diff --git a/api/next.pb.txt b/api/next.pb.txt
index 369d947ac..6343a3de5 100755
--- a/api/next.pb.txt
+++ b/api/next.pb.txt
@@ -2193,6 +2193,13 @@ file {
       type: TYPE_STRING
       json_name: "name"
     }
+    field {
+      name: "sync"
+      number: 2
+      label: LABEL_OPTIONAL
+      type: TYPE_BOOL
+      json_name: "sync"
+    }
   }
   service {
     name: "Images"
diff --git a/api/services/images/v1/images.pb.go b/api/services/images/v1/images.pb.go
index 4c9f0f982..8bbfcc8ba 100644
--- a/api/services/images/v1/images.pb.go
+++ b/api/services/images/v1/images.pb.go
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@ func (*ListImagesResponse) Descriptor() ([]byte, []int) { return fileDescriptorI
 
 type DeleteImageRequest struct {
 	Name string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=name,proto3" json:"name,omitempty"`
+	// Sync indicates that the delete and cleanup should be done
+	// synchronously before returning to the caller
+	Sync bool `protobuf:"varint,2,opt,name=sync,proto3" json:"sync,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (m *DeleteImageRequest) Reset()                    { *m = DeleteImageRequest{} }
@@ -717,6 +720,16 @@ func (m *DeleteImageRequest) MarshalTo(dAtA []byte) (int, error) {
 		i = encodeVarintImages(dAtA, i, uint64(len(m.Name)))
 		i += copy(dAtA[i:], m.Name)
 	}
+	if m.Sync {
+		dAtA[i] = 0x10
+		i++
+		if m.Sync {
+			dAtA[i] = 1
+		} else {
+			dAtA[i] = 0
+		}
+		i++
+	}
 	return i, nil
 }
 
@@ -840,6 +853,9 @@ func (m *DeleteImageRequest) Size() (n int) {
 	if l > 0 {
 		n += 1 + l + sovImages(uint64(l))
 	}
+	if m.Sync {
+		n += 2
+	}
 	return n
 }
 
@@ -967,6 +983,7 @@ func (this *DeleteImageRequest) String() string {
 	}
 	s := strings.Join([]string{`&DeleteImageRequest{`,
 		`Name:` + fmt.Sprintf("%v", this.Name) + `,`,
+		`Sync:` + fmt.Sprintf("%v", this.Sync) + `,`,
 		`}`,
 	}, "")
 	return s
@@ -1999,6 +2016,26 @@ func (m *DeleteImageRequest) Unmarshal(dAtA []byte) error {
 			}
 			m.Name = string(dAtA[iNdEx:postIndex])
 			iNdEx = postIndex
+		case 2:
+			if wireType != 0 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("proto: wrong wireType = %d for field Sync", wireType)
+			}
+			var v int
+			for shift := uint(0); ; shift += 7 {
+				if shift >= 64 {
+					return ErrIntOverflowImages
+				}
+				if iNdEx >= l {
+					return io.ErrUnexpectedEOF
+				}
+				b := dAtA[iNdEx]
+				iNdEx++
+				v |= (int(b) & 0x7F) << shift
+				if b < 0x80 {
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			m.Sync = bool(v != 0)
 		default:
 			iNdEx = preIndex
 			skippy, err := skipImages(dAtA[iNdEx:])
@@ -2130,46 +2167,47 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 var fileDescriptorImages = []byte{
-	// 650 bytes of a gzipped FileDescriptorProto
-	0x1f, 0x8b, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0xff, 0xac, 0x55, 0x4f, 0x6f, 0xd3, 0x4e,
-	0x10, 0x8d, 0x93, 0xd4, 0x6d, 0x27, 0x87, 0x5f, 0x7f, 0x4b, 0x85, 0x2c, 0x03, 0x69, 0x14, 0x81,
-	0x94, 0x0b, 0x6b, 0x1a, 0x2e, 0xd0, 0x4a, 0x88, 0xa6, 0x2d, 0x05, 0xa9, 0x70, 0x30, 0xff, 0x2a,
-	0x2e, 0xd5, 0x26, 0x99, 0x18, 0x2b, 0x76, 0x6c, 0xbc, 0x9b, 0x48, 0xb9, 0xf1, 0x11, 0x90, 0xe0,
-	0x43, 0xf5, 0xc8, 0x91, 0x13, 0xd0, 0x1c, 0xf8, 0x1c, 0xc8, 0xbb, 0x1b, 0x9a, 0x26, 0x11, 0x6e,
-	0x4a, 0x6f, 0xe3, 0xf8, 0xbd, 0x79, 0x33, 0x6f, 0x66, 0x62, 0xd8, 0xf3, 0x7c, 0xf1, 0xbe, 0xdf,
-	0xa4, 0xad, 0x28, 0x74, 0x5a, 0x51, 0x4f, 0x30, 0xbf, 0x87, 0x49, 0x7b, 0x32, 0x64, 0xb1, 0xef,
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-	0x50, 0x6b, 0x62, 0x18, 0x23, 0x77, 0xda, 0xc8, 0x5b, 0x89, 0x1f, 0x8b, 0x28, 0x51, 0xe4, 0xea,
-	0xaf, 0x3c, 0x2c, 0x3d, 0x4b, 0x1b, 0x20, 0x04, 0x8a, 0x3d, 0x16, 0xa2, 0x65, 0x54, 0x8c, 0xda,
-	0xaa, 0x2b, 0x63, 0xf2, 0x14, 0xcc, 0x80, 0x35, 0x31, 0xe0, 0x56, 0xbe, 0x52, 0xa8, 0x95, 0xea,
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-	0x24, 0xbd, 0xbf, 0xe7, 0x8c, 0x77, 0x5d, 0xbd, 0x2f, 0x69, 0x9c, 0xb6, 0x7b, 0xae, 0xa8, 0x2b,
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-	0x64, 0xfd, 0xff, 0xcc, 0x58, 0x69, 0x6f, 0x2e, 0xc0, 0xd0, 0x62, 0x11, 0x98, 0x6a, 0xb5, 0x49,
-	0x16, 0x79, 0xf6, 0xb2, 0xec, 0xfa, 0x22, 0x94, 0x33, 0x41, 0xb5, 0x5c, 0x99, 0x82, 0xb3, 0x87,
-	0x91, 0x29, 0x38, 0x6f, 0x6d, 0x5f, 0x82, 0xa9, 0x66, 0x9d, 0x29, 0x38, 0xbb, 0x12, 0xf6, 0xf5,
-	0x99, 0x93, 0xd9, 0x4f, 0xbf, 0x67, 0x8d, 0xa3, 0x93, 0xd3, 0x72, 0xee, 0xdb, 0x69, 0x39, 0xf7,
-	0x71, 0x54, 0x36, 0x4e, 0x46, 0x65, 0xe3, 0xeb, 0xa8, 0x6c, 0xfc, 0x1c, 0x95, 0x8d, 0x77, 0x8f,
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-	0xff, 0xff, 0x86, 0xe6, 0x32, 0x0a, 0xc6, 0x07, 0x00, 0x00,
+	// 659 bytes of a gzipped FileDescriptorProto
+	0x1f, 0x8b, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0xff, 0xac, 0x55, 0xcd, 0x6e, 0xd3, 0x40,
+	0x10, 0x8e, 0x93, 0xd4, 0x6d, 0x27, 0x07, 0xca, 0x52, 0x21, 0xcb, 0x40, 0x1a, 0x45, 0x20, 0xe5,
+	0xc2, 0x9a, 0x86, 0x0b, 0xb4, 0x08, 0xd1, 0xb4, 0xa5, 0x20, 0x15, 0x0e, 0xe6, 0xaf, 0xe2, 0x52,
+	0x6d, 0x92, 0x89, 0xb1, 0x62, 0xc7, 0xc6, 0xbb, 0x89, 0x94, 0x1b, 0x8f, 0x80, 0x04, 0x0f, 0xd5,
+	0x23, 0x47, 0x4e, 0x40, 0x73, 0xe0, 0x39, 0x90, 0x77, 0x37, 0x34, 0x4d, 0x22, 0x92, 0x94, 0xde,
+	0x66, 0xed, 0xef, 0x9b, 0x9f, 0x6f, 0x66, 0x76, 0x61, 0xcf, 0xf3, 0xc5, 0x87, 0x6e, 0x9d, 0x36,
+	0xa2, 0xd0, 0x69, 0x44, 0x1d, 0xc1, 0xfc, 0x0e, 0x26, 0xcd, 0x51, 0x93, 0xc5, 0xbe, 0xc3, 0x31,
+	0xe9, 0xf9, 0x0d, 0xe4, 0x8e, 0x1f, 0x32, 0x0f, 0xb9, 0xd3, 0xdb, 0xd4, 0x16, 0x8d, 0x93, 0x48,
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+	0x0e, 0x86, 0xb1, 0xe8, 0xeb, 0x9f, 0xa5, 0xf1, 0x9f, 0x2d, 0x1f, 0x83, 0xe6, 0x71, 0xc8, 0x78,
+	0x5b, 0x23, 0x36, 0xc6, 0x11, 0xc2, 0x0f, 0x91, 0x0b, 0x16, 0xc6, 0x1a, 0xb0, 0x3d, 0x57, 0x69,
+	0xa2, 0x1f, 0x23, 0x77, 0x9a, 0xc8, 0x1b, 0x89, 0x1f, 0x8b, 0x28, 0x51, 0xe4, 0xf2, 0xef, 0x2c,
+	0x2c, 0x3d, 0x4f, 0x0b, 0x20, 0x04, 0xf2, 0x1d, 0x16, 0xa2, 0x65, 0x94, 0x8c, 0xca, 0xaa, 0x2b,
+	0x6d, 0xf2, 0x0c, 0xcc, 0x80, 0xd5, 0x31, 0xe0, 0x56, 0xb6, 0x94, 0xab, 0x14, 0xaa, 0xf7, 0xe8,
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+	0x74, 0xef, 0x6f, 0x6e, 0xb5, 0xfc, 0xc9, 0x8f, 0x8d, 0x8c, 0xab, 0x19, 0x64, 0x17, 0xa0, 0x91,
+	0x20, 0x13, 0xd8, 0x3c, 0x66, 0xc2, 0x5a, 0x96, 0x7c, 0x9b, 0x2a, 0x59, 0xe8, 0x50, 0x16, 0xfa,
+	0x7a, 0x28, 0x4b, 0x6d, 0x25, 0x65, 0x7f, 0xfe, 0xb9, 0x61, 0xb8, 0xab, 0x9a, 0xb7, 0x23, 0x9d,
+	0x74, 0xe3, 0xe6, 0xd0, 0xc9, 0xca, 0x22, 0x4e, 0x34, 0x6f, 0x47, 0xd8, 0x0f, 0xa1, 0x30, 0x52,
+	0x1c, 0x59, 0x83, 0x5c, 0x1b, 0xfb, 0x5a, 0xb1, 0xd4, 0x24, 0xeb, 0xb0, 0xd4, 0x63, 0x41, 0x17,
+	0xad, 0xac, 0xfc, 0xa6, 0x0e, 0x5b, 0xd9, 0x07, 0x46, 0xf9, 0x0e, 0x5c, 0x39, 0x40, 0x21, 0x05,
+	0x72, 0xf1, 0x63, 0x17, 0xb9, 0x98, 0xa6, 0x78, 0xf9, 0x25, 0xac, 0x9d, 0xc1, 0x78, 0x1c, 0x75,
+	0x38, 0x92, 0x2d, 0x58, 0x92, 0x12, 0x4b, 0x60, 0xa1, 0x7a, 0x7b, 0x9e, 0x26, 0xb8, 0x8a, 0x52,
+	0x7e, 0x0b, 0x64, 0x57, 0x6a, 0x70, 0x2e, 0xf2, 0x93, 0x0b, 0x78, 0xd4, 0x4d, 0xd1, 0x7e, 0xdf,
+	0xc1, 0xb5, 0x73, 0x7e, 0x75, 0xaa, 0xff, 0xef, 0xf8, 0x8b, 0x01, 0xe4, 0x8d, 0x14, 0xfc, 0x72,
+	0x33, 0x26, 0xdb, 0x50, 0x50, 0x8d, 0x94, 0xcb, 0x25, 0x1b, 0x34, 0x6d, 0x02, 0x9e, 0xa6, 0xfb,
+	0xf7, 0x82, 0xf1, 0xb6, 0xab, 0xe7, 0x25, 0xb5, 0xd3, 0x72, 0xcf, 0x25, 0x75, 0x69, 0xe5, 0xde,
+	0x85, 0xab, 0x87, 0x3e, 0x57, 0x0d, 0xe7, 0xc3, 0x62, 0x2d, 0x58, 0x6e, 0xf9, 0x81, 0xc0, 0x84,
+	0x5b, 0x46, 0x29, 0x57, 0x59, 0x75, 0x87, 0xc7, 0xf2, 0x11, 0x90, 0x51, 0xb8, 0x4e, 0xa3, 0x06,
+	0xa6, 0x0a, 0x22, 0xe1, 0x8b, 0xe5, 0xa1, 0x99, 0xe5, 0x47, 0x40, 0xf6, 0x30, 0xc0, 0x31, 0xd9,
+	0xa7, 0x5d, 0x0a, 0x04, 0xf2, 0xbc, 0xdf, 0x69, 0x48, 0x05, 0x57, 0x5c, 0x69, 0x57, 0xbf, 0xe6,
+	0xc1, 0x54, 0x49, 0x91, 0x16, 0xe4, 0x0e, 0x50, 0x10, 0x3a, 0x23, 0x87, 0xb1, 0x65, 0xb0, 0x9d,
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+	0x01, 0x86, 0x0e, 0x16, 0x81, 0xa9, 0xc6, 0x9d, 0xcc, 0x22, 0x4f, 0x6e, 0x9b, 0x5d, 0x5d, 0x84,
+	0x72, 0x16, 0x50, 0x0d, 0xdc, 0xcc, 0x80, 0x93, 0xcb, 0x32, 0x33, 0xe0, 0xb4, 0x51, 0x7e, 0x05,
+	0xa6, 0xea, 0xff, 0xcc, 0x80, 0x93, 0x63, 0x62, 0x5f, 0x9f, 0x58, 0xa3, 0xfd, 0xf4, 0x8d, 0xab,
+	0x1d, 0x9d, 0x9c, 0x16, 0x33, 0xdf, 0x4f, 0x8b, 0x99, 0x4f, 0x83, 0xa2, 0x71, 0x32, 0x28, 0x1a,
+	0xdf, 0x06, 0x45, 0xe3, 0xd7, 0xa0, 0x68, 0xbc, 0x7f, 0x7c, 0xc1, 0xf7, 0x78, 0x5b, 0x59, 0x47,
+	0x99, 0xba, 0x29, 0x63, 0xdd, 0xff, 0x13, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x24, 0x4e, 0xca, 0x64, 0xda,
+	0x07, 0x00, 0x00,
 }
diff --git a/api/services/images/v1/images.proto b/api/services/images/v1/images.proto
index 9e6444c27..3d013abfc 100644
--- a/api/services/images/v1/images.proto
+++ b/api/services/images/v1/images.proto
@@ -115,4 +115,8 @@ message ListImagesResponse {
 
 message DeleteImageRequest {
 	string name = 1;
+
+	// Sync indicates that the delete and cleanup should be done
+	// synchronously before returning to the caller
+	bool sync = 2;
 }
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/builtins.go b/cmd/containerd/builtins.go
index 78c477d2d..1a8268ada 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/builtins.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/builtins.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package main
 // register containerd builtins here
 import (
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/diff/walking"
-	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/gc/policy"
+	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/gc/scheduler"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/containers"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/content"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/diff"
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/images/images.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/images/images.go
index 86a3649ee..958c25ef5 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/images/images.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/images/images.go
@@ -270,8 +270,14 @@ var removeCommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:        "remove",
 	Aliases:     []string{"rm"},
 	Usage:       "remove one or more images by reference",
-	ArgsUsage:   "<ref> [<ref>, ...]",
+	ArgsUsage:   "[flags] <ref> [<ref>, ...]",
 	Description: "remove one or more images by reference",
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:  "sync",
+			Usage: "Synchronously remove image and all associated resources",
+		},
+	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
 		client, ctx, cancel, err := commands.NewClient(context)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -282,8 +288,12 @@ var removeCommand = cli.Command{
 			exitErr    error
 			imageStore = client.ImageService()
 		)
-		for _, target := range context.Args() {
-			if err := imageStore.Delete(ctx, target); err != nil {
+		for i, target := range context.Args() {
+			var opts []images.DeleteOpt
+			if context.Bool("sync") && i == context.NArg()-1 {
+				opts = append(opts, images.SynchronousDelete())
+			}
+			if err := imageStore.Delete(ctx, target, opts...); err != nil {
 				if !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
 					if exitErr == nil {
 						exitErr = errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to delete %v", target)
diff --git a/image_store.go b/image_store.go
index daa18f7f5..9a3aafc84 100644
--- a/image_store.go
+++ b/image_store.go
@@ -74,9 +74,16 @@ func (s *remoteImages) Update(ctx context.Context, image images.Image, fieldpath
 	return imageFromProto(&updated.Image), nil
 }
 
-func (s *remoteImages) Delete(ctx context.Context, name string) error {
+func (s *remoteImages) Delete(ctx context.Context, name string, opts ...images.DeleteOpt) error {
+	var do images.DeleteOptions
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		if err := opt(ctx, &do); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	_, err := s.client.Delete(ctx, &imagesapi.DeleteImageRequest{
 		Name: name,
+		Sync: do.Synchronous,
 	})
 
 	return errdefs.FromGRPC(err)
diff --git a/images/image.go b/images/image.go
index 4c78c6cc2..e0d6990c4 100644
--- a/images/image.go
+++ b/images/image.go
@@ -38,6 +38,23 @@ type Image struct {
 	CreatedAt, UpdatedAt time.Time
 }
 
+// DeleteOptions provide options on image delete
+type DeleteOptions struct {
+	Synchronous bool
+}
+
+// DeleteOpt allows configuring a delete operation
+type DeleteOpt func(context.Context, *DeleteOptions) error
+
+// SynchronousDelete is used to indicate that an image deletion and removal of
+// the image resources should occur synchronously before returning a result.
+func SynchronousDelete() DeleteOpt {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, o *DeleteOptions) error {
+		o.Synchronous = true
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // Store and interact with images
 type Store interface {
 	Get(ctx context.Context, name string) (Image, error)
@@ -48,7 +65,7 @@ type Store interface {
 	// one or more fieldpaths are provided, only those fields will be updated.
 	Update(ctx context.Context, image Image, fieldpaths ...string) (Image, error)
 
-	Delete(ctx context.Context, name string) error
+	Delete(ctx context.Context, name string, opts ...DeleteOpt) error
 }
 
 // TODO(stevvooe): Many of these functions make strong platform assumptions,
diff --git a/metadata/images.go b/metadata/images.go
index 7e5e3c76e..32f7d4e43 100644
--- a/metadata/images.go
+++ b/metadata/images.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (s *imageStore) Update(ctx context.Context, image images.Image, fieldpaths
 	})
 }
 
-func (s *imageStore) Delete(ctx context.Context, name string) error {
+func (s *imageStore) Delete(ctx context.Context, name string, opts ...images.DeleteOpt) error {
 	namespace, err := namespaces.NamespaceRequired(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/services/images/service.go b/services/images/service.go
index 4e52d51de..ad90d6abe 100644
--- a/services/images/service.go
+++ b/services/images/service.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package images
 
 import (
+	gocontext "context"
+
 	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	eventstypes "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/events"
 	imagesapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/images/v1"
@@ -22,26 +24,38 @@ func init() {
 		ID:   "images",
 		Requires: []plugin.Type{
 			plugin.MetadataPlugin,
+			plugin.GCPlugin,
 		},
 		InitFn: func(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 			m, err := ic.Get(plugin.MetadataPlugin)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return NewService(m.(*metadata.DB), ic.Events), nil
+			g, err := ic.Get(plugin.GCPlugin)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
+			return NewService(m.(*metadata.DB), g.(gcScheduler), ic.Events), nil
 		},
 	})
 }
 
+type gcScheduler interface {
+	ScheduleAndWait(gocontext.Context) (metadata.GCStats, error)
+}
+
 type service struct {
 	db        *metadata.DB
+	gc        gcScheduler
 	publisher events.Publisher
 }
 
 // NewService returns the GRPC image server
-func NewService(db *metadata.DB, publisher events.Publisher) imagesapi.ImagesServer {
+func NewService(db *metadata.DB, gc gcScheduler, publisher events.Publisher) imagesapi.ImagesServer {
 	return &service{
 		db:        db,
+		gc:        gc,
 		publisher: publisher,
 	}
 }
@@ -162,6 +176,12 @@ func (s *service) Delete(ctx context.Context, req *imagesapi.DeleteImageRequest)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if req.Sync {
+		if _, err := s.gc.ScheduleAndWait(ctx); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &ptypes.Empty{}, nil
 }