diff --git a/azurerm/internal/services/storage/helpers.go b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/helpers.go
index 8512626a3c8a..9dcf82b5c623 100644
--- a/azurerm/internal/services/storage/helpers.go
+++ b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/helpers.go
@@ -3,12 +3,41 @@ package storage
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/helpers/azure"
 )
 
+var (
+	accountKeysCache        = map[string]string{}
+	resourceGroupNamesCache = map[string]string{}
+	writeLock               = sync.RWMutex{}
+)
+
+func (client Client) ClearFromCache(resourceGroup, accountName string) {
+	writeLock.Lock()
+
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Removing Account %q (Resource Group %q) from the cache", accountName, resourceGroup)
+	accountCacheKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", resourceGroup, accountName)
+	delete(accountKeysCache, accountCacheKey)
+
+	resourceGroupsCacheKey := accountName
+	delete(resourceGroupNamesCache, resourceGroupsCacheKey)
+
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Removed Account %q (Resource Group %q) from the cache", accountName, resourceGroup)
+	writeLock.Unlock()
+}
+
 func (client Client) FindResourceGroup(ctx context.Context, accountName string) (*string, error) {
+	cacheKey := accountName
+	if v, ok := resourceGroupNamesCache[cacheKey]; ok {
+		return &v, nil
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Cache Miss - looking up the resource group for storage account %q..", accountName)
+	writeLock.Lock()
 	accounts, err := client.AccountsClient.List(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error listing Storage Accounts (to find Resource Group for %q): %s", accountName, err)
@@ -35,10 +64,23 @@ func (client Client) FindResourceGroup(ctx context.Context, accountName string)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if resourceGroup != nil {
+		resourceGroupNamesCache[cacheKey] = *resourceGroup
+	}
+
+	writeLock.Unlock()
+
 	return resourceGroup, nil
 }
 
 func (client Client) findAccountKey(ctx context.Context, resourceGroup, accountName string) (*string, error) {
+	cacheKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", resourceGroup, accountName)
+	if v, ok := accountKeysCache[cacheKey]; ok {
+		return &v, nil
+	}
+
+	writeLock.Lock()
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Cache Miss - looking up the account key for storage account %q..", accountName)
 	props, err := client.AccountsClient.ListKeys(ctx, resourceGroup, accountName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error Listing Keys for Storage Account %q (Resource Group %q): %+v", accountName, resourceGroup, err)
@@ -50,5 +92,9 @@ func (client Client) findAccountKey(ctx context.Context, resourceGroup, accountN
 
 	keys := *props.Keys
 	firstKey := keys[0].Value
+
+	accountKeysCache[cacheKey] = *firstKey
+	writeLock.Unlock()
+
 	return firstKey, nil
 }
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_account.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_account.go
index da29c7567583..cccfd91a49db 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_account.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_account.go
@@ -1100,7 +1100,8 @@ func resourceArmStorageAccountRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 
 func resourceArmStorageAccountDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error {
 	ctx := meta.(*ArmClient).StopContext
-	client := meta.(*ArmClient).storage.AccountsClient
+	storageClient := meta.(*ArmClient).storage
+	client := storageClient.AccountsClient
 
 	id, err := azure.ParseAzureResourceID(d.Id())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1150,6 +1151,9 @@ func resourceArmStorageAccountDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) e
 		}
 	}
 
+	// remove this from the cache
+	storageClient.ClearFromCache(resourceGroup, name)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_container_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_container_test.go
index b49fbd22b968..df0243ca197e 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_container_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_container_test.go
@@ -336,12 +336,10 @@ func testCheckAzureRMStorageContainerDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 
 		props, err := client.GetProperties(ctx, accountName, containerName)
 		if err != nil {
-			if utils.ResponseWasNotFound(props.Response) {
-				return nil
-			}
-
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving Container %q in Storage Account %q: %s", containerName, accountName, err)
+			return nil
 		}
+
+		return fmt.Errorf("Container still exists: %+v", props)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_queue_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_queue_test.go
index 5bfaa640c4c3..f235bec740f1 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_queue_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_queue_test.go
@@ -213,16 +213,12 @@ func testCheckAzureRMStorageQueueDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Error building Queues Client: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		metaData, err := queueClient.GetMetaData(ctx, accountName, name)
+		props, err := queueClient.GetMetaData(ctx, accountName, name)
 		if err != nil {
-			if utils.ResponseWasNotFound(metaData.Response) {
-				return nil
-			}
-
-			return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected error getting MetaData for Queue %q: %s", name, err)
+			return nil
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("Bad: Storage Queue %q (storage account: %q) still exists", name, accountName)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Queue still exists: %+v", props)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_directory_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_directory_test.go
index 32e37bd52e5b..18d91692e32b 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_directory_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_directory_test.go
@@ -249,12 +249,10 @@ func testCheckAzureRMStorageShareDirectoryDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 
 		resp, err := client.Get(ctx, accountName, shareName, name)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Bad: Get on FileShareDirectoriesClient: %+v", err)
+			return nil
 		}
 
-		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusNotFound {
-			return fmt.Errorf("File Share still exists:\n%#v", resp)
-		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("File Share still exists:\n%#v", resp)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_test.go
index 7def22abdf9f..5072be258c4e 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_share_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/helpers/tf"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/features"
-	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/utils"
 )
 
 func TestAccAzureRMStorageShare_basic(t *testing.T) {
@@ -289,14 +288,10 @@ func testCheckAzureRMStorageShareDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 
 		props, err := client.GetProperties(ctx, accountName, shareName)
 		if err != nil {
-			if utils.ResponseWasNotFound(props.Response) {
-				return nil
-			}
-
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving Share %q: %s", shareName, accountName)
+			return nil
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("Bad: Share %q (storage account: %q) still exists", shareName, accountName)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Share still exists: %+v", props)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_table_test.go b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_table_test.go
index b1e44a0fa842..1970840d6dc3 100644
--- a/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_table_test.go
+++ b/azurerm/resource_arm_storage_table_test.go
@@ -240,14 +240,10 @@ func testCheckAzureRMStorageTableDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 
 		props, err := client.Exists(ctx, accountName, tableName)
 		if err != nil {
-			if utils.ResponseWasNotFound(props) {
-				return nil
-			}
-
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving Table %q: %s", tableName, accountName)
+			return nil
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("Bad: Table %q (storage account: %q) still exists", tableName, accountName)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Table still exists: %+v", props)
 	}
 
 	return nil