diff --git a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file_test.go b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file_test.go
index 1a82905157a..bb60288d236 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file_test.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file_test.go
@@ -87,14 +87,10 @@ func getAzureTestCloud(t *testing.T) *azure.Cloud {
                 "aadClientSecret": "--aad-client-secret--"
         }`
 	configReader := strings.NewReader(config)
-	cloud, err := azure.NewCloud(configReader)
+	azureCloud, err := azure.NewCloudWithoutFeatureGates(configReader)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
-	azureCloud, ok := cloud.(*azure.Cloud)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Error("NewCloud returned incorrect type")
-	}
 	return azureCloud
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/BUILD
index a6f5a879ce2..d410cf087c2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/BUILD
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ go_library(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors:go_default_library",
-        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait:go_default_library",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
index 942b2c21e40..5dd572fcf0b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Azure/go-autorest/autorest/azure"
 
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
-	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
@@ -264,6 +263,18 @@ func init() {
 
 // NewCloud returns a Cloud with initialized clients
 func NewCloud(configReader io.Reader) (cloudprovider.Interface, error) {
+	az, err := NewCloudWithoutFeatureGates(configReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	az.ipv6DualStackEnabled = utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(IPv6DualStack)
+
+	return az, nil
+}
+
+// NewCloudWithoutFeatureGates returns a Cloud without trying to wire the feature gates.  This is used by the unit tests
+// that don't load the actual features being used in the cluster.
+func NewCloudWithoutFeatureGates(configReader io.Reader) (*Cloud, error) {
 	config, err := parseConfig(configReader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -275,18 +286,6 @@ func NewCloud(configReader io.Reader) (cloudprovider.Interface, error) {
 		unmanagedNodes:     sets.NewString(),
 		routeCIDRs:         map[string]string{},
 	}
-	func() {
-		// this allows the code ot launch without featuregates defined.  It is currently required for unit tests where the
-		// featuregates are not registered.  This is effectively coding by side effect and an explicit register should
-		// be eventually created instead.
-		defer func() {
-			if r := recover(); r != nil {
-				utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("%v", r))
-			}
-		}()
-
-		az.ipv6DualStackEnabled = utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(IPv6DualStack)
-	}()
 
 	err = az.InitializeCloudFromConfig(config, false)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure_test.go
index e7005279d2f..9f54eb4f5e2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure_test.go
@@ -1701,14 +1701,10 @@ func validateConfig(t *testing.T, config string) {
 
 func getCloudFromConfig(t *testing.T, config string) *Cloud {
 	configReader := strings.NewReader(config)
-	cloud, err := NewCloud(configReader)
+	azureCloud, err := NewCloudWithoutFeatureGates(configReader)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
-	azureCloud, ok := cloud.(*Cloud)
-	if !ok {
-		t.Error("NewCloud returned incorrect type")
-	}
 	return azureCloud
 }