diff --git a/packages/storage-azure/src/index.ts b/packages/storage-azure/src/index.ts
index cd1c4bd74e..105d0a2603 100644
--- a/packages/storage-azure/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/storage-azure/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import type { ContainerClient } from '@azure/storage-blob'
 import type {
   Adapter,
   PluginOptions as CloudStoragePluginOptions,
@@ -7,13 +6,13 @@ import type {
 } from '@payloadcms/plugin-cloud-storage/types'
 import type { Config, Plugin } from 'payload'
 
-import { BlobServiceClient } from '@azure/storage-blob'
 import { cloudStoragePlugin } from '@payloadcms/plugin-cloud-storage'
 
 import { getGenerateURL } from './generateURL.js'
 import { getHandleDelete } from './handleDelete.js'
 import { getHandleUpload } from './handleUpload.js'
 import { getHandler } from './staticHandler.js'
+import { getStorageClient as getStorageClientFunc } from './utils/getStorageClient.js'
 
 export type AzureStorageOptions = {
   /**
@@ -105,19 +104,14 @@ function azureStorageInternal({
   connectionString,
   containerName,
 }: AzureStorageOptions): Adapter {
-  let storageClient: ContainerClient | null = null
-  const getStorageClient = () => {
-    if (storageClient) return storageClient
-
-    const blobServiceClient = BlobServiceClient.fromConnectionString(connectionString)
-    storageClient = blobServiceClient.getContainerClient(containerName)
-    return storageClient
-  }
-
   const createContainerIfNotExists = () => {
-    void getStorageClient().createIfNotExists({ access: 'blob' })
+    void getStorageClientFunc({ connectionString, containerName }).createIfNotExists({
+      access: 'blob',
+    })
   }
 
+  const getStorageClient = () => getStorageClientFunc({ connectionString, containerName })
+
   return ({ collection, prefix }): GeneratedAdapter => {
     return {
       name: 'azure',
@@ -133,3 +127,5 @@ function azureStorageInternal({
     }
   }
 }
+
+export { getStorageClientFunc as getStorageClient }
diff --git a/packages/storage-azure/src/utils/getStorageClient.ts b/packages/storage-azure/src/utils/getStorageClient.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d68a7c7d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/storage-azure/src/utils/getStorageClient.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import type { ContainerClient } from '@azure/storage-blob'
+
+import { BlobServiceClient } from '@azure/storage-blob'
+
+import type { AzureStorageOptions } from '../index.js'
+
+let storageClient: ContainerClient | null = null
+
+export function getStorageClient(
+  options: Pick<AzureStorageOptions, 'connectionString' | 'containerName'>,
+): ContainerClient {
+  if (storageClient) return storageClient
+
+  const { connectionString, containerName } = options
+
+  const blobServiceClient = BlobServiceClient.fromConnectionString(connectionString)
+  storageClient = blobServiceClient.getContainerClient(containerName)
+  return storageClient
+}
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 0c5d6ffb23..cf89a99337 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -1690,6 +1690,9 @@ importers:
       execa:
         specifier: 5.1.1
         version: 5.1.1
+      file-type:
+        specifier: 17.1.6
+        version: 17.1.6
       http-status:
         specifier: 1.6.2
         version: 1.6.2
diff --git a/test/package.json b/test/package.json
index 6544d84c8c..12258b1d2c 100644
--- a/test/package.json
+++ b/test/package.json
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     "dotenv": "16.4.5",
     "eslint-plugin-playwright": "1.6.2",
     "execa": "5.1.1",
+    "file-type": "17.1.6",
     "http-status": "1.6.2",
     "jwt-decode": "4.0.0",
     "lexical": "0.15.0",