diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index a7b10dc..069e42c 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 
 export(check_container_class)
-export(check_envvar)
 export(check_nzchar)
 export(check_scalar_type)
 export(check_that)
diff --git a/R/get_container.R b/R/get_container.R
index 2370ede..1374abb 100644
--- a/R/get_container.R
+++ b/R/get_container.R
@@ -1,41 +1,23 @@
 #' Get Azure storage container
 #'
-#' The environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" should be set. This provides the URL
-#'  for the default Azure storage endpoint.
-#' Use [list_container_names] to get a list of available container names.
+#' It may be helpful to set the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP". This
+#'  can contain your usual Azure storage endpoint URL should you not wish to
+#'  pass it in explicitly to the function.
+#' You may find it helpful to use [list_container_names] to get a list of
+#'  available container names.
 #'
-#' @param container_name Name of the container as a string. `NULL` by default,
-#'  which means the function will look instead for a container name stored in
-#'  the environment variable "AZ_CONTAINER"
-#' @param token An Azure authentication token. If left as `NULL`, a token
-#'  returned by [get_auth_token] will be used
-#' @param endpoint_url An Azure endpoint URL. If left as `NULL`, the default,
-#'  the value of the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" will be used
-#' @param ... arguments to be passed through to [get_auth_token], if a token is
-#'  not already supplied
+#' @param container_name Name of the container as a string.
+#' @param endpoint_url An Azure endpoint URL.
+#' @param token An Azure authentication token, or a function that returns one.
+#'  Uses [get_auth_token] by default.
 #' @returns An Azure blob container (list object of class "blob_container")
 #' @export
 get_container <- function(
-  container_name = NULL,
-  token = NULL,
-  endpoint_url = NULL,
-  ...
+  container_name,
+  endpoint_url = Sys.getenv("AZ_STORAGE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
 ) {
-  msg1 <- paste0(
-    "{.var container_name} is empty. ",
-    "Did you forget to set an environment variable?"
-  )
-  msg2 <- paste0(
-    "{.var endpoint_url} is empty. ",
-    "Did you forget to set an environment variable?"
-  )
-  container_name <- (container_name %||% check_envvar("AZ_CONTAINER")) |>
-    check_nzchar(msg1)
-  endpoint_url <- (endpoint_url %||% check_envvar("AZ_STORAGE_EP")) |>
-    check_nzchar(msg2)
-  token <- token %||% get_auth_token(...)
-
-  get_azure_endpoint(token, endpoint_url) |>
+  AzureStor::blob_endpoint(endpoint_url, token = token) |>
     AzureStor::blob_container(container_name)
 }
 
@@ -45,39 +27,16 @@ get_container <- function(
 #' @inheritParams get_container
 #' @returns A character vector of all container names found
 #' @export
-list_container_names <- function(token = NULL, endpoint_url = NULL, ...) {
-  token <- token %||% get_auth_token(...)
-  endpoint <- get_azure_endpoint(token, endpoint_url)
-  container_list <- AzureStor::list_blob_containers(endpoint)
-  stopifnot("no containers found" = length(container_list) >= 1L)
-  names(container_list)
-}
-
-
-#' Return an Azure "blob_endpoint"
-#'
-#' This function will return the endpoint specified in the environment variable
-#' "AZ_STORAGE_EP" by default
-#'
-#' @inheritParams get_container
-#' @returns An Azure blob endpoint (object of class "blob_endpoint")
-#' @keywords internal
-get_azure_endpoint <- function(token = NULL, endpoint_url = NULL, ...) {
-  token <- token %||% get_auth_token(...)
-  endpoint_url <- endpoint_url %||% check_envvar("AZ_STORAGE_EP")
-  AzureStor::blob_endpoint(endpoint_url, token = token)
-}
-
-
-#' Check that an environment variable exists
-#'
-#' The function prints a helpful error if the variable is not found, else
-#'  it returns the value of `Sys.getenv(x)`
-#'
-#' @param x the *name* of the environment variable to be found and checked
-#' @returns the value of the environment variable named in `x`
-#' @export
-check_envvar <- function(x) {
-  cst_msg <- cst_error_msg("The environment variable {.envvar {x}} is not set")
-  check_scalar_type(Sys.getenv(x, NA_character_), "string", cst_msg)
+list_container_names <- function(
+  endpoint_url = Sys.getenv("AZ_STORAGE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
+) {
+  container_list <- AzureStor::blob_endpoint(endpoint_url, token = token) |>
+    AzureStor::list_blob_containers()
+  if (length(container_list) == 0) {
+    cli::cli_alert_info("No containers found")
+    character(0)
+  } else {
+    names(container_list)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/R/read_azure_table.R b/R/read_azure_table.R
index d95c3b4..c9a9269 100644
--- a/R/read_azure_table.R
+++ b/R/read_azure_table.R
@@ -1,30 +1,21 @@
 #' Read in data from an Azure table
 #'
-#' @param table_name name of the table to be read. If left as `NULL`,
-#'  the default, the function will look instead for a value stored in the
-#'  environment variable "AZ_TABLE_NAME"
-#' @param table_endpoint URL of the Azure table endpoint. If left as `NULL`,
-#'  the default, the function will look instead for a value stored in the
-#'  environment variable "AZ_TABLE_EP"
-#' @param ... parameters to be passed through to [get_auth_token]
+#' @param table_name Name of the table to be read.
+#' @param table_endpoint An Azure table endpoint URL.
 #' @inheritParams get_container
 #' @returns A tibble
 #' @export
 read_azure_table <- function(
-  table_name = NULL,
-  table_endpoint = NULL,
-  token = NULL,
-  ...
+  table_name,
+  table_endpoint = Sys.getenv("AZ_TABLE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
 ) {
-  table_name <- table_name %||% check_envvar("AZ_TABLE_NAME")
-  table_ep <- table_endpoint %||% check_envvar("AZ_TABLE_EP")
-  token <- token %||% get_auth_token(...)
   access_token <- token |>
     purrr::pluck("credentials", "access_token")
   headers <- list("2025-11-05", "application/json;odata=nometadata") |>
     purrr::set_names(c("x-ms-version", "Accept"))
 
-  resp <- httr2::request(table_ep) |>
+  resp <- httr2::request(table_endpoint) |>
     httr2::req_url_path_append(table_name) |>
     httr2::req_auth_bearer_token(access_token) |>
     httr2::req_headers(!!!headers) |>
diff --git a/man/check_envvar.Rd b/man/check_envvar.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index a5e98d9..0000000
--- a/man/check_envvar.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/get_container.R
-\name{check_envvar}
-\alias{check_envvar}
-\title{Check that an environment variable exists}
-\usage{
-check_envvar(x)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{x}{the \emph{name} of the environment variable to be found and checked}
-}
-\value{
-the value of the environment variable named in \code{x}
-}
-\description{
-The function prints a helpful error if the variable is not found, else
-it returns the value of \code{Sys.getenv(x)}
-}
diff --git a/man/get_azure_endpoint.Rd b/man/get_azure_endpoint.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index d1d4be7..0000000
--- a/man/get_azure_endpoint.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/get_container.R
-\name{get_azure_endpoint}
-\alias{get_azure_endpoint}
-\title{Return an Azure "blob_endpoint"}
-\usage{
-get_azure_endpoint(token = NULL, endpoint_url = NULL, ...)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{token}{An Azure authentication token. If left as \code{NULL}, a token
-returned by \link{get_auth_token} will be used}
-
-\item{endpoint_url}{An Azure endpoint URL. If left as \code{NULL}, the default,
-the value of the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" will be used}
-
-\item{...}{arguments to be passed through to \link{get_auth_token}, if a token is
-not already supplied}
-}
-\value{
-An Azure blob endpoint (object of class "blob_endpoint")
-}
-\description{
-This function will return the endpoint specified in the environment variable
-"AZ_STORAGE_EP" by default
-}
-\keyword{internal}
diff --git a/man/get_container.Rd b/man/get_container.Rd
index 6e88a05..3049a6e 100644
--- a/man/get_container.Rd
+++ b/man/get_container.Rd
@@ -4,27 +4,27 @@
 \alias{get_container}
 \title{Get Azure storage container}
 \usage{
-get_container(container_name = NULL, token = NULL, endpoint_url = NULL, ...)
+get_container(
+  container_name,
+  endpoint_url = Sys.getenv("AZ_STORAGE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
+)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{container_name}{Name of the container as a string. \code{NULL} by default,
-which means the function will look instead for a container name stored in
-the environment variable "AZ_CONTAINER"}
+\item{container_name}{Name of the container as a string.}
 
-\item{token}{An Azure authentication token. If left as \code{NULL}, a token
-returned by \link{get_auth_token} will be used}
+\item{endpoint_url}{An Azure endpoint URL.}
 
-\item{endpoint_url}{An Azure endpoint URL. If left as \code{NULL}, the default,
-the value of the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" will be used}
-
-\item{...}{arguments to be passed through to \link{get_auth_token}, if a token is
-not already supplied}
+\item{token}{An Azure authentication token, or a function that returns one.
+Uses \link{get_auth_token} by default.}
 }
 \value{
 An Azure blob container (list object of class "blob_container")
 }
 \description{
-The environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" should be set. This provides the URL
-for the default Azure storage endpoint.
-Use \link{list_container_names} to get a list of available container names.
+It may be helpful to set the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP". This
+can contain your usual Azure storage endpoint URL should you not wish to
+pass it in explicitly to the function.
+You may find it helpful to use \link{list_container_names} to get a list of
+available container names.
 }
diff --git a/man/list_container_names.Rd b/man/list_container_names.Rd
index 3587268..2de7469 100644
--- a/man/list_container_names.Rd
+++ b/man/list_container_names.Rd
@@ -4,17 +4,16 @@
 \alias{list_container_names}
 \title{Return a list of container names that are found at the endpoint}
 \usage{
-list_container_names(token = NULL, endpoint_url = NULL, ...)
+list_container_names(
+  endpoint_url = Sys.getenv("AZ_STORAGE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
+)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{token}{An Azure authentication token. If left as \code{NULL}, a token
-returned by \link{get_auth_token} will be used}
+\item{endpoint_url}{An Azure endpoint URL.}
 
-\item{endpoint_url}{An Azure endpoint URL. If left as \code{NULL}, the default,
-the value of the environment variable "AZ_STORAGE_EP" will be used}
-
-\item{...}{arguments to be passed through to \link{get_auth_token}, if a token is
-not already supplied}
+\item{token}{An Azure authentication token, or a function that returns one.
+Uses \link{get_auth_token} by default.}
 }
 \value{
 A character vector of all container names found
diff --git a/man/read_azure_table.Rd b/man/read_azure_table.Rd
index 0dc2010..c94ed27 100644
--- a/man/read_azure_table.Rd
+++ b/man/read_azure_table.Rd
@@ -4,21 +4,19 @@
 \alias{read_azure_table}
 \title{Read in data from an Azure table}
 \usage{
-read_azure_table(table_name = NULL, table_endpoint = NULL, token = NULL, ...)
+read_azure_table(
+  table_name,
+  table_endpoint = Sys.getenv("AZ_TABLE_EP"),
+  token = get_auth_token()
+)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{table_name}{name of the table to be read. If left as \code{NULL},
-the default, the function will look instead for a value stored in the
-environment variable "AZ_TABLE_NAME"}
+\item{table_name}{Name of the table to be read.}
 
-\item{table_endpoint}{URL of the Azure table endpoint. If left as \code{NULL},
-the default, the function will look instead for a value stored in the
-environment variable "AZ_TABLE_EP"}
+\item{table_endpoint}{An Azure table endpoint URL.}
 
-\item{token}{An Azure authentication token. If left as \code{NULL}, a token
-returned by \link{get_auth_token} will be used}
-
-\item{...}{parameters to be passed through to \link{get_auth_token}}
+\item{token}{An Azure authentication token, or a function that returns one.
+Uses \link{get_auth_token} by default.}
 }
 \value{
 A tibble