diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 714c57c25..036e6e5ac 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -720,7 +720,6 @@ func (c *Client) SandboxStore() sandbox.Store {
 
 // SandboxController returns the underlying sandbox controller client
 func (c *Client) SandboxController(name string) sandbox.Controller {
-	// default sandboxer is shim
 	if c.sandboxers != nil {
 		return c.sandboxers[name]
 	}
diff --git a/client/services.go b/client/services.go
index 3ca357eb3..03da25246 100644
--- a/client/services.go
+++ b/client/services.go
@@ -218,9 +218,6 @@ func WithInMemoryServices(ic *plugin.InitContext) Opt {
 			srv.SnapshotsService: func(s interface{}) ServicesOpt {
 				return WithSnapshotters(s.(map[string]snapshots.Snapshotter))
 			},
-			srv.SandboxControllersService: func(s interface{}) ServicesOpt {
-				return WithSandboxers(s.(map[string]sandbox.Controller))
-			},
 			srv.ContainersService: func(s interface{}) ServicesOpt {
 				return WithContainerClient(s.(containersapi.ContainersClient))
 			},
@@ -251,3 +248,16 @@ func WithInMemoryServices(ic *plugin.InitContext) Opt {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func WithSandboxersService(ic *plugin.InitContext) ClientOpt {
+	return func(c *clientOpts) error {
+		sandboxesPlugin, err := ic.GetByID(plugins.SandboxesServicePlugin, srv.SandboxControllersService)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		sbs := sandboxesPlugin.(map[string]sandbox.Controller)
+		c.services.sandboxers = sbs
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cri/cri.go b/pkg/cri/cri.go
index e85547e68..8544230fb 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/cri.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/cri.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ func initCRIService(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 		containerd.WithDefaultNamespace(constants.K8sContainerdNamespace),
 		containerd.WithDefaultPlatform(platforms.Default()),
 		containerd.WithInMemoryServices(ic),
+		containerd.WithSandboxersService(ic),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create containerd client: %w", err)
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/podsandbox/controller.go b/pkg/cri/server/podsandbox/controller.go
index 45b3faf7d..ff3de7a0f 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/podsandbox/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/podsandbox/controller.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/oci"
 	criconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri/config"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri/constants"
 	imagestore "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri/store/image"
 	sandboxstore "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri/store/sandbox"
 	ctrdutil "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri/util"
@@ -43,13 +44,25 @@ import (
 
 func init() {
 	registry.Register(&plugin.Registration{
-		Type:     plugins.SandboxControllerPlugin,
-		ID:       "podsandbox",
-		Requires: []plugin.Type{},
+		Type: plugins.SandboxControllerPlugin,
+		ID:   "podsandbox",
+		Requires: []plugin.Type{
+			plugins.EventPlugin,
+			plugins.ServicePlugin,
+		},
 		InitFn: func(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
-			// register the global controller to containerd plugin manager,
-			// the global controller will be initialized when cri plugin is initializing
-			return &Controller{}, nil
+			c := Controller{}
+			client, err := containerd.New(
+				"",
+				containerd.WithDefaultNamespace(constants.K8sContainerdNamespace),
+				containerd.WithDefaultPlatform(platforms.Default()),
+				containerd.WithInMemoryServices(ic),
+			)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to load CRI service base dependencies: %w", err)
+			}
+			c.client = client
+			return &c, nil
 		},
 	})
 }
@@ -90,7 +103,6 @@ type Controller struct {
 
 func (c *Controller) Init(
 	config criconfig.Config,
-	client *containerd.Client,
 	sandboxStore *sandboxstore.Store,
 	os osinterface.OS,
 	cri CRIService,
@@ -98,7 +110,6 @@ func (c *Controller) Init(
 	baseOCISpecs map[string]*oci.Spec,
 ) {
 	c.cri = cri
-	c.client = client
 	c.config = config
 	c.sandboxStore = sandboxStore
 	c.os = os
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/service.go b/pkg/cri/server/service.go
index 070c81be4..10c8a3882 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/service.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/service.go
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func NewCRIService(config criconfig.Config, client *containerd.Client, nri *nri.
 	}
 
 	// Initialize pod sandbox controller
-	sbControllers[string(criconfig.ModePodSandbox)].(*podsandbox.Controller).Init(config, client, c.sandboxStore, c.os, c, c.imageService, c.baseOCISpecs)
+	sbControllers[string(criconfig.ModePodSandbox)].(*podsandbox.Controller).Init(config, c.sandboxStore, c.os, c, c.imageService, c.baseOCISpecs)
 
 	c.nri = nri
 
diff --git a/plugins/types.go b/plugins/types.go
index 1ac4a2737..eea2095bc 100644
--- a/plugins/types.go
+++ b/plugins/types.go
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ const (
 	ImageVerifierPlugin plugin.Type = "io.containerd.image-verifier.v1"
 	// WarningPlugin implements a warning service
 	WarningPlugin plugin.Type = "io.containerd.warning.v1"
+	// SandboxesServicePlugin implements sandboxes service
+	SandboxesServicePlugin plugin.Type = "io.containerd.service.sandboxes.v1"
 )
 
 const (
diff --git a/services/sandbox/controller_service.go b/services/sandbox/controller_service.go
index dd8cc352e..8ef2736e7 100644
--- a/services/sandbox/controller_service.go
+++ b/services/sandbox/controller_service.go
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ func init() {
 		Type: plugins.GRPCPlugin,
 		ID:   "sandbox-controllers",
 		Requires: []plugin.Type{
-			plugins.ServicePlugin,
+			plugins.SandboxesServicePlugin,
 			plugins.EventPlugin,
 		},
 		InitFn: func(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
-			i, err := ic.GetByID(plugins.ServicePlugin, services.SandboxControllersService)
+			i, err := ic.GetByID(plugins.SandboxesServicePlugin, services.SandboxControllersService)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
diff --git a/services/sandbox/sandboxers.go b/services/sandbox/sandboxers.go
index 85db67018..df09a800a 100644
--- a/services/sandbox/sandboxers.go
+++ b/services/sandbox/sandboxers.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 func init() {
 	registry.Register(&plugin.Registration{
-		Type: plugins.ServicePlugin,
+		Type: plugins.SandboxesServicePlugin,
 		ID:   services.SandboxControllersService,
 		Requires: []plugin.Type{
 			plugins.SandboxControllerPlugin,