diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 6516809a5..3c337db59 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -546,6 +546,19 @@ func writeIndex(ctx context.Context, index *ocispec.Index, client *Client, ref s
 	return writeContent(ctx, client.ContentStore(), ocispec.MediaTypeImageIndex, ref, bytes.NewReader(data), content.WithLabels(labels))
 }
 
+func decodeIndex(ctx context.Context, store content.Provider, desc ocispec.Descriptor) (*ocispec.Index, error) {
+	var index ocispec.Index
+	p, err := content.ReadBlob(ctx, store, desc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(p, &index); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &index, nil
+}
+
 // GetLabel gets a label value from namespace store
 // If there is no default label, an empty string returned with nil error
 func (c *Client) GetLabel(ctx context.Context, label string) (string, error) {
diff --git a/import.go b/import.go
index ca55920dc..f80a78712 100644
--- a/import.go
+++ b/import.go
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ package containerd
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images/archive"
@@ -167,16 +165,11 @@ func (c *Client) Import(ctx context.Context, reader io.Reader, opts ...ImportOpt
 			return images.Children(ctx, cs, desc)
 		}
 
-		p, err := content.ReadBlob(ctx, cs, desc)
+		idx, err := decodeIndex(ctx, cs, desc)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		var idx ocispec.Index
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(p, &idx); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
 		for _, m := range idx.Manifests {
 			name := imageName(m.Annotations, iopts.imageRefT)
 			if name != "" {
diff --git a/task.go b/task.go
index 0a29a2c3d..7a502c7fa 100644
--- a/task.go
+++ b/task.go
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@
 package containerd
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -511,7 +509,7 @@ func (t *task) Checkpoint(ctx context.Context, opts ...CheckpointTaskOpts) (Imag
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	desc, err := t.writeIndex(ctx, &index)
+	desc, err := writeIndex(ctx, &index, t.client, t.id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -662,18 +660,6 @@ func (t *task) checkpointImage(ctx context.Context, index *v1.Index, image strin
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (t *task) writeIndex(ctx context.Context, index *v1.Index) (d v1.Descriptor, err error) {
-	labels := map[string]string{}
-	for i, m := range index.Manifests {
-		labels[fmt.Sprintf("containerd.io/gc.ref.content.%d", i)] = m.Digest.String()
-	}
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
-	if err := json.NewEncoder(buf).Encode(index); err != nil {
-		return v1.Descriptor{}, err
-	}
-	return writeContent(ctx, t.client.ContentStore(), v1.MediaTypeImageIndex, t.id, buf, content.WithLabels(labels))
-}
-
 func writeContent(ctx context.Context, store content.Ingester, mediaType, ref string, r io.Reader, opts ...content.Opt) (d v1.Descriptor, err error) {
 	writer, err := store.Writer(ctx, content.WithRef(ref))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/task_opts.go b/task_opts.go
index 442e24bd2..77554cee9 100644
--- a/task_opts.go
+++ b/task_opts.go
@@ -18,18 +18,15 @@ package containerd
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/mount"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/runc/options"
-	imagespec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
 
@@ -79,19 +76,6 @@ func WithTaskCheckpoint(im Image) NewTaskOpts {
 	}
 }
 
-func decodeIndex(ctx context.Context, store content.Provider, desc imagespec.Descriptor) (*imagespec.Index, error) {
-	var index imagespec.Index
-	p, err := content.ReadBlob(ctx, store, desc)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(p, &index); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return &index, nil
-}
-
 // WithCheckpointName sets the image name for the checkpoint
 func WithCheckpointName(name string) CheckpointTaskOpts {
 	return func(r *CheckpointTaskInfo) error {