diff --git a/onnxruntime/core/graph/graph.cc b/onnxruntime/core/graph/graph.cc
index d489a59c4b798..c633895996dda 100644
--- a/onnxruntime/core/graph/graph.cc
+++ b/onnxruntime/core/graph/graph.cc
@@ -2539,14 +2539,14 @@ Status Graph::VerifyNodeAndOpMatch(const ResolveOptions& options) {
     // Node verification.
     auto& node = *GetNode(node_index);
 
-    NodeProto node_proto;
-    node.ToProto(node_proto);
     const auto& node_name = node.Name();
 
     if (!node.Op()) {
       {
         auto status = Status::OK();
         ORT_TRY {
+          NodeProto node_proto;
+          node.ToProto(node_proto);
           checker::check_node(node_proto, ctx, lsc);
         }
         ORT_CATCH(const std::exception& ex) {
@@ -2619,8 +2619,8 @@ Status Graph::VerifyNodeAndOpMatch(const ResolveOptions& options) {
     NO_CHANGE_ON_SYNC_FLAG(ORT_RETURN_IF_ERROR(InferAndVerifyTypeMatch(node, *p_op, options)));
 
     // Accumulate output names of the iterated Node
-    for (auto& output_name : node_proto.output()) {
-      lsc.output_names.insert(output_name);
+    for (const auto& output : node.OutputDefs()) {
+      lsc.output_names.insert(output->Name());
     }
   }