diff --git a/metadata/content.go b/metadata/content.go
index c13f7867e..57eabf307 100644
--- a/metadata/content.go
+++ b/metadata/content.go
@@ -318,12 +318,23 @@ func (cs *contentStore) Writer(ctx context.Context, ref string, size int64, expe
 	cs.l.RLock()
 	defer cs.l.RUnlock()
 
-	var w content.Writer
+	var (
+		w      content.Writer
+		exists bool
+	)
 	if err := update(ctx, cs.db, func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		if expected != "" {
 			cbkt := getBlobBucket(tx, ns, expected)
 			if cbkt != nil {
-				return errors.Wrapf(errdefs.ErrAlreadyExists, "content %v", expected)
+				// Add content to lease to prevent other reference removals
+				// from effecting this object during a provided lease
+				if err := addContentLease(ctx, tx, expected); err != nil {
+					return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to lease content")
+				}
+				// Return error outside of transaction to ensure
+				// commit succeeds with the lease.
+				exists = true
+				return nil
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -363,6 +374,9 @@ func (cs *contentStore) Writer(ctx context.Context, ref string, size int64, expe
 	}); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if exists {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(errdefs.ErrAlreadyExists, "content %v", expected)
+	}
 
 	// TODO: keep the expected in the writer to use on commit
 	// when no expected is provided there.
diff --git a/metadata/content_test.go b/metadata/content_test.go
index d51a2dbb5..ad212c28a 100644
--- a/metadata/content_test.go
+++ b/metadata/content_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package metadata
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -9,6 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content/local"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content/testsuite"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/leases"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
+	digest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 func createContentStore(ctx context.Context, root string) (content.Store, func() error, error) {
@@ -31,3 +37,76 @@ func createContentStore(ctx context.Context, root string) (content.Store, func()
 func TestContent(t *testing.T) {
 	testsuite.ContentSuite(t, "metadata", createContentStore)
 }
+
+func TestContentLeased(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, db, cancel := testDB(t)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	cs := db.ContentStore()
+
+	blob := []byte("any content")
+	expected := digest.FromBytes(blob)
+
+	lctx, _, err := createLease(ctx, db, "lease-1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := content.WriteBlob(lctx, cs, "test-1", bytes.NewReader(blob), int64(len(blob)), expected); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := checkContentLeased(lctx, db, expected); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("lease checked failed:", err)
+	}
+
+	lctx, _, err = createLease(ctx, db, "lease-2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := cs.Writer(lctx, "test-2", int64(len(blob)), expected); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected already exist error")
+	} else if !errdefs.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := checkContentLeased(lctx, db, expected); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("lease checked failed:", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func createLease(ctx context.Context, db *DB, name string) (context.Context, func() error, error) {
+	if err := db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+		_, err := NewLeaseManager(tx).Create(ctx, name, nil)
+		return err
+	}); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	return leases.WithLease(ctx, name), func() error {
+		return db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+			return NewLeaseManager(tx).Delete(ctx, name)
+		})
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func checkContentLeased(ctx context.Context, db *DB, dgst digest.Digest) error {
+	ns, ok := namespaces.Namespace(ctx)
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("no namespace in context")
+	}
+	lease, ok := leases.Lease(ctx)
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("no lease in context")
+	}
+
+	return db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+		bkt := getBucket(tx, bucketKeyVersion, []byte(ns), bucketKeyObjectLeases, []byte(lease), bucketKeyObjectContent)
+		if bkt == nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "bucket not found", lease)
+		}
+		v := bkt.Get([]byte(dgst.String()))
+		if v == nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(errdefs.ErrNotFound, "object not leased")
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	})
+}
diff --git a/metadata/db_test.go b/metadata/db_test.go
index bc97e6244..209bc6c5b 100644
--- a/metadata/db_test.go
+++ b/metadata/db_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime/pprof"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -29,6 +30,44 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+func testDB(t *testing.T) (context.Context, *DB, func()) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	ctx = namespaces.WithNamespace(ctx, "testing")
+
+	dirname, err := ioutil.TempDir("", strings.Replace(t.Name(), "/", "_", -1)+"-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	snapshotter, err := naive.NewSnapshotter(filepath.Join(dirname, "naive"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	cs, err := local.NewStore(filepath.Join(dirname, "content"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	bdb, err := bolt.Open(filepath.Join(dirname, "metadata.db"), 0644, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	db := NewDB(bdb, cs, map[string]snapshots.Snapshotter{"naive": snapshotter})
+	if err := db.Init(ctx); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	return ctx, db, func() {
+		bdb.Close()
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(dirname); err != nil {
+			t.Log("failed removing temp dir", err)
+		}
+		cancel()
+	}
+}
+
 func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, db, cancel := testEnv(t)
 	defer cancel()