diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
index 4916d1ac3..66ebe36c6 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys/reaper"
 	runc "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ func setupSignals() (chan os.Signal, error) {
 	// for waiting on processes
 	runc.Monitor = reaper.Default
 	// set the shim as the subreaper for all orphaned processes created by the container
-	if err := sys.SetSubreaper(1); err != nil {
+	if err := reaper.SetSubreaper(1); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return signals, nil
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/shim_linux.go b/runtime/v2/shim/shim_linux.go
index 7ad2a7262..06266a533 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/shim_linux.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/shim_linux.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 package shim
 
 import (
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys/reaper"
 	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
 )
 
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@ func newServer() (*ttrpc.Server, error) {
 }
 
 func subreaper() error {
-	return sys.SetSubreaper(1)
+	return reaper.SetSubreaper(1)
 }
diff --git a/sys/reaper_linux.go b/sys/reaper/reaper_utils_linux.go
similarity index 98%
rename from sys/reaper_linux.go
rename to sys/reaper/reaper_utils_linux.go
index e2f493e16..cadcdc42c 100644
--- a/sys/reaper_linux.go
+++ b/sys/reaper/reaper_utils_linux.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
    limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package sys
+package reaper
 
 import (
 	"unsafe"