diff --git a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/handle.hpp b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/handle.hpp
index 1dfd499c2c..852d67b98f 100644
--- a/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/handle.hpp
+++ b/hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/handle.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #ifndef HARDWARE_INTERFACE__HANDLE_HPP_
 #define HARDWARE_INTERFACE__HANDLE_HPP_
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <limits>
 #include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@
 namespace hardware_interface
 {
 
-using HANDLE_DATATYPE = std::variant<double>;
+using HANDLE_DATATYPE = std::variant<std::monostate, double>;
 
 /// A handle used to get and set a value on a given interface.
 class Handle
@@ -72,55 +73,22 @@ class Handle
   {
   }
 
-  Handle(const Handle & other) noexcept
-  {
-    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(other.handle_mutex_);
-    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(handle_mutex_);
-    prefix_name_ = other.prefix_name_;
-    interface_name_ = other.interface_name_;
-    handle_name_ = other.handle_name_;
-    value_ = other.value_;
-    value_ptr_ = other.value_ptr_;
-  }
-
-  Handle(Handle && other) noexcept
-  {
-    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(other.handle_mutex_);
-    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(handle_mutex_);
-    prefix_name_ = std::move(other.prefix_name_);
-    interface_name_ = std::move(other.interface_name_);
-    handle_name_ = std::move(other.handle_name_);
-    value_ = std::move(other.value_);
-    value_ptr_ = std::move(other.value_ptr_);
-  }
+  Handle(const Handle & other) noexcept { copy(other); }
 
   Handle & operator=(const Handle & other)
   {
     if (this != &other)
     {
-      std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(other.handle_mutex_);
-      std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(handle_mutex_);
-      prefix_name_ = other.prefix_name_;
-      interface_name_ = other.interface_name_;
-      handle_name_ = other.handle_name_;
-      value_ = other.value_;
-      value_ptr_ = other.value_ptr_;
+      copy(other);
     }
     return *this;
   }
 
+  Handle(Handle && other) noexcept { swap(*this, other); }
+
   Handle & operator=(Handle && other)
   {
-    if (this != &other)
-    {
-      std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(other.handle_mutex_);
-      std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(handle_mutex_);
-      prefix_name_ = std::move(other.prefix_name_);
-      interface_name_ = std::move(other.interface_name_);
-      handle_name_ = std::move(other.handle_name_);
-      value_ = std::move(other.value_);
-      value_ptr_ = std::move(other.value_ptr_);
-    }
+    swap(*this, other);
     return *this;
   }
 
@@ -187,11 +155,41 @@ class Handle
     // END
   }
 
+private:
+  void copy(const Handle & other) noexcept
+  {
+    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(other.handle_mutex_);
+    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(handle_mutex_);
+    prefix_name_ = other.prefix_name_;
+    interface_name_ = other.interface_name_;
+    handle_name_ = other.handle_name_;
+    value_ = other.value_;
+    if (std::holds_alternative<std::monostate>(value_))
+    {
+      value_ptr_ = other.value_ptr_;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      value_ptr_ = std::get_if<double>(&value_);
+    }
+  }
+
+  void swap(Handle & first, Handle & second) noexcept
+  {
+    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(first.handle_mutex_);
+    std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock_this(second.handle_mutex_);
+    std::swap(first.prefix_name_, second.prefix_name_);
+    std::swap(first.interface_name_, second.interface_name_);
+    std::swap(first.handle_name_, second.handle_name_);
+    std::swap(first.value_, second.value_);
+    std::swap(first.value_ptr_, second.value_ptr_);
+  }
+
 protected:
   std::string prefix_name_;
   std::string interface_name_;
   std::string handle_name_;
-  HANDLE_DATATYPE value_;
+  HANDLE_DATATYPE value_ = std::monostate{};
   // BEGIN (Handle export change): for backward compatibility
   // TODO(Manuel) redeclare as HANDLE_DATATYPE * value_ptr_ if old functionality is removed
   double * value_ptr_;
diff --git a/hardware_interface/test/test_handle.cpp b/hardware_interface/test/test_handle.cpp
index 7d79c032f0..201a8b69d5 100644
--- a/hardware_interface/test/test_handle.cpp
+++ b/hardware_interface/test/test_handle.cpp
@@ -95,3 +95,106 @@ TEST(TestHandle, interface_description_command_interface_name_getters_work)
   EXPECT_EQ(handle.get_interface_name(), POSITION_INTERFACE);
   EXPECT_EQ(handle.get_prefix_name(), JOINT_NAME_1);
 }
+
+TEST(TestHandle, copy_constructor)
+{
+  {
+    double value = 1.337;
+    hardware_interface::Handle handle{JOINT_NAME, FOO_INTERFACE, &value};
+    hardware_interface::Handle copy(handle);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.0));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), 0.0);
+  }
+  {
+    double value = 1.337;
+    InterfaceInfo info;
+    info.name = FOO_INTERFACE;
+    info.data_type = "double";
+    InterfaceDescription itf_descr{JOINT_NAME, info};
+    hardware_interface::Handle handle{itf_descr};
+    EXPECT_TRUE(std::isnan(handle.get_value()));
+    handle.set_value(value);
+    hardware_interface::Handle copy(handle);
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_name(), handle.get_name());
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_interface_name(), handle.get_interface_name());
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_prefix_name(), handle.get_prefix_name());
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.0));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.52));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.52);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(TesHandle, move_constructor)
+{
+  double value = 1.337;
+  hardware_interface::Handle handle{JOINT_NAME, FOO_INTERFACE, &value};
+  hardware_interface::Handle moved{std::move(handle)};
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(moved.get_value(), value);
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(moved.set_value(0.0));
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(moved.get_value(), 0.0);
+}
+
+TEST(TestHandle, copy_assignment)
+{
+  {
+    double value_1 = 1.337;
+    double value_2 = 2.337;
+    hardware_interface::Handle handle{JOINT_NAME, FOO_INTERFACE, &value_1};
+    hardware_interface::Handle copy{JOINT_NAME, "random", &value_2};
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), value_2);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value_1);
+    copy = handle;
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), value_1);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value_1);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.0));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(value_1, 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(value_2, 2.337);
+  }
+
+  {
+    double value = 1.337;
+    InterfaceInfo info;
+    info.name = FOO_INTERFACE;
+    info.data_type = "double";
+    InterfaceDescription itf_descr{JOINT_NAME, info};
+    hardware_interface::Handle handle{itf_descr};
+    EXPECT_TRUE(std::isnan(handle.get_value()));
+    handle.set_value(value);
+    hardware_interface::Handle copy = handle;
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_name(), handle.get_name());
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_interface_name(), handle.get_interface_name());
+    EXPECT_EQ(copy.get_prefix_name(), handle.get_prefix_name());
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.0));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.0);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(copy.set_value(0.52));
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(copy.get_value(), 0.52);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(TestHandle, move_assignment)
+{
+  double value = 1.337;
+  double value_2 = 2.337;
+  hardware_interface::Handle handle{JOINT_NAME, FOO_INTERFACE, &value};
+  hardware_interface::Handle moved{JOINT_NAME, "random", &value_2};
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(moved.get_value(), value_2);
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(handle.get_value(), value);
+  moved = std::move(handle);
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(moved.get_value(), value);
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(moved.set_value(0.0));
+  EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(moved.get_value(), 0.0);
+}