diff --git a/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/knowledge_storage.py b/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/knowledge_storage.py
index 0e7f935ae..20a06f05d 100644
--- a/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/knowledge_storage.py
+++ b/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/knowledge_storage.py
@@ -4,20 +4,23 @@ import io
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
 
-try:
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import chromadb
     import chromadb.errors
     from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
     from chromadb.api.types import OneOrMany
     from chromadb.config import Settings
-    Collection = chromadb.Collection
-except ImportError:
-    chromadb = None
-    ClientAPI = None
-    OneOrMany = Any
-    Collection = Any
+else:
+    try:
+        import chromadb
+        import chromadb.errors
+        from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
+        from chromadb.api.types import OneOrMany
+        from chromadb.config import Settings
+    except ImportError:
+        chromadb = None
 
 from crewai.knowledge.storage.base_knowledge_storage import BaseKnowledgeStorage
 from crewai.utilities import EmbeddingConfigurator
@@ -50,9 +53,9 @@ class KnowledgeStorage(BaseKnowledgeStorage):
     search efficiency.
     """
 
-    collection: Optional[Collection] = None
+    collection: Optional[Any] = None
     collection_name: Optional[str] = "knowledge"
-    app: Optional[ClientAPI] = None
+    app: Optional[Any] = None
 
     def __init__(
         self,
diff --git a/src/crewai/memory/storage/rag_storage.py b/src/crewai/memory/storage/rag_storage.py
index 4499c50c3..87e580f24 100644
--- a/src/crewai/memory/storage/rag_storage.py
+++ b/src/crewai/memory/storage/rag_storage.py
@@ -4,15 +4,19 @@ import logging
 import os
 import shutil
 import uuid
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
-try:
-    from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import chromadb
-    Collection = chromadb.Collection
-except ImportError:
-    ClientAPI = None
-    Collection = Any
+    from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
+    from chromadb.config import Settings
+else:
+    try:
+        import chromadb
+        from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
+        from chromadb.config import Settings
+    except ImportError:
+        chromadb = None
 
 from crewai.memory.storage.base_rag_storage import BaseRAGStorage
 from crewai.utilities import EmbeddingConfigurator
@@ -43,8 +47,8 @@ class RAGStorage(BaseRAGStorage):
     search efficiency.
     """
 
-    app: Optional[ClientAPI] = None
-    collection: Optional[Collection] = None
+    app: Optional[Any] = None
+    collection: Optional[Any] = None
 
     def __init__(
         self, type, allow_reset=True, embedder_config=None, crew=None, path=None
@@ -130,6 +134,9 @@ class RAGStorage(BaseRAGStorage):
         if not hasattr(self, "app"):
             self._initialize_app()
 
+        if not self.collection:
+            raise ValueError("Collection not initialized")
+
         try:
             with suppress_logging():
                 response = self.collection.query(query_texts=query, n_results=limit)
@@ -153,6 +160,9 @@ class RAGStorage(BaseRAGStorage):
     def _generate_embedding(self, text: str, metadata: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:  # type: ignore
         if not hasattr(self, "app") or not hasattr(self, "collection"):
             self._initialize_app()
+            
+        if not self.collection:
+            raise ValueError("Collection not initialized")
 
         self.collection.add(
             documents=[text],
diff --git a/src/crewai/utilities/embedding_configurator.py b/src/crewai/utilities/embedding_configurator.py
index fabdd8d70..55c2983c2 100644
--- a/src/crewai/utilities/embedding_configurator.py
+++ b/src/crewai/utilities/embedding_configurator.py
@@ -1,18 +1,30 @@
 import os
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union, cast
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Protocol, TypeVar, Union, cast
 
-Documents = Union[str, list[str]]
-Embeddings = list[list[float]]
+Documents = Union[str, List[str]]
+Embeddings = List[List[float]]
 
-try:
+class EmbeddingFunctionProtocol(Protocol):
+    """Protocol for EmbeddingFunction when chromadb is not installed."""
+    def __call__(self, input: Documents) -> Embeddings: ...
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Protocol, TypeVar, cast
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from chromadb import EmbeddingFunction
     from chromadb.api.types import validate_embedding_function
-except ImportError:
-    class EmbeddingFunction:
-        def __call__(self, input: Documents) -> Embeddings:
-            raise ImportError(
-                "ChromaDB is not installed. Please install it with `pip install crewai[chromadb]`."
-            )
+else:
+    try:
+        from chromadb import EmbeddingFunction
+        from chromadb.api.types import validate_embedding_function
+    except ImportError:
+        class EmbeddingFunction(Protocol):
+            """Protocol for EmbeddingFunction when chromadb is not installed."""
+            def __call__(self, input: Any) -> Any: ...
+        
+        def validate_embedding_function(func: Any) -> None:
+            """Stub for validate_embedding_function when chromadb is not installed."""
+            pass
 
 
 class EmbeddingConfigurator:
@@ -237,7 +249,9 @@ class EmbeddingConfigurator:
             try:
                 import ibm_watsonx_ai.foundation_models as watson_models
                 from ibm_watsonx_ai import Credentials
-                from ibm_watsonx_ai.metanames import EmbedTextParamsMetaNames as EmbedParams
+                from ibm_watsonx_ai.metanames import (
+                    EmbedTextParamsMetaNames as EmbedParams,
+                )
             except ImportError as e:
                 raise ImportError(
                     "IBM Watson dependencies are not installed. Please install them to use Watson embedding."
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_optional_chromadb.py b/tests/storage/test_optional_chromadb.py
index bb99f9279..f00950bca 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_optional_chromadb.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_optional_chromadb.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import unittest
-from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
 import sys
-import pytest
+import unittest
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
 
 
 class TestOptionalChromadb(unittest.TestCase):