main()
 {
     std::cout << "HELLO FROM C++" << std::endl;
     unsigned char counter = 0;
 
+    auto dora_node = init_dora_node();
+
     for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
     {
 
-        auto input = next_input(inputs);
+        auto input = next_input(dora_node.inputs);
         if (input.end_of_input)
         {
-            return;
+            break;
         }
         counter += 1;
 
@@ -22,12 +24,14 @@ void cxx_main(Inputs &inputs, OutputSender &output_sender)
 
         std::vector<unsigned char> out_vec{counter};
         rust::Slice<const uint8_t> out_slice{out_vec.data(), out_vec.size()};
-        auto result = send_output(output_sender, "counter", out_slice);
+        auto result = send_output(dora_node.send_output, "counter", out_slice);
         auto error = std::string(result.error);
         if (!error.empty())
         {
             std::cerr << "Error: " << error << std::endl;
-            return;
+            return -1;
         }
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.h b/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 5420f18b..00000000
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/node-rust-api/src/main.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-#include "cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api/src/main.rs.h"
-
-void cxx_main(Inputs &inputs, OutputSender &output_sender);
diff --git a/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs b/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
index c4daf9b3..594beb8c 100644
--- a/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
+++ b/examples/c++-dataflow/run.rs
@@ -8,20 +8,46 @@ use std::{
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let root = Path::new(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
+    let target = root.join("target");
     std::env::set_current_dir(root.join(file!()).parent().unwrap())
         .wrap_err("failed to set working dir")?;
 
     tokio::fs::create_dir_all("build").await?;
+    let build_dir = Path::new("build");
 
-    build_package("cxx-dataflow-example-node-rust-api").await?;
     build_package("cxx-dataflow-example-operator-rust-api").await?;
 
+    build_package("dora-node-api-cxx").await?;
+    let cxxbridge = target
+        .join("cxxbridge")
+        .join("dora-node-api-cxx")
+        .join("src");
+    tokio::fs::copy(cxxbridge.join("lib.rs.cc"), build_dir.join("bridge.cc")).await?;
+    tokio::fs::copy(
+        cxxbridge.join("lib.rs.h"),
+        build_dir.join("dora-node-api.h"),
+    )
+    .await?;
+
     build_package("dora-node-api-c").await?;
     build_package("dora-operator-api-c").await?;
     build_cxx_node(
         root,
-        &dunce::canonicalize(Path::new("node-c-api").join("main.cc"))?,
+        &[
+            &dunce::canonicalize(Path::new("node-rust-api").join("main.cc"))?,
+            &dunce::canonicalize(build_dir.join("bridge.cc"))?,
+        ],
+        "node_rust_api",
+        &["-l", "dora_node_api_cxx"],
+    )
+    .await?;
+    build_cxx_node(
+        root,
+        &[&dunce::canonicalize(
+            Path::new("node-c-api").join("main.cc"),
+        )?],
         "node_c_api",
+        &["-l", "dora_node_api_c"],
     )
     .await?;
     build_cxx_operator(
@@ -52,11 +78,16 @@ async fn build_package(package: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-async fn build_cxx_node(root: &Path, path: &Path, out_name: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+async fn build_cxx_node(
+    root: &Path,
+    paths: &[&Path],
+    out_name: &str,
+    args: &[&str],
+) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let mut clang = tokio::process::Command::new("clang++");
-    clang.arg(path);
-    clang.arg("-std=c++14");
-    clang.arg("-l").arg("dora_node_api_c");
+    clang.args(paths);
+    clang.arg("-std=c++17");
+    clang.args(args);
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     {
         clang.arg("-l").arg("m");
@@ -110,7 +141,7 @@ async fn build_cxx_node(root: &Path, path: &Path, out_name: &str) -> eyre::Resul
     clang
         .arg("--output")
         .arg(Path::new("../build").join(format!("{out_name}{EXE_SUFFIX}")));
-    if let Some(parent) = path.parent() {
+    if let Some(parent) = paths[0].parent() {
         clang.current_dir(parent);
     }
 
@@ -125,7 +156,7 @@ async fn build_cxx_operator(path: &Path, out_name: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
 
     let mut compile = tokio::process::Command::new("clang++");
     compile.arg("-c").arg(path);
-    compile.arg("-std=c++14");
+    compile.arg("-std=c++17");
     compile.arg("-o").arg(&object_file_path);
     #[cfg(unix)]
     compile.arg("-fPIC");