diff --git a/providers/dns/azure/azure.go b/providers/dns/azure/azure.go
index fd00bcbe2..8bfc6cfe1 100644
--- a/providers/dns/azure/azure.go
+++ b/providers/dns/azure/azure.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Azure/go-autorest/autorest"
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ const (
 	EnvPollingInterval    = envNamespace + "POLLING_INTERVAL"
 )
 
+const EnvLegoAzureBypassDeprecation = "LEGO_AZURE_BYPASS_DEPRECATION"
+
 const defaultMetadataEndpoint = "http://169.254.169.254"
 
 var _ challenge.ProviderTimeout = (*DNSProvider)(nil)
@@ -133,6 +136,18 @@ func NewDNSProviderConfig(config *Config) (*DNSProvider, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("azure: the configuration of the DNS provider is nil")
 	}
 
+	if !env.GetOrDefaultBool(EnvLegoAzureBypassDeprecation, false) {
+		var msg strings.Builder
+
+		msg.WriteString("azure: ")
+		msg.WriteString("The `azure` provider has been deprecated since 2023, and replaced by `azuredns` provider. ")
+		msg.WriteString("It can be TEMPORARILY reactivated by using the environment variable `LEGO_AZURE_BYPASS_DEPRECATION=true`. ")
+		msg.WriteString("The `azure` provider will be removed in a future release, please migrate to the `azuredns` provider. ")
+		msg.WriteString("The documentation of the `azuredns` provider can be found at https://go-acme.github.io/lego/dns/azuredns/")
+
+		return nil, errors.New(msg.String())
+	}
+
 	if config.HTTPClient == nil {
 		config.HTTPClient = &http.Client{Timeout: 5 * time.Second}
 	}
diff --git a/providers/dns/azure/azure_test.go b/providers/dns/azure/azure_test.go
index 44fb81eef..c4fec4359 100644
--- a/providers/dns/azure/azure_test.go
+++ b/providers/dns/azure/azure_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 const envDomain = envNamespace + "DOMAIN"
 
 var envTest = tester.NewEnvTest(
+	EnvLegoAzureBypassDeprecation,
 	EnvEnvironment,
 	EnvClientID,
 	EnvClientSecret,
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ func TestNewDNSProvider(t *testing.T) {
 
 			envTest.ClearEnv()
 
+			test.envVars[EnvLegoAzureBypassDeprecation] = "true"
+
 			envTest.Apply(test.envVars)
 
 			p, err := NewDNSProvider()
@@ -140,6 +143,11 @@ func TestNewDNSProviderConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	defer envTest.RestoreEnv()
+
+	envTest.ClearEnv()
+	envTest.Apply(map[string]string{EnvLegoAzureBypassDeprecation: "true"})
+
 	for _, test := range testCases {
 		t.Run(test.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
 			config := NewDefaultConfig()