diff --git a/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayBase.sol b/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayBase.sol
index 95073554..7710097b 100644
--- a/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayBase.sol
+++ b/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayBase.sol
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 pragma solidity ^0.8.27;
 
-import {Ownable} from "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";
 import {IAxelarGateway} from "@axelar-network/axelar-gmp-sdk-solidity/contracts/interfaces/IAxelarGateway.sol";
 
 /**
@@ -12,7 +11,7 @@ import {IAxelarGateway} from "@axelar-network/axelar-gmp-sdk-solidity/contracts/
  * to Axelar chain identifiers) and remote gateways (i.e. gateways on other chains) to
  * facilitate cross-chain communication.
  */
-abstract contract AxelarGatewayBase is Ownable {
+abstract contract AxelarGatewayBase {
     /// @dev A remote gateway has been registered for a chain.
     event RegisteredRemoteGateway(string caip2, string gatewayAddress);
 
@@ -31,6 +30,12 @@ abstract contract AxelarGatewayBase is Ownable {
     mapping(string caip2 => string remoteGateway) private _remoteGateways;
     mapping(string caip2OrAxelar => string axelarOrCaip2) private _chainEquivalence;
 
+    /// @dev Only allows an authorized registrant to call the function. See {_checkRegistrant}.
+    modifier onlyRegistrant() {
+        _checkRegistrant();
+        _;
+    }
+
     /// @dev Sets the local gateway address (i.e. Axelar's official gateway for the current chain).
     constructor(IAxelarGateway _gateway) {
         localGateway = _gateway;
@@ -49,7 +54,10 @@ abstract contract AxelarGatewayBase is Ownable {
     }
 
     /// @dev Registers a chain equivalence between a CAIP-2 chain identifier and an Axelar network identifier.
-    function registerChainEquivalence(string calldata caip2, string calldata axelarSupported) public virtual onlyOwner {
+    function registerChainEquivalence(
+        string calldata caip2,
+        string calldata axelarSupported
+    ) public virtual onlyRegistrant {
         require(bytes(_chainEquivalence[caip2]).length == 0, ChainEquivalenceAlreadyRegistered(caip2));
         _chainEquivalence[caip2] = axelarSupported;
         _chainEquivalence[axelarSupported] = caip2;
@@ -57,9 +65,12 @@ abstract contract AxelarGatewayBase is Ownable {
     }
 
     /// @dev Registers the address string of the remote gateway for a given CAIP-2 chain identifier.
-    function registerRemoteGateway(string calldata caip2, string calldata remoteGateway) public virtual onlyOwner {
+    function registerRemoteGateway(string calldata caip2, string calldata remoteGateway) public virtual onlyRegistrant {
         require(bytes(_remoteGateways[caip2]).length == 0, RemoteGatewayAlreadyRegistered(caip2));
         _remoteGateways[caip2] = remoteGateway;
         emit RegisteredRemoteGateway(caip2, remoteGateway);
     }
+
+    /// @dev Modifier to check if the caller is allowed to register remote gateways and chain equivalences.
+    function _checkRegistrant() internal virtual;
 }
diff --git a/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDuplex.sol b/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDuplex.sol
index 73b22b07..623499fa 100644
--- a/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDuplex.sol
+++ b/contracts/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDuplex.sol
@@ -12,10 +12,7 @@ import {AxelarGatewaySource} from "./AxelarGatewaySource.sol";
  * adapters for the Axelar Network. Allowing to either send or receive messages across chains.
  */
 // slither-disable-next-line locked-ether
-contract AxelarGatewayDuplex is AxelarGatewaySource, AxelarGatewayDestination {
+abstract contract AxelarGatewayDuplex is AxelarGatewaySource, AxelarGatewayDestination {
     /// @dev Initializes the contract with the Axelar gateway and the initial owner.
-    constructor(
-        IAxelarGateway gateway,
-        address initialOwner
-    ) Ownable(initialOwner) AxelarGatewayBase(gateway) AxelarExecutable(address(gateway)) {}
+    constructor(IAxelarGateway gateway) AxelarGatewayBase(gateway) AxelarExecutable(address(gateway)) {}
 }
diff --git a/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDestinationOwnableMock.sol b/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDestinationOwnableMock.sol
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1118911b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDestinationOwnableMock.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+pragma solidity ^0.8.27;
+
+import {Ownable} from "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";
+import {AxelarGatewayDestination} from "../../../crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewayDestination.sol";
+
+abstract contract AxelarGatewayDestinationOwnableMock is AxelarGatewayDestination, Ownable {
+    function _checkRegistrant() internal override onlyOwner {}
+}
diff --git a/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewaySourceOwnableMock.sol b/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewaySourceOwnableMock.sol
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ddc64d4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/mocks/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewaySourceOwnableMock.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+pragma solidity ^0.8.27;
+
+import {Ownable} from "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";
+import {AxelarGatewaySource} from "../../../crosschain/axelar/AxelarGatewaySource.sol";
+
+abstract contract AxelarGatewaySourceOwnableMock is AxelarGatewaySource, Ownable {
+    function _checkRegistrant() internal override onlyOwner {}
+}
diff --git a/test/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGateway.test.js b/test/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGateway.test.js
index b2802f07..73112164 100644
--- a/test/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGateway.test.js
+++ b/test/crosschain/axelar/AxelarGateway.test.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ async function fixture() {
   const asCAIP10 = account => `eip155:${chainId}:${getAddress(account)}`;
 
   const axelar = await ethers.deployContract('$AxelarGatewayMock');
-  const srcGateway = await ethers.deployContract('$AxelarGatewaySource', [owner, axelar]);
-  const dstGateway = await ethers.deployContract('$AxelarGatewayDestination', [owner, axelar, axelar]);
+  const srcGateway = await ethers.deployContract('$AxelarGatewaySourceOwnableMock', [axelar, owner]);
+  const dstGateway = await ethers.deployContract('$AxelarGatewayDestinationOwnableMock', [axelar, axelar, owner]);
   const receiver = await ethers.deployContract('$ERC7786ReceiverMock', [dstGateway]);
   const invalidReceiver = await ethers.deployContract('$ERC7786ReceiverInvalidMock');