diff --git a/.changeset/gold-impalas-kneel.md b/.changeset/gold-impalas-kneel.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99b461a22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/gold-impalas-kneel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@segment/analytics-consent-tools': patch
+---
+
+Refactor consent wrapper; export GetCategoriesFunction
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/consent-stamping.test.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/consent-stamping.test.ts
index 4900bdc61..1860ba1b7 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/consent-stamping.test.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/consent-stamping.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ describe(createConsentStampingMiddleware, () => {
   let middlewareFn: MiddlewareFunction
   const nextFn = jest.fn()
   const getCategories = jest.fn()
-  // @ts-ignore
   const payload = {
     obj: {
       type: 'track',
@@ -42,4 +41,30 @@ describe(createConsentStampingMiddleware, () => {
       Advertising: true,
     })
   })
+
+  it('should throw an error if getCategories returns an invalid value', async () => {
+    middlewareFn = createConsentStampingMiddleware(getCategories)
+    getCategories.mockReturnValue(null as any)
+    await expect(() =>
+      middlewareFn({
+        next: nextFn,
+        // @ts-ignore
+        payload,
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrowError(/Validation/)
+    expect(nextFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('should throw an error if getCategories returns an invalid async value', async () => {
+    middlewareFn = createConsentStampingMiddleware(getCategories)
+    getCategories.mockResolvedValue(null as any)
+    await expect(() =>
+      middlewareFn({
+        next: nextFn,
+        // @ts-ignore
+        payload,
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrowError(/Validation/)
+    expect(nextFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/create-wrapper.test.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/create-wrapper.test.ts
index acb2a117d..d8da2bb38 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/create-wrapper.test.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/__tests__/create-wrapper.test.ts
@@ -487,45 +487,6 @@ describe(createWrapper, () => {
       expect(analyticsLoadSpy).not.toBeCalled()
     })
   })
-  test.each([
-    {
-      getCategories: () =>
-        ({
-          invalidCategory: 'hello',
-        } as any),
-      returnVal: 'Categories',
-    },
-    {
-      getCategories: () =>
-        Promise.resolve({
-          invalidCategory: 'hello',
-        }) as any,
-      returnVal: 'Promise<Categories>',
-    },
-  ])(
-    'should throw an error if getCategories() returns invalid categories during consent stamping ($returnVal))',
-    async ({ getCategories }) => {
-      const fn = jest.spyOn(ConsentStamping, 'createConsentStampingMiddleware')
-      const mockCdnSettings = settingsBuilder.build()
-
-      wrapTestAnalytics({
-        getCategories,
-        shouldLoadSegment: () => {
-          // on first load, we should not get an error because this is a valid category setting
-          return { invalidCategory: true }
-        },
-      })
-      await analytics.load({
-        ...DEFAULT_LOAD_SETTINGS,
-        cdnSettings: mockCdnSettings,
-      })
-
-      const getCategoriesFn = fn.mock.lastCall[0]
-      await expect(getCategoriesFn()).rejects.toMatchInlineSnapshot(
-        `[ValidationError: [Validation] Consent Categories should be {[categoryName: string]: boolean} (Received: {"invalidCategory":"hello"})]`
-      )
-    }
-  )
 
   describe('shouldEnableIntegration', () => {
     it('should let user customize the logic that determines whether or not a destination is enabled', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/consent-stamping.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/consent-stamping.ts
index 955aa4484..bbfa11838 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/consent-stamping.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/consent-stamping.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { AnyAnalytics, Categories } from '../types'
+import { validateCategories } from './validation'
 
 type CreateConsentMw = (
   getCategories: () => Promise<Categories>
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ export const createConsentStampingMiddleware: CreateConsentMw =
   (getCategories) =>
   async ({ payload, next }) => {
     const categories = await getCategories()
+    validateCategories(categories)
     payload.obj.context.consent = {
       ...payload.obj.context.consent,
       categoryPreferences: categories,
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/create-wrapper.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/create-wrapper.ts
index 4fb8a5424..582aea8b4 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/create-wrapper.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/create-wrapper.ts
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ import {
   validateSettings,
 } from './validation'
 import { createConsentStampingMiddleware } from './consent-stamping'
-import { pipe, pick, uniq } from '../utils'
+import { pipe } from '../utils'
 import { AbortLoadError, LoadContext } from './load-cancellation'
-import { ValidationError } from './validation/validation-error'
 import { validateAndSendConsentChangedEvent } from './consent-changed'
+import { getPrunedCategories } from './pruned-categories'
 
 export const createWrapper = <Analytics extends AnyAnalytics>(
   ...[createWrapperOptions]: Parameters<CreateWrapper<Analytics>>
@@ -79,56 +79,28 @@ export const createWrapper = <Analytics extends AnyAnalytics>(
 
       validateCategories(initialCategories)
 
-      const getPrunedCategories = async (
-        cdnSettingsP: Promise<CDNSettings>
-      ): Promise<Categories> => {
-        const cdnSettings = await cdnSettingsP
-        // we don't want to send _every_ category to segment, only the ones that the user has explicitly configured in their integrations
-        let allCategories: string[]
-        // We need to get all the unique categories so we can prune the consent object down to only the categories that are configured
-        // There can be categories that are not included in any integration in the integrations object (e.g. 2 cloud mode categories), which is why we need a special allCategories array
-        if (integrationCategoryMappings) {
-          allCategories = uniq(
-            Object.values(integrationCategoryMappings).reduce((p, n) =>
-              p.concat(n)
-            )
-          )
-        } else {
-          allCategories = cdnSettings.consentSettings?.allCategories || []
-        }
+      // we need to register the listener before .load is called so we don't miss it.
+      // note: the 'initialize' API event is emitted so before the final flushing of events, so this promise won't block the pipeline.
+      const cdnSettings = new Promise<CDNSettings>((resolve) =>
+        analytics.on('initialize', resolve)
+      )
 
-        if (!allCategories.length) {
-          // No configured integrations found, so no categories will be sent (should not happen unless there's a configuration error)
-          throw new ValidationError(
-            'Invariant: No consent categories defined in Segment',
-            []
+      // normalize getCategories pruning is turned on or off
+      const getCategoriesForConsentStamping = async (): Promise<Categories> => {
+        if (pruneUnmappedCategories) {
+          return getPrunedCategories(
+            getCategories,
+            await cdnSettings,
+            integrationCategoryMappings
           )
+        } else {
+          return getCategories()
         }
-
-        const categories = await getCategories()
-
-        return pick(categories, allCategories)
       }
 
-      // create getCategories and validate them regardless of whether pruning is turned on or off
-      const getValidCategoriesForConsentStamping = pipe(
-        pruneUnmappedCategories
-          ? getPrunedCategories.bind(
-              this,
-              new Promise<CDNSettings>((resolve) =>
-                analytics.on('initialize', resolve)
-              )
-            )
-          : getCategories,
-        async (categories) => {
-          validateCategories(await categories)
-          return categories
-        }
-      ) as () => Promise<Categories>
-
       // register listener to stamp all events with latest consent information
       analytics.addSourceMiddleware(
-        createConsentStampingMiddleware(getValidCategoriesForConsentStamping)
+        createConsentStampingMiddleware(getCategoriesForConsentStamping)
       )
 
       const updateCDNSettings: InitOptions['updateCDNSettings'] = (
@@ -150,7 +122,7 @@ export const createWrapper = <Analytics extends AnyAnalytics>(
         ...options,
         updateCDNSettings: pipe(
           updateCDNSettings,
-          options?.updateCDNSettings ? options.updateCDNSettings : (f) => f
+          options?.updateCDNSettings || ((id) => id)
         ),
       })
     }
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/pruned-categories.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/pruned-categories.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f8a92761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/domain/pruned-categories.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { uniq, pick } from 'lodash'
+import {
+  CDNSettings,
+  CreateWrapperSettings,
+  Categories,
+  GetCategoriesFunction,
+} from '../types'
+import { ValidationError } from './validation/validation-error'
+
+export const getPrunedCategories = async (
+  getCategories: GetCategoriesFunction,
+  cdnSettings: CDNSettings,
+  integrationCategoryMappings?: CreateWrapperSettings['integrationCategoryMappings']
+): Promise<Categories> => {
+  // we don't want to send _every_ category to segment, only the ones that the user has explicitly configured in their integrations
+  let allCategories: string[]
+  // We need to get all the unique categories so we can prune the consent object down to only the categories that are configured
+  // There can be categories that are not included in any integration in the integrations object (e.g. 2 cloud mode categories), which is why we need a special allCategories array
+  if (integrationCategoryMappings) {
+    allCategories = uniq(
+      Object.values(integrationCategoryMappings).reduce((p, n) => p.concat(n))
+    )
+  } else {
+    allCategories = cdnSettings.consentSettings?.allCategories || []
+  }
+
+  if (!allCategories.length) {
+    // No configured integrations found, so no categories will be sent (should not happen unless there's a configuration error)
+    throw new ValidationError(
+      'Invariant: No consent categories defined in Segment',
+      []
+    )
+  }
+
+  const categories = await getCategories()
+
+  return pick(categories, allCategories)
+}
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/index.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/index.ts
index 6019d8e91..fdca76598 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export type {
   CreateWrapperSettings,
   IntegrationCategoryMappings,
   Categories,
+  GetCategoriesFunction,
   RegisterOnConsentChangedFunction,
   AnyAnalytics,
 } from './types'
diff --git a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/types/settings.ts b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/types/settings.ts
index 0c2b13b15..0fc6e7d41 100644
--- a/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/types/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/consent/consent-tools/src/types/settings.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,18 @@ import type {
   CDNSettingsRemotePlugin,
 } from './wrapper'
 
+/**
+ * See {@link CreateWrapperSettings.registerOnConsentChanged}
+ */
 export type RegisterOnConsentChangedFunction = (
   categoriesChangedCb: (categories: Categories) => void
 ) => void
 
+/**
+ * See {@link CreateWrapperSettings.getCategories}
+ */
+export type GetCategoriesFunction = () => Categories | Promise<Categories>
+
 /**
  * Consent wrapper function configuration
  */
@@ -55,11 +63,9 @@ export interface CreateWrapperSettings {
   /**
    * Fetch the categories which stamp every event. Called each time a new Segment event is dispatched.
    * @example
-   * ```ts
    * () => ({ "Advertising": true, "Analytics": false })
-   * ```
    **/
-  getCategories: () => Categories | Promise<Categories>
+  getCategories: GetCategoriesFunction
 
   /**
    * Function to register a listener for consent changes to programatically send a "Segment Consent Preference" event to Segment when consent preferences change.