diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index ca9071c..a7b10dc 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ export(check_nzchar)
 export(check_scalar_type)
 export(check_that)
 export(check_vec)
+export(cst_error_msg)
+export(ct_error_msg)
+export(cv_error_msg)
 export(generate_resource)
 export(get_auth_token)
 export(get_container)
diff --git a/R/get_container.R b/R/get_container.R
index 4bbd257..31a5d3d 100644
--- a/R/get_container.R
+++ b/R/get_container.R
@@ -21,12 +21,18 @@ get_container <- function(
   endpoint_url = NULL,
   ...
 ) {
-  msg <- paste0(
+  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(msg)
+    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) |>
diff --git a/R/helpers.R b/R/helpers.R
index c5d5b88..18afcd0 100644
--- a/R/helpers.R
+++ b/R/helpers.R
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ check_that <- function(x, predicate, message, pf = parent.frame()) {
 }
 
 
-#' @keywords internal
+#' @export
 ct_error_msg <- \(text) paste0("{.fn check_that}: ", text)
 
 #' An alternative to stopifnot/assert_that etc
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ check_vec <- function(
   }
 }
 
-#' @keywords internal
+#' @export
 cv_error_msg <- \(text) paste0("{.fn check_vec}: ", text)
 
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ check_scalar_type <- function(
   }
 }
 
-#' @keywords internal
+#' @export
 cst_error_msg <- \(text) paste0("{.fn check_scalar_type}: ", text)
 
 
diff --git a/R/read_azure_files.R b/R/read_azure_files.R
index b174e0d..e76183b 100644
--- a/R/read_azure_files.R
+++ b/R/read_azure_files.R
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ read_azure_json <- function(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL, ...) {
 #'
 #' @inheritParams read_azure_parquet
 #' @param ... optional arguments to be passed through to
-#'   [yyjsonr::read_json_file]
+#'  [yyjsonr::read_json_file]
 #' @returns A list
 #' @export
 read_azure_jsongz <- function(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL, ...) {
@@ -70,11 +70,20 @@ read_azure_jsongz <- function(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL, ...) {
 #' Read an rds file from Azure storage
 #'
 #' @inheritParams read_azure_parquet
-#' @returns Data object that was stored in the rds file
+#' @param ... optional arguments to be passed through to
+#'  [AzureStor::storage_load_rds]. For example, a compression type (one of
+#'  c("unknown", "gzip", "bzip2", "xz", "zstd", "none")) can be provided using
+#'  the argument `type`, which will be passed on to [memDecompress] via
+#'  [AzureStor::storage_load_rds].
+#   If nothing is provided here, the compression type will be set to "none".
+#' @returns The data object that was stored in the rds file
 #' @export
-read_azure_rds <- function(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL) {
-  check_blob_exists(container, file, "rds", info, path) |>
-    AzureStor::storage_load_rds(container, file = _)
+read_azure_rds <- function(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL, ...) {
+  # If the user doesn't specify a (de)compression type with `type` in `...`, we
+  # will set a `type` of "none", as this seems to be the standard on SU Azure
+  dots <- rlang::dots_list(..., type = "none", .homonyms = "first")
+  blob <- check_blob_exists(container, file, "rds", info, path)
+  rlang::inject(AzureStor::storage_load_rds(container, blob, !!!dots))
 }
 
 
diff --git a/man/read_azure_rds.Rd b/man/read_azure_rds.Rd
index c099418..8f3e0e4 100644
--- a/man/read_azure_rds.Rd
+++ b/man/read_azure_rds.Rd
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 \alias{read_azure_rds}
 \title{Read an rds file from Azure storage}
 \usage{
-read_azure_rds(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL)
+read_azure_rds(container, file, path = "/", info = NULL, ...)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{container}{An Azure container object, as returned by \link{get_container}}
@@ -25,9 +25,15 @@ being read. Useful for checking the function is doing what is expected, but
 can be turned off with \code{FALSE}. Can be set persistently with the option
 "azkit.info". If \code{NULL} then it will default to the value of
 \link[rlang:is_interactive]{rlang::is_interactive} (that is, \code{TRUE} for interactive sessions).}
+
+\item{...}{optional arguments to be passed through to
+\link[AzureStor:storage_save]{AzureStor::storage_load_rds}. For example, a compression type (one of
+c("unknown", "gzip", "bzip2", "xz", "zstd", "none")) can be provided using
+the argument \code{type}, which will be passed on to \link{memDecompress} via
+\link[AzureStor:storage_save]{AzureStor::storage_load_rds}.}
 }
 \value{
-Data object that was stored in the rds file
+The data object that was stored in the rds file
 }
 \description{
 Read an rds file from Azure storage