diff --git a/core/metadata/db.go b/core/metadata/db.go
index 972588614..9181bb2bd 100644
--- a/core/metadata/db.go
+++ b/core/metadata/db.go
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ import (
 	eventstypes "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/api/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/snapshots"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cleanup"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/log"
 	bolt "go.etcd.io/bbolt"
 )
diff --git a/core/metadata/db_test.go b/core/metadata/db_test.go
index d4db3017b..500378283 100644
--- a/core/metadata/db_test.go
+++ b/core/metadata/db_test.go
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/leases"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/snapshots"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/content/local"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/snapshots/native"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/protobuf/types"
diff --git a/core/metadata/gc.go b/core/metadata/gc.go
index 35b48e469..4fb130bf8 100644
--- a/core/metadata/gc.go
+++ b/core/metadata/gc.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	eventstypes "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/api/events"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/log"
 	bolt "go.etcd.io/bbolt"
 )
diff --git a/core/metadata/gc_test.go b/core/metadata/gc_test.go
index 7cf79b626..482759b3d 100644
--- a/core/metadata/gc_test.go
+++ b/core/metadata/gc_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/metadata/boltutil"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
diff --git a/gc/gc.go b/pkg/gc/gc.go
similarity index 100%
rename from gc/gc.go
rename to pkg/gc/gc.go
diff --git a/gc/gc_test.go b/pkg/gc/gc_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from gc/gc_test.go
rename to pkg/gc/gc_test.go
diff --git a/plugins/gc/scheduler.go b/plugins/gc/scheduler.go
index c55c4bbe0..a673a25cd 100644
--- a/plugins/gc/scheduler.go
+++ b/plugins/gc/scheduler.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins"
 	"github.com/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin"
diff --git a/plugins/gc/scheduler_test.go b/plugins/gc/scheduler_test.go
index 05df76973..befd37540 100644
--- a/plugins/gc/scheduler_test.go
+++ b/plugins/gc/scheduler_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
diff --git a/plugins/leases/local.go b/plugins/leases/local.go
index 10c435559..234707e1e 100644
--- a/plugins/leases/local.go
+++ b/plugins/leases/local.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/leases"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/metadata"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin/registry"
diff --git a/plugins/services/images/local.go b/plugins/services/images/local.go
index 7e788a78d..80d2494b9 100644
--- a/plugins/services/images/local.go
+++ b/plugins/services/images/local.go
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ import (
 	imagesapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/api/services/images/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/metadata"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/deprecation"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/epoch"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/services"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/services/warning"
diff --git a/plugins/streaming/manager.go b/plugins/streaming/manager.go
index 1f96a2256..7a4fce40b 100644
--- a/plugins/streaming/manager.go
+++ b/plugins/streaming/manager.go
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/leases"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/metadata"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/gc"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/streaming"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins"
 	"github.com/containerd/plugin"