diff --git a/differ/differ.go b/differ/differ.go
index 436e33b44..1962989d1 100644
--- a/differ/differ.go
+++ b/differ/differ.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/archive"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/archive/compression"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ func init() {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return NewWalkingDiff(metadata.NewContentStore(md.(*bolt.DB), c.(content.Store)))
+			return NewWalkingDiff(metadata.NewContentStore(md.(*metadata.DB), c.(content.Store)))
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/linux/runtime.go b/linux/runtime.go
index b9960a2d5..8d54898e8 100644
--- a/linux/runtime.go
+++ b/linux/runtime.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 		state:   ic.State,
 		monitor: monitor.(runtime.TaskMonitor),
 		tasks:   runtime.NewTaskList(),
-		db:      m.(*bolt.DB),
+		db:      m.(*metadata.DB),
 		address: ic.Address,
 		events:  ic.Events,
 		config:  cfg,
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ type Runtime struct {
 
 	monitor runtime.TaskMonitor
 	tasks   *runtime.TaskList
-	db      *bolt.DB
+	db      *metadata.DB
 	events  *events.Exchange
 
 	config *Config
diff --git a/metadata/bolt.go b/metadata/bolt.go
index 221dba5a2..ca9ceb939 100644
--- a/metadata/bolt.go
+++ b/metadata/bolt.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func WithTransactionContext(ctx context.Context, tx *bolt.Tx) context.Context {
 
 // view gets a bolt db transaction either from the context
 // or starts a new one with the provided bolt database.
-func view(ctx context.Context, db *bolt.DB, fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
+func view(ctx context.Context, db *DB, fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
 	tx, ok := ctx.Value(transactionKey{}).(*bolt.Tx)
 	if !ok {
 		return db.View(fn)
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func view(ctx context.Context, db *bolt.DB, fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
 
 // update gets a writable bolt db transaction either from the context
 // or starts a new one with the provided bolt database.
-func update(ctx context.Context, db *bolt.DB, fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
+func update(ctx context.Context, db *DB, fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
 	tx, ok := ctx.Value(transactionKey{}).(*bolt.Tx)
 	if !ok {
 		return db.Update(fn)
diff --git a/metadata/content.go b/metadata/content.go
index a76e5289a..e93e09292 100644
--- a/metadata/content.go
+++ b/metadata/content.go
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ import (
 
 type contentStore struct {
 	content.Store
-	db *bolt.DB
+	db *DB
 }
 
 // NewContentStore returns a namespaced content store using an existing
 // content store interface.
-func NewContentStore(db *bolt.DB, cs content.Store) content.Store {
+func NewContentStore(db *DB, cs content.Store) content.Store {
 	return &contentStore{
 		Store: cs,
 		db:    db,
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ type namespacedWriter struct {
 	content.Writer
 	ref       string
 	namespace string
-	db        *bolt.DB
+	db        *DB
 }
 
 func (nw *namespacedWriter) Commit(ctx context.Context, size int64, expected digest.Digest, opts ...content.Opt) error {
diff --git a/metadata/db.go b/metadata/db.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6009d83a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metadata/db.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package metadata
+
+import "github.com/boltdb/bolt"
+
+type DB struct {
+	db *bolt.DB
+}
+
+func NewDB(db *bolt.DB) *DB {
+	return &DB{
+		db: db,
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *DB) View(fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
+	return m.db.View(fn)
+}
+
+func (m *DB) Update(fn func(*bolt.Tx) error) error {
+	return m.db.Update(fn)
+}
diff --git a/metadata/snapshot.go b/metadata/snapshot.go
index 254bc1f0f..e84f2d8ec 100644
--- a/metadata/snapshot.go
+++ b/metadata/snapshot.go
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ import (
 type snapshotter struct {
 	snapshot.Snapshotter
 	name string
-	db   *bolt.DB
+	db   *DB
 }
 
 // NewSnapshotter returns a new Snapshotter which namespaces the given snapshot
 // using the provided name and metadata store.
-func NewSnapshotter(db *bolt.DB, name string, sn snapshot.Snapshotter) snapshot.Snapshotter {
+func NewSnapshotter(db *DB, name string, sn snapshot.Snapshotter) snapshot.Snapshotter {
 	return &snapshotter{
 		Snapshotter: sn,
 		name:        name,
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 7d4ef704c..1719898c4 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content/local"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	metrics "github.com/docker/go-metrics"
 	grpc_prometheus "github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-prometheus"
@@ -179,7 +180,11 @@ func loadPlugins(config *Config) ([]*plugin.Registration, error) {
 			if err := os.MkdirAll(ic.Root, 0711); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return bolt.Open(filepath.Join(ic.Root, "meta.db"), 0644, nil)
+			db, err := bolt.Open(filepath.Join(ic.Root, "meta.db"), 0644, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			return metadata.NewDB(db), nil
 		},
 	})
 
diff --git a/services/containers/service.go b/services/containers/service.go
index d6aeedcba..4fcb8dfeb 100644
--- a/services/containers/service.go
+++ b/services/containers/service.go
@@ -28,17 +28,17 @@ func init() {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return NewService(m.(*bolt.DB), ic.Events), nil
+			return NewService(m.(*metadata.DB), ic.Events), nil
 		},
 	})
 }
 
 type Service struct {
-	db        *bolt.DB
+	db        *metadata.DB
 	publisher events.Publisher
 }
 
-func NewService(db *bolt.DB, publisher events.Publisher) api.ContainersServer {
+func NewService(db *metadata.DB, publisher events.Publisher) api.ContainersServer {
 	return &Service{db: db, publisher: publisher}
 }
 
diff --git a/services/content/service.go b/services/content/service.go
index cd2369925..6e01692da 100644
--- a/services/content/service.go
+++ b/services/content/service.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 
-	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	api "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/content/v1"
 	eventsapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
@@ -56,7 +55,9 @@ func NewService(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	cs := metadata.NewContentStore(m.(*bolt.DB), c.(content.Store))
+
+	cs := metadata.NewContentStore(m.(*metadata.DB), c.(content.Store))
+
 	return &Service{
 		store:     cs,
 		publisher: ic.Events,
diff --git a/services/images/service.go b/services/images/service.go
index 975ba0389..5e2697427 100644
--- a/services/images/service.go
+++ b/services/images/service.go
@@ -28,17 +28,17 @@ func init() {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return NewService(m.(*bolt.DB), ic.Events), nil
+			return NewService(m.(*metadata.DB), ic.Events), nil
 		},
 	})
 }
 
 type Service struct {
-	db        *bolt.DB
+	db        *metadata.DB
 	publisher events.Publisher
 }
 
-func NewService(db *bolt.DB, publisher events.Publisher) imagesapi.ImagesServer {
+func NewService(db *metadata.DB, publisher events.Publisher) imagesapi.ImagesServer {
 	return &Service{
 		db:        db,
 		publisher: publisher,
diff --git a/services/namespaces/service.go b/services/namespaces/service.go
index 61e0eeba8..e7f7a15ac 100644
--- a/services/namespaces/service.go
+++ b/services/namespaces/service.go
@@ -29,19 +29,19 @@ func init() {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			return NewService(m.(*bolt.DB), ic.Events), nil
+			return NewService(m.(*metadata.DB), ic.Events), nil
 		},
 	})
 }
 
 type Service struct {
-	db        *bolt.DB
+	db        *metadata.DB
 	publisher events.Publisher
 }
 
 var _ api.NamespacesServer = &Service{}
 
-func NewService(db *bolt.DB, publisher events.Publisher) api.NamespacesServer {
+func NewService(db *metadata.DB, publisher events.Publisher) api.NamespacesServer {
 	return &Service{
 		db:        db,
 		publisher: publisher,
diff --git a/services/snapshot/service.go b/services/snapshot/service.go
index 502958e04..581375f36 100644
--- a/services/snapshot/service.go
+++ b/services/snapshot/service.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package snapshot
 import (
 	gocontext "context"
 
-	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	eventsapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
 	snapshotapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/snapshot/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types"
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ func newService(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 	}
 	snapshotters := make(map[string]snapshot.Snapshotter)
 	for name, sn := range rawSnapshotters {
-		snapshotters[name] = metadata.NewSnapshotter(md.(*bolt.DB), name, sn.(snapshot.Snapshotter))
+		snapshotters[name] = metadata.NewSnapshotter(md.(*metadata.DB), name, sn.(snapshot.Snapshotter))
 	}
 
 	if len(snapshotters) == 0 {
diff --git a/services/tasks/service.go b/services/tasks/service.go
index cc126e73b..84a04dc03 100644
--- a/services/tasks/service.go
+++ b/services/tasks/service.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	cs := metadata.NewContentStore(m.(*bolt.DB), ct.(content.Store))
+	cs := metadata.NewContentStore(m.(*metadata.DB), ct.(content.Store))
 	runtimes := make(map[string]runtime.Runtime)
 	for _, rr := range rt {
 		r := rr.(runtime.Runtime)
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 	}
 	return &Service{
 		runtimes:  runtimes,
-		db:        m.(*bolt.DB),
+		db:        m.(*metadata.DB),
 		store:     cs,
 		publisher: ic.Events,
 	}, nil
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 
 type Service struct {
 	runtimes  map[string]runtime.Runtime
-	db        *bolt.DB
+	db        *metadata.DB
 	store     content.Store
 	publisher events.Publisher
 }
diff --git a/windows/runtime.go b/windows/runtime.go
index e16c531a1..4c0afb4cc 100644
--- a/windows/runtime.go
+++ b/windows/runtime.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 		// TODO(mlaventure): windows needs a stat monitor
 		monitor: nil,
 		tasks:   runtime.NewTaskList(),
-		db:      m.(*bolt.DB),
+		db:      m.(*metadata.DB),
 	}
 
 	// Load our existing containers and kill/delete them. We don't support
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ type windowsRuntime struct {
 
 	monitor runtime.TaskMonitor
 	tasks   *runtime.TaskList
-	db      *bolt.DB
+	db      *metadata.DB
 }
 
 func (r *windowsRuntime) ID() string {