diff --git a/registrar/apps/core/filestore.py b/registrar/apps/core/filestore.py
index 206616c9..8630cf2a 100644
--- a/registrar/apps/core/filestore.py
+++ b/registrar/apps/core/filestore.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.core.files.base import ContentFile
-from django.core.files.storage import default_storage, get_storage_class
+from django.core.files.storage import default_storage
+from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
 
 from registrar.apps.api.utils import to_absolute_api_url
 
@@ -15,6 +16,22 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def get_storage_class():
+    # Prefer new-style Django 4.2+ STORAGES
+    storages_config = getattr(settings, 'STORAGES', {})
+
+    if storages_config.get('default') and storages_config['default'].get('BACKEND'):
+        return import_string(storages_config['default'].get('BACKEND'))
+
+    # Legacy fallback: DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE
+    storage_class_path = getattr(settings, 'DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE', {})
+
+    if storage_class_path:
+        return import_string(storage_class_path)
+
+    return default_storage.__class__
+
+
 class FilestoreBase:
     """
     Abstract base class for file stores.
diff --git a/registrar/apps/core/tests/test_filestore.py b/registrar/apps/core/tests/test_filestore.py
index 2ca15249..9d492e59 100644
--- a/registrar/apps/core/tests/test_filestore.py
+++ b/registrar/apps/core/tests/test_filestore.py
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
 import moto
 import requests
 from botocore.exceptions import ClientError
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
+from storages.backends.s3boto3 import S3Boto3Storage
 
 from ..filestore import (
     FilestoreBase,
@@ -19,6 +22,7 @@
     get_filestore,
     get_job_results_filestore,
     get_program_reports_filestore,
+    get_storage_class,
 )
 from ..filestore import logger as filestore_logger
 from .mixins import S3MockEnvVarsMixin
@@ -140,3 +144,21 @@ def test_filestore_error_logging(self):
             assert path_prefix in log_message
             assert filepath in log_message
             assert contents not in log_message
+
+
+class GetStorageClassTests(TestCase):
+    @override_settings(
+        STORAGES={"default": {"BACKEND": "storages.backends.s3boto3.S3Boto3Storage"}}
+    )
+    def test_get_storage_class_with_storages(self):
+        storage_class = get_storage_class()
+        self.assertIs(storage_class, S3Boto3Storage)
+
+    @override_settings(
+        DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE="storages.backends.s3boto3.S3Boto3Storage",
+        STORAGES={}
+    )
+    def test_get_storage_class_with_default_file_storage(self):
+        del settings.STORAGES
+        storage_class = get_storage_class()
+        self.assertIs(storage_class, S3Boto3Storage)
diff --git a/registrar/settings/base.py b/registrar/settings/base.py
index bf24bf80..ff4c2fb4 100644
--- a/registrar/settings/base.py
+++ b/registrar/settings/base.py
@@ -189,10 +189,18 @@
     root('conf', 'locale'),
 )
 
+STORAGES = {
+    "default": {
+        "BACKEND": "django.core.files.storage.FileSystemStorage",
+    },
+    "staticfiles": {
+        "BACKEND": "django.contrib.staticfiles.storage.StaticFilesStorage",
+    },
+}
+
 # MEDIA CONFIGURATION
 MEDIA_ROOT = root('media')
 MEDIA_URL = '/api/media/'
-DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE = 'django.core.files.storage.FileSystemStorage'
 REGISTRAR_BUCKET = 'change-me-to-registrar-bucket'
 PROGRAM_REPORTS_BUCKET = 'change-me-to-program-reports-bucket'
 PROGRAM_REPORTS_FOLDER = 'reports_v2'
@@ -325,7 +333,6 @@
 EXTRA_APPS = []
 SERVICE_USER = 'registrar_service_user'
 SESSION_EXPIRE_AT_BROWSER_CLOSE = False
-STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'django.contrib.staticfiles.storage.StaticFilesStorage'
 CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS = []
 CACHES = {
     'default': {
diff --git a/registrar/settings/devstack.py b/registrar/settings/devstack.py
index df0b6c0c..3b019141 100644
--- a/registrar/settings/devstack.py
+++ b/registrar/settings/devstack.py
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@
     }
 }
 
-STATICFILES_STORAGE = os.environ.get('STATICFILES_STORAGE', 'django.contrib.staticfiles.storage.StaticFilesStorage')
+staticfiles_storage = os.environ.get('STATICFILES_STORAGE')
+
+if staticfiles_storage:
+    STORAGES["staticfiles"]["BACKEND"] = staticfiles_storage
+
 STATIC_URL = os.environ.get('STATIC_URL', '/static/')
 
 LMS_BASE_URL = 'http://edx.devstack.lms:18000'
diff --git a/registrar/settings/production.py b/registrar/settings/production.py
index 3ac51fa2..bffb3b9b 100644
--- a/registrar/settings/production.py
+++ b/registrar/settings/production.py
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@
             vars()[key].update(value)
 
     vars().update(config_from_yaml)
+
+    default_file_storage = MEDIA_STORAGE_BACKEND.pop('DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE', None)
+    staticfiles_storage = MEDIA_STORAGE_BACKEND.pop('STATICFILES_STORAGE', None)
+
+    if default_file_storage:
+        STORAGES["default"]["BACKEND"] = default_file_storage
+    if staticfiles_storage:
+        STORAGES["staticfiles"]["BACKEND"] = staticfiles_storage
+
     vars().update(MEDIA_STORAGE_BACKEND)
 
 DB_OVERRIDES = dict(
diff --git a/registrar/settings/test.py b/registrar/settings/test.py
index c91e5fb6..20b5d9f1 100644
--- a/registrar/settings/test.py
+++ b/registrar/settings/test.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 # END CELERY
 
 # Media
-DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE = 'storages.backends.s3boto3.S3Boto3Storage'
+STORAGES["default"]["BACKEND"] = 'storages.backends.s3boto3.S3Boto3Storage'
 AWS_LOCATION = ''
 AWS_QUERYSTRING_AUTH = True
 AWS_QUERYSTRING_EXPIRE = 3600