diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadActivity.kt
index ee0b21210..38e7dace8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadActivity.kt
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ class UploadActivity : BaseActivity(), UploadContract.View, UploadBaseFragment.C
     override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 
+        // Ensure basicKvStoreFactory is always initialized before use
+        presenter?.setupBasicKvStoreFactory { BasicKvStore(this@UploadActivity, it) }
+
         _binding = ActivityUploadBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
         setContentView(binding.root)
 
@@ -903,7 +906,6 @@ class UploadActivity : BaseActivity(), UploadContract.View, UploadBaseFragment.C
                     // Save the user's choice to not show the dialog again
                     defaultKvStore.putBoolean("hasAlreadyLaunchedCategoriesDialog", true)
                 }
-                presenter!!.setupBasicKvStoreFactory { BasicKvStore(this@UploadActivity, it) }
                 presenter!!.checkImageQuality(0)
                 UploadMediaPresenter.isCategoriesDialogShowing = false
             }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadPresenter.kt b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadPresenter.kt
index 5d721f408..251f868ad 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadPresenter.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/upload/UploadPresenter.kt
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ class UploadPresenter @Inject internal constructor(
 
     private val compositeDisposable = CompositeDisposable()
 
-    lateinit var basicKvStoreFactory: (String) -> BasicKvStore
-
+    private var basicKvStoreFactory: ((String) -> BasicKvStore)? = null
     /**
      * Called by the submit button in [UploadActivity]
      */
@@ -132,14 +131,38 @@ class UploadPresenter @Inject internal constructor(
         basicKvStoreFactory = factory
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the current BasicKvStore factory or throws if not initialized.
+     *
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if basicKvStoreFactory has not been initialized.
+     */
+    private fun getBasicKvStoreFactory(): (String) -> BasicKvStore {
+        return basicKvStoreFactory ?: throw IllegalStateException("basicKvStoreFactory has not been initialized")
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensures that the BasicKvStore factory has been initialized before use.
+     *
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if the factory is null.
+     */
+    private fun requireFactoryInitialized() {
+        val field = this::class.java.getDeclaredField("basicKvStoreFactory")
+        field.isAccessible = true
+        val value = field.get(this)
+        if (value == null) {
+            throw IllegalStateException("basicKvStoreFactory must be initialized before use. Please call setupBasicKvStoreFactory() before using presenter methods that require it.")
+        }
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Calls checkImageQuality of UploadMediaPresenter to check image quality of next image
      *
      * @param uploadItemIndex Index of next image, whose quality is to be checked
      */
     override fun checkImageQuality(uploadItemIndex: Int) {
+        requireFactoryInitialized()
         repository.getUploadItem(uploadItemIndex)?.let {
-            presenter.setupBasicKvStoreFactory(basicKvStoreFactory)
+            presenter.setupBasicKvStoreFactory(getBasicKvStoreFactory())
             presenter.checkImageQuality(it, uploadItemIndex)
         }
     }