diff --git a/salt/loader/__init__.py b/salt/loader/__init__.py
index 2493f22cc48e..8f2a69dc6b6c 100644
--- a/salt/loader/__init__.py
+++ b/salt/loader/__init__.py
@@ -780,6 +780,7 @@ def states(
     proxy=None,
     context=None,
     loaded_base_name=None,
+    file_client=None,
 ):
     """
     Returns the state modules
@@ -817,6 +818,7 @@ def states(
             "__utils__": utils,
             "__serializers__": serializers,
             "__context__": context,
+            "__file_client__": file_client,
         },
         whitelist=whitelist,
         extra_module_dirs=utils.module_dirs if utils else None,
diff --git a/salt/modules/cp.py b/salt/modules/cp.py
index 4898e4ca3c83..64666aefa5d8 100644
--- a/salt/modules/cp.py
+++ b/salt/modules/cp.py
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ def _error(msg):
 
 def _client():
     """
-    Return a client, hashed by the list of masters
+    Return a file client
+
+    If the __file_client__ context is set return it, otherwize create a new
+    file client using __opts__.
     """
     if __file_client__:
-        val = __file_client__.value()
-        fc = salt.fileclient.ContextlessFileClient(val)
-        log.error("Using context client %r %r", val, fc)
-        return fc
+        return __file_client__.value()
     return salt.fileclient.get_file_client(__opts__)
 
 
diff --git a/salt/modules/dockermod.py b/salt/modules/dockermod.py
index 415c03d24b7a..f9ffd2dda9e8 100644
--- a/salt/modules/dockermod.py
+++ b/salt/modules/dockermod.py
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@
 import salt.utils.json
 import salt.utils.path
 from salt.exceptions import CommandExecutionError, SaltInvocationError
+from salt.loader.dunder import __file_client__
 from salt.state import HighState
 
 __docformat__ = "restructuredtext en"
@@ -325,6 +326,18 @@ def __virtual__():
     return (False, "Could not import docker module, is docker-py installed?")
 
 
+def _file_client():
+    """
+    Return a file client
+
+    If the __file_client__ context is set return it, otherwize create a new
+    file client using __opts__.
+    """
+    if __file_client__:
+        return __file_client__.value()
+    return salt.fileclient.get_file_client(__opts__)
+
+
 class DockerJSONDecoder(json.JSONDecoder):
     def decode(self, s, _w=None):
         objs = []
@@ -6633,7 +6646,7 @@ def _prepare_trans_tar(name, sls_opts, mods=None, pillar=None, extra_filerefs=""
     # reuse it from salt.ssh, however this function should
     # be somewhere else
     refs = salt.client.ssh.state.lowstate_file_refs(chunks, extra_filerefs)
-    with salt.fileclient.get_file_client(__opts__) as fileclient:
+    with _file_client() as fileclient:
         return salt.client.ssh.state.prep_trans_tar(
             fileclient, chunks, refs, pillar, name
         )
diff --git a/salt/state.py b/salt/state.py
index d70e105013f1..dfa64adae0e7 100644
--- a/salt/state.py
+++ b/salt/state.py
@@ -1287,6 +1287,7 @@ def _load_states(self):
                 self.serializers,
                 context=self.state_con,
                 proxy=self.proxy,
+                file_client=salt.fileclient.ContextlessFileClient(self.file_client),
             )
 
     def load_modules(self, data=None, proxy=None):
@@ -1300,7 +1301,7 @@ def load_modules(self, data=None, proxy=None):
             self.state_con,
             utils=self.utils,
             proxy=self.proxy,
-            file_client=self.file_client,
+            file_client=salt.fileclient.ContextlessFileClient(self.file_client),
         )
         if isinstance(data, dict):
             if data.get("provider", False):
diff --git a/salt/states/ansiblegate.py b/salt/states/ansiblegate.py
index 9abd418c42c0..ec8913dee59a 100644
--- a/salt/states/ansiblegate.py
+++ b/salt/states/ansiblegate.py
@@ -38,12 +38,25 @@
 
 import salt.fileclient
 import salt.utils.decorators.path
+from salt.loader.dunder import __file_client__
 from salt.utils.decorators import depends
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 __virtualname__ = "ansible"
 
 
+def _file_client():
+    """
+    Return a file client
+
+    If the __file_client__ context is set return it, otherwize create a new
+    file client using __opts__.
+    """
+    if __file_client__:
+        return __file_client__.value()
+    return salt.fileclient.get_file_client(__opts__)
+
+
 @depends("ansible")
 class AnsibleState:
     """
@@ -162,7 +175,7 @@ def playbooks(name, rundir=None, git_repo=None, git_kwargs=None, ansible_kwargs=
     }
     if git_repo:
         if not isinstance(rundir, str) or not os.path.isdir(rundir):
-            with salt.fileclient.get_file_client(__opts__) as client:
+            with _file_client() as client:
                 rundir = client._extrn_path(git_repo, "base")
             log.trace("rundir set to %s", rundir)
         if not isinstance(git_kwargs, dict):