diff --git a/cmd/containerd/builtins/builtins.go b/cmd/containerd/builtins/builtins.go
index de2bd693e..6828c352a 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/builtins/builtins.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/builtins/builtins.go
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ package builtins
 
 // register containerd builtins here
 import (
-	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/events/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc/scheduler"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/leases/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/metadata/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/nri/plugin"
+	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/imageverifier"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/sandbox"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/streaming"
diff --git a/contrib/fuzz/builtins.go b/contrib/fuzz/builtins.go
index cdeaf5364..4d19b161b 100644
--- a/contrib/fuzz/builtins.go
+++ b/contrib/fuzz/builtins.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package fuzz
 
 import (
 	// base containerd imports
-	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/events/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc/scheduler"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/leases/plugin"
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cri"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/nri/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/cri/images"
+	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/imageverifier"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/sandbox"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/streaming"
diff --git a/contrib/fuzz/diff_fuzzer.go b/contrib/fuzz/diff_fuzzer.go
index 7084c6c55..6e7b03acc 100644
--- a/contrib/fuzz/diff_fuzzer.go
+++ b/contrib/fuzz/diff_fuzzer.go
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ import (
 
 	fuzz "github.com/AdaLogics/go-fuzz-headers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/apply"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/walking"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/mount"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/content/local"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/diff/walking"
 	ocispec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 )
 
diff --git a/integration/build_local_containerd_helper_test.go b/integration/build_local_containerd_helper_test.go
index f5ae32526..9a39826c7 100644
--- a/integration/build_local_containerd_helper_test.go
+++ b/integration/build_local_containerd_helper_test.go
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
 
-	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/events/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc/scheduler"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/leases/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/metadata/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/cri/images"
+	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/diff/walking/plugin"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/runtime/v2"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/runtime/v2/runc/options"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/services/containers"
diff --git a/diff/walking/differ.go b/plugins/diff/walking/differ.go
similarity index 100%
rename from diff/walking/differ.go
rename to plugins/diff/walking/differ.go
diff --git a/diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go b/plugins/diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go
similarity index 96%
rename from diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go
rename to plugins/diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go
index c1cdeec05..0adb701d5 100644
--- a/diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/diff/walking/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package plugin
 import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/apply"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/diff/walking"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/platforms"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/diff/walking"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin/registry"
 )