diff --git a/config/cloudstorage/azure_snippet.txt b/config/cloudstorage/azure_snippet.txt
index e510fc356..883701bba 100644
--- a/config/cloudstorage/azure_snippet.txt
+++ b/config/cloudstorage/azure_snippet.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ ckanext.cloudstorage.container_name = <blob name>
 
 ckanext.cloudstorage.driver_options = {
   "key": "<storage container name>", 
-  "secret": "<access key 1>"
-}
+  "secret":
+  }
 
 ckanext.cloudstorage.use_secure_urls = 1
 ckanext.cloudstorage.max_multipart_lifetime  = 7
diff --git a/scripts/helper_functions.sh b/scripts/helper_functions.sh
index 9b6a8fe18..5c8dcb9d2 100755
--- a/scripts/helper_functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/helper_functions.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
-# function to convert a string into a Sed escaped string.
+# Function to convert a string into a Sed escaped string.
 # This string can be used in sed replace command.
 # arguments: 1 String to be modified with escape chars
 # return: Modified String with escape chars
@@ -18,7 +18,21 @@ function str_to_sed_str(){
 # example:
 #    replace_str_in_ckan_ini "replace this" "by this"
 function replace_str_in_ckan_ini() {
-    ORIGINAL_STR = "$1"
-    REPLACEMENT_STR = "$2"
+    ORIGINAL_STR="$1"
+    REPLACEMENT_STR="$2"
     sed -i -r 's/'"$ORIGINAL_STR"'/'"$REPLACEMENT_STR"'/' $CKANINIPATH
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+# replaces a given string with the replacement string inside
+# a specified file. 
+# arguments: string needing replacement, replacement string, file
+# return: none
+# example:
+#    replace_str_in_file "replace this" "by this" file
+function replace_str_in_file() {
+    ORIGINAL_STR="$1"
+    REPLACEMENT_STR="$2"
+    FILE="$3"
+    echo $REPLACEMENT_STR
+    sed -i -r 's/'"$ORIGINAL_STR"'/'"$REPLACEMENT_STR"'/' $FILE
+}
diff --git a/scripts/setup_cloudstorage.sh b/scripts/setup_cloudstorage.sh
index 31ffb50c6..204e5358e 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_cloudstorage.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_cloudstorage.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+source ./helper_functions.sh
 
 # Assume that the sudo password has been exported as an environment variable
 # export SUDOPASS="mypassword"
@@ -29,23 +30,30 @@ pip3 install zope.interface==5.0.0
 # Make additional py3 upgrades
 cd /usr/lib/ckan/default/src/ckanext-cloudstorage
 git checkout -b ckan2.9
-sed -i -r 's/'"$PYLONSIMPORT"'/'"$PYLONSIMPORT_REPLACEMENT"'/g' $STORAGEPY
-sed -i -r 's/'"$PYLONSIMPORT"'/'"$PYLONSIMPORT_REPLACEMENT"'/g' $MULTIPARTPY
+replace_str_in_file "$PYLONSIMPORT" "$PYLONSIMPORT_REPLACEMENT" "$STORAGEPY"
+replace_str_in_file "$PYLONSIMPORT" "$PYLONSIMPORT_REPLACEMENT" "$MULTIPARTPY"
 
 python3 setup.py develop
 python3 setup.py install
 
 # Add cloudstorage to ckan.plugins in ckan.ini
-sed -i -r 's/'"$CKANPLUGINS"'/'"$CKANPLUGINS_REPLACEMENT"'/g' $CKANINI
+replace_str_in_file "$CKANPLUGINS" "$CKANPLUGINS_REPLACEMENT" "$CKANINI"
 
-# Add Azure params to snippet
-sed -i '/<blob name>/ r '"$AZUREBLOB"'' $AZURESNIPPET
-sed -i '/<storage container name>/ r '"$AZURECONTAINER"'' $AZURESNIPPET
-sed -i '/<access key 1>/ r '"$AZURESECRET"'' $AZURESNIPPET
-
-# Add cloudstorage params to ckan.ini
+# Add Azure snippet to ckan.ini
 sed -i '/'"$CKANPLUGINS_REPLACEMENT"'/ r '"$AZURESNIPPET"'' $CKANINI
 
+# Replace Azure placeholders with pre-defined values
+replace_str_in_file "<blob name>" "$AZUREBLOB" "$CKANINI"
+replace_str_in_file "<storage container name>" "$AZURECONTAINER" "$CKANINI"
+# Escape special characters in Azure secret with str_to_sed_str() 
+# and duplicate any % chars
+AZURESECRET_FORMATTED=$(str_to_sed_str $(sed '/%/s/$/%%/' <<<$AZURESECRET))
+# Store formatted Azure secret in a text file
+echo "\"${AZURESECRET_FORMATTED}\"" > secret_snippet.txt
+# Add secret to ckan.ini by appending text file
+sed -i '/"secret":/ r secret_snippet.txt' $CKANINI
+rm secret_snippet.txt
+
 echo $SUDOPASS | sudo -S service supervisor restart
 
 deactivate