diff --git a/mediapipe/tasks/c/components/containers/gesture_recognizer_result_converter.cc b/mediapipe/tasks/c/components/containers/gesture_recognizer_result_converter.cc
index 6ac8b1370..5aca374fc 100644
--- a/mediapipe/tasks/c/components/containers/gesture_recognizer_result_converter.cc
+++ b/mediapipe/tasks/c/components/containers/gesture_recognizer_result_converter.cc
@@ -47,18 +47,15 @@ void CppConvertToGestureRecognizerResult(
 
       CppCategory cpp_category;
       // Set fields from the Classification protobuf
-      if (classification.has_index()) {
-        cpp_category.index = classification.index();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_score()) {
-        cpp_category.score = classification.score();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_label()) {
-        cpp_category.category_name = classification.label();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_display_name()) {
-        cpp_category.display_name = classification.display_name();
-      }
+      cpp_category.index =
+          classification.has_index() ? classification.index() : 0;
+      cpp_category.score =
+          classification.has_score() ? classification.score() : 0.0f;
+      cpp_category.category_name =
+          classification.has_label() ? classification.label() : "";
+      cpp_category.display_name = classification.has_display_name()
+                                      ? classification.display_name()
+                                      : "";
 
       CppConvertToCategory(cpp_category, &out->gestures[i][j]);
     }
@@ -78,18 +75,15 @@ void CppConvertToGestureRecognizerResult(
 
       CppCategory cpp_category;
       // Set fields from the Classification protobuf
-      if (classification.has_index()) {
-        cpp_category.index = classification.index();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_score()) {
-        cpp_category.score = classification.score();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_label()) {
-        cpp_category.category_name = classification.label();
-      }
-      if (classification.has_display_name()) {
-        cpp_category.display_name = classification.display_name();
-      }
+      cpp_category.index =
+          classification.has_index() ? classification.index() : 0;
+      cpp_category.score =
+          classification.has_score() ? classification.score() : 0.0f;
+      cpp_category.category_name =
+          classification.has_label() ? classification.label() : "";
+      cpp_category.display_name = classification.has_display_name()
+                                      ? classification.display_name()
+                                      : "";
 
       CppConvertToCategory(cpp_category, &out->handedness[i][j]);
     }
diff --git a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.cc b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.cc
index f8c42dcaf..692e3776b 100644
--- a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.cc
+++ b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.cc
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ GestureRecognizer* CppGestureRecognizerCreate(
   return recognizer->release();
 }
 
-int CppGestureRecognizerRecognize(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
+int CppGestureRecognizerRecognize(void* recognizer, const MpImage& image,
                                   GestureRecognizerResult* result,
                                   char** error_msg) {
-  if (image->type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
+  if (image.type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
     const absl::Status status =
         absl::InvalidArgumentError("GPU Buffer not supported yet.");
 
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ int CppGestureRecognizerRecognize(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
   }
 
   const auto img = CreateImageFromBuffer(
-      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image->image_frame.format),
-      image->image_frame.image_buffer, image->image_frame.width,
-      image->image_frame.height);
+      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image.image_frame.format),
+      image.image_frame.image_buffer, image.image_frame.width,
+      image.image_frame.height);
 
   if (!img.ok()) {
     ABSL_LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to create Image: " << img.status();
@@ -170,11 +170,11 @@ int CppGestureRecognizerRecognize(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
 }
 
 int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeForVideo(void* recognizer,
-                                          const MpImage* image,
+                                          const MpImage& image,
                                           int64_t timestamp_ms,
                                           GestureRecognizerResult* result,
                                           char** error_msg) {
-  if (image->type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
+  if (image.type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
     absl::Status status =
         absl::InvalidArgumentError("GPU Buffer not supported yet");
 
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@ int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeForVideo(void* recognizer,
   }
 
   const auto img = CreateImageFromBuffer(
-      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image->image_frame.format),
-      image->image_frame.image_buffer, image->image_frame.width,
-      image->image_frame.height);
+      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image.image_frame.format),
+      image.image_frame.image_buffer, image.image_frame.width,
+      image.image_frame.height);
 
   if (!img.ok()) {
     ABSL_LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to create Image: " << img.status();
@@ -202,9 +202,9 @@ int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeForVideo(void* recognizer,
   return 0;
 }
 
-int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeAsync(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
+int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeAsync(void* recognizer, const MpImage& image,
                                        int64_t timestamp_ms, char** error_msg) {
-  if (image->type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
+  if (image.type == MpImage::GPU_BUFFER) {
     absl::Status status =
         absl::InvalidArgumentError("GPU Buffer not supported yet");
 
@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@ int CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeAsync(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
   }
 
   const auto img = CreateImageFromBuffer(
-      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image->image_frame.format),
-      image->image_frame.image_buffer, image->image_frame.width,
-      image->image_frame.height);
+      static_cast<ImageFormat::Format>(image.image_frame.format),
+      image.image_frame.image_buffer, image.image_frame.width,
+      image.image_frame.height);
 
   if (!img.ok()) {
     ABSL_LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to create Image: " << img.status();
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ void* gesture_recognizer_create(struct GestureRecognizerOptions* options,
       CppGestureRecognizerCreate(*options, error_msg);
 }
 
-int gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
+int gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(void* recognizer, const MpImage& image,
                                        GestureRecognizerResult* result,
                                        char** error_msg) {
   return mediapipe::tasks::c::vision::gesture_recognizer::
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ int gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
 }
 
 int gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(void* recognizer,
-                                           const MpImage* image,
+                                           const MpImage& image,
                                            int64_t timestamp_ms,
                                            GestureRecognizerResult* result,
                                            char** error_msg) {
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ int gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(void* recognizer,
                                             result, error_msg);
 }
 
-int gesture_recognizer_recognize_async(void* recognizer, const MpImage* image,
+int gesture_recognizer_recognize_async(void* recognizer, const MpImage& image,
                                        int64_t timestamp_ms, char** error_msg) {
   return mediapipe::tasks::c::vision::gesture_recognizer::
       CppGestureRecognizerRecognizeAsync(recognizer, image, timestamp_ms,
diff --git a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.h b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.h
index 39f4a1734..4d59df62d 100644
--- a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.h
+++ b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ MP_EXPORT void* gesture_recognizer_create(
 // an error message (if `error_msg` is not `nullptr`). You must free the memory
 // allocated for the error message.
 MP_EXPORT int gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(
-    void* recognizer, const MpImage* image, GestureRecognizerResult* result,
+    void* recognizer, const MpImage& image, GestureRecognizerResult* result,
     char** error_msg);
 
 // Performs gesture recognition on the provided video frame.
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ MP_EXPORT int gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(
 // an error message (if `error_msg` is not `nullptr`). You must free the memory
 // allocated for the error message.
 MP_EXPORT int gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(
-    void* recognizer, const MpImage* image, int64_t timestamp_ms,
+    void* recognizer, const MpImage& image, int64_t timestamp_ms,
     GestureRecognizerResult* result, char** error_msg);
 
 // Sends live image data to gesture recognition, and the results will be
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ MP_EXPORT int gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(
 // an error message (if `error_msg` is not `nullptr`). You must free the memory
 // allocated for the error message.
 MP_EXPORT int gesture_recognizer_recognize_async(void* recognizer,
-                                                 const MpImage* image,
+                                                 const MpImage& image,
                                                  int64_t timestamp_ms,
                                                  char** error_msg);
 
diff --git a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer_test.cc b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer_test.cc
index ce3f5df5a..bd95d7e52 100644
--- a/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer_test.cc
+++ b/mediapipe/tasks/c/vision/gesture_recognizer/gesture_recognizer_test.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ TEST(GestureRecognizerTest, ImageModeTest) {
                       .height = image_frame->Height()}};
 
   GestureRecognizerResult result;
-  gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(recognizer, &mp_image, &result,
+  gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(recognizer, mp_image, &result,
                                      /* error_msg */ nullptr);
   MatchesGestureRecognizerResult(&result, kScorePrecision, kLandmarkPrecision);
   gesture_recognizer_close_result(&result);
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ TEST(GestureRecognizerTest, VideoModeTest) {
 
   for (int i = 0; i < kIterations; ++i) {
     GestureRecognizerResult result;
-    gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(recognizer, &mp_image, i, &result,
+    gesture_recognizer_recognize_for_video(recognizer, mp_image, i, &result,
                                            /* error_msg */ nullptr);
 
     MatchesGestureRecognizerResult(&result, kScorePrecision,
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ TEST(GestureRecognizerTest, LiveStreamModeTest) {
                       .height = image_frame->Height()}};
 
   for (int i = 0; i < kIterations; ++i) {
-    EXPECT_GE(gesture_recognizer_recognize_async(recognizer, &mp_image, i,
+    EXPECT_GE(gesture_recognizer_recognize_async(recognizer, mp_image, i,
                                                  /* error_msg */ nullptr),
               0);
   }
@@ -311,8 +311,7 @@ TEST(GestureRecognizerTest, FailedRecognitionHandling) {
   const MpImage mp_image = {.type = MpImage::GPU_BUFFER, .gpu_buffer = {}};
   GestureRecognizerResult result;
   char* error_msg;
-  gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(recognizer, &mp_image, &result,
-                                     &error_msg);
+  gesture_recognizer_recognize_image(recognizer, mp_image, &result, &error_msg);
   EXPECT_THAT(error_msg, HasSubstr("GPU Buffer not supported yet"));
   free(error_msg);
   gesture_recognizer_close(recognizer, /* error_msg */ nullptr);