diff --git a/pkg/server/container_stats.go b/pkg/server/container_stats.go
index ba0185806..b6f4908c0 100644
--- a/pkg/server/container_stats.go
+++ b/pkg/server/container_stats.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) ContainerStats(ctx context.Context, in *runtime.C
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to find container: %v", err)
 	}
 	request := &tasks.MetricsRequest{Filters: []string{"id==" + cntr.ID}}
-	resp, err := c.taskService.Metrics(ctx, request)
+	resp, err := c.client.TaskService().Metrics(ctx, request)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch metrics for task: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/server/container_stats_list.go b/pkg/server/container_stats_list.go
index cecf6f4ea..648cedafc 100644
--- a/pkg/server/container_stats_list.go
+++ b/pkg/server/container_stats_list.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) ListContainerStats(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to build metrics request: %v", err)
 	}
-	resp, err := c.taskService.Metrics(ctx, &request)
+	resp, err := c.client.TaskService().Metrics(ctx, &request)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch metrics for tasks: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/server/image_pull.go b/pkg/server/image_pull.go
index fd0b20775..3269dc0d3 100644
--- a/pkg/server/image_pull.go
+++ b/pkg/server/image_pull.go
@@ -199,13 +199,13 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) createImageReference(ctx context.Context, name st
 	}
 	// TODO(random-liu): Figure out which is the more performant sequence create then update or
 	// update then create.
-	_, err := c.imageStoreService.Create(ctx, img)
+	_, err := c.client.ImageService().Create(ctx, img)
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err != nil && !errdefs.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
 		return err
 	}
-	_, err = c.imageStoreService.Update(ctx, img, "target")
+	_, err = c.client.ImageService().Update(ctx, img, "target")
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/server/image_remove.go b/pkg/server/image_remove.go
index 829382547..bdf8f7086 100644
--- a/pkg/server/image_remove.go
+++ b/pkg/server/image_remove.go
@@ -65,14 +65,14 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) RemoveImage(ctx context.Context, r *runtime.Remov
 
 	// Include all image references, including RepoTag, RepoDigest and id.
 	for _, ref := range append(image.RepoTags, image.RepoDigests...) {
-		err = c.imageStoreService.Delete(ctx, ref)
+		err = c.client.ImageService().Delete(ctx, ref)
 		if err == nil || errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
 			continue
 		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to delete image reference %q for image %q: %v", ref, image.ID, err)
 	}
 	// Delete image id synchronously to trigger garbage collection.
-	err = c.imageStoreService.Delete(ctx, image.ID, images.SynchronousDelete())
+	err = c.client.ImageService().Delete(ctx, image.ID, images.SynchronousDelete())
 	if err != nil && !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to delete image id %q: %v", image.ID, err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/server/sandbox_list.go b/pkg/server/sandbox_list.go
index c83a40086..43e767558 100644
--- a/pkg/server/sandbox_list.go
+++ b/pkg/server/sandbox_list.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) ListPodSandbox(ctx context.Context, r *runtime.Li
 	// List all sandboxes from store.
 	sandboxesInStore := c.sandboxStore.List()
 
-	response, err := c.taskService.List(ctx, &tasks.ListTasksRequest{})
+	response, err := c.client.TaskService().List(ctx, &tasks.ListTasksRequest{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to list sandbox containers: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/server/service.go b/pkg/server/service.go
index 041119d7d..5e7c8a7be 100644
--- a/pkg/server/service.go
+++ b/pkg/server/service.go
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/tasks/v1"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	"github.com/cri-o/ocicni/pkg/ocicni"
@@ -93,11 +91,6 @@ type criContainerdService struct {
 	imageStore *imagestore.Store
 	// snapshotStore stores information of all snapshots.
 	snapshotStore *snapshotstore.Store
-	// taskService is containerd tasks client.
-	taskService tasks.TasksClient
-	// imageStoreService is the containerd service to store and track
-	// image metadata.
-	imageStoreService images.Store
 	// netPlugin is used to setup and teardown network when run/stop pod sandbox.
 	netPlugin ocicni.CNIPlugin
 	// client is an instance of the containerd client
@@ -138,8 +131,6 @@ func NewCRIContainerdService(config options.Config) (CRIContainerdService, error
 		snapshotStore:      snapshotstore.NewStore(),
 		sandboxNameIndex:   registrar.NewRegistrar(),
 		containerNameIndex: registrar.NewRegistrar(),
-		taskService:        client.TaskService(),
-		imageStoreService:  client.ImageService(),
 		client:             client,
 	}