diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6c0a33cde..e8efb1e46 100644
Binary files a/package-lock.json and b/package-lock.json differ
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 14b4c5fd4..98d4a54fc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@
         "typescript-json-schema": "^0.65.1"
     },
     "dependencies": {
-        "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.953.0",
         "@toondepauw/node-zstd": "^1.2.0",
         "ajv": "^8.17.1",
         "ajv-formats": "^3.0.1",
diff --git a/src/cdn/util/S3Storage.ts b/src/cdn/util/S3Storage.ts
index f3ac0b445..f657fd299 100644
--- a/src/cdn/util/S3Storage.ts
+++ b/src/cdn/util/S3Storage.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 	along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
-import { S3 } from "@aws-sdk/client-s3";
 import { Readable } from "stream";
 import { Storage } from "./Storage";
 
@@ -29,11 +28,15 @@ const readableToBuffer = (readable: Readable): Promise<Buffer> =>
     });
 
 export class S3Storage implements Storage {
+    private client: unknown;
     public constructor(
-        private client: S3,
+        private region: string,
         private bucket: string,
         private basePath?: string,
-    ) {}
+    ) {
+        const { S3 } = require("@aws-sdk/client-s3");
+        this.client = new S3({ region });
+    }
 
     /**
      * Always return a string, to ensure consistency.
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@ export class S3Storage implements Storage {
     }
 
     async set(path: string, data: Buffer): Promise<void> {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+        // @ts-expect-error
         await this.client.putObject({
             Bucket: this.bucket,
             Key: `${this.bucketBasePath}${path}`,
@@ -52,6 +57,8 @@ export class S3Storage implements Storage {
 
     async clone(path: string, newPath: string): Promise<void> {
         // TODO: does this even work?
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+        // @ts-expect-error
         await this.client.copyObject({
             Bucket: this.bucket,
             CopySource: `/${this.bucket}/${this.bucketBasePath}${path}`,
@@ -61,6 +68,8 @@ export class S3Storage implements Storage {
 
     async get(path: string): Promise<Buffer | null> {
         try {
+            // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+            // @ts-expect-error
             const s3Object = await this.client.getObject({
                 Bucket: this.bucket,
                 Key: `${this.bucketBasePath ?? ""}${path}`,
@@ -79,6 +88,8 @@ export class S3Storage implements Storage {
     }
 
     async delete(path: string): Promise<void> {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+        // @ts-expect-error
         await this.client.deleteObject({
             Bucket: this.bucket,
             Key: `${this.bucketBasePath}${path}`,
diff --git a/src/cdn/util/Storage.ts b/src/cdn/util/Storage.ts
index 6ec1b796a..1184bde8d 100644
--- a/src/cdn/util/Storage.ts
+++ b/src/cdn/util/Storage.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
 import { FileStorage } from "./FileStorage";
 import path from "path";
 import fs from "fs";
-import { S3 } from "@aws-sdk/client-s3";
-import { S3Storage } from "./S3Storage";
+import { red } from "picocolors";
 process.cwd();
 
 export interface Storage {
@@ -46,6 +45,13 @@ if (process.env.STORAGE_PROVIDER === "file" || !process.env.STORAGE_PROVIDER) {
 
     storage = new FileStorage();
 } else if (process.env.STORAGE_PROVIDER === "s3") {
+    try {
+        require("@aws-sdk/client-s3");
+    } catch (e) {
+        console.error(red(`[CDN] AWS S3 SDK not installed. Please run 'npm install --no-save @aws-sdk/client-s3' to use the S3 storage provider.`));
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+
     const region = process.env.STORAGE_REGION,
         bucket = process.env.STORAGE_BUCKET;
 
@@ -67,9 +73,8 @@ if (process.env.STORAGE_PROVIDER === "file" || !process.env.STORAGE_PROVIDER) {
         location = undefined;
     }
 
-    const client = new S3({ region });
-
-    storage = new S3Storage(client, bucket, location);
+    const { S3Storage } = require("S3Storage");
+    storage = new S3Storage(region, bucket, location);
 }
 
 export { storage };