diff --git a/src/rollup/plugins/storage.ts b/src/rollup/plugins/storage.ts
index 09e468bd5d..dcaf961d88 100644
--- a/src/rollup/plugins/storage.ts
+++ b/src/rollup/plugins/storage.ts
@@ -48,15 +48,7 @@ import { assets } from '#internal/nitro/virtual/server-assets'
 
 ${driverImports.map((i) => genImport(i, genSafeVariableName(i))).join("\n")}
 
-const storage = createStorage({})
-
-export const useStorage = (base = '') => {
-  if (base) {
-    return prefixStorage(storage, base)
-  }
-
-  return storage
-}
+export const storage = createStorage({})
 
 storage.mount('/assets', assets)
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/cache.ts b/src/runtime/cache.ts
index 38de73fc55..6c4e2c92f0 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cache.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/cache.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "h3";
 import type { H3Event } from "h3";
 import { parseURL } from "ufo";
-import { useStorage } from "#internal/nitro/virtual/storage";
+import { useStorage } from "./storage";
 
 export interface CacheEntry<T = any> {
   value?: T;
diff --git a/src/runtime/index.ts b/src/runtime/index.ts
index e9e9698128..269224370c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/index.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-export { useStorage } from "#internal/nitro/virtual/storage";
 export { useRuntimeConfig, useAppConfig } from "./config";
 export * from "./cache";
 export { useNitroApp } from "./app";
 export * from "./plugin";
 export * from "./renderer";
 export { getRouteRules } from "./route-rules";
+export { useStorage } from "./storage";
diff --git a/src/runtime/storage.ts b/src/runtime/storage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7195ee250d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/storage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import type { Storage } from "unstorage";
+import { prefixStorage } from "unstorage";
+import { storage } from "#internal/nitro/virtual/storage";
+
+export function useStorage(base = ""): Storage {
+  return base ? prefixStorage(storage, base) : storage;
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtual/storage.d.ts b/src/runtime/virtual/storage.d.ts
index 2d85b38cbf..9df4f48cb7 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtual/storage.d.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/virtual/storage.d.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 import type { Storage } from "unstorage";
 
-export declare const useStorage: (base?: string) => Storage;
+export declare const storage: Storage;