diff --git a/categories/models.py b/categories/models.py
index 8bb4d17d..dcd96744 100644
--- a/categories/models.py
+++ b/categories/models.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.fields import GenericForeignKey
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.core.files.images import get_image_dimensions
-from django.core.files.storage import get_storage_class
 from django.db import models
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.encoding import force_str
@@ -15,10 +14,19 @@
     RELATION_MODELS,
     RELATIONS,
     THUMBNAIL_STORAGE,
+    THUMBNAIL_STORAGE_ALIAS,
     THUMBNAIL_UPLOAD_PATH,
 )
 
-STORAGE = get_storage_class(THUMBNAIL_STORAGE)
+# Determine storage method based on Django version
+try:  # Django 4.2+
+    from django.core.files.storage import storages
+
+    STORAGE = storages[THUMBNAIL_STORAGE_ALIAS]
+except ImportError:
+    from django.core.files.storage import get_storage_class
+
+    STORAGE = get_storage_class(THUMBNAIL_STORAGE)()
 
 
 class Category(CategoryBase):
@@ -28,7 +36,7 @@ class Category(CategoryBase):
         upload_to=THUMBNAIL_UPLOAD_PATH,
         null=True,
         blank=True,
-        storage=STORAGE(),
+        storage=STORAGE,
     )
     thumbnail_width = models.IntegerField(blank=True, null=True)
     thumbnail_height = models.IntegerField(blank=True, null=True)
diff --git a/categories/settings.py b/categories/settings.py
index 6b0db82e..896a265d 100644
--- a/categories/settings.py
+++ b/categories/settings.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "FK_REGISTRY": {},
     "THUMBNAIL_UPLOAD_PATH": "uploads/categories/thumbnails",
     "THUMBNAIL_STORAGE": settings.DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE,
+    "THUMBNAIL_STORAGE_ALIAS": "default",
     "JAVASCRIPT_URL": getattr(settings, "STATIC_URL", settings.MEDIA_URL) + "js/",
     "SLUG_TRANSLITERATOR": "",
     "REGISTER_ADMIN": True,