diff --git a/cmd/containerd/config_linux.go b/cmd/containerd/config_linux.go
index 538c37bf9..68d3f1629 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/config_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/config_linux.go
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ import (
 
 func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
 	return &server.Config{
-		Root: "/var/lib/containerd",
+		Root:  server.DefaultRootDir,
+		State: server.DefaultStateDir,
 		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
 			Address: server.DefaultAddress,
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/config_unsupported.go b/cmd/containerd/config_unsupported.go
index 6a7478f44..8f52def85 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/config_unsupported.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/config_unsupported.go
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ import "github.com/containerd/containerd/server"
 
 func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
 	return &server.Config{
-		Root: "/var/lib/containerd",
+		Root:  server.DefaultRootDir,
+		State: server.DefaultStateDir,
 		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
 			Address: server.DefaultAddress,
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/config_windows.go b/cmd/containerd/config_windows.go
index 20194221f..c11145172 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/config_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/config_windows.go
@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
 package main
 
-import (
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/server"
-)
+import "github.com/containerd/containerd/server"
 
 func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
 	return &server.Config{
-		Root: filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "root"),
+		Root:  server.DefaultRootDir,
+		State: server.DefaultStateDir,
 		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
 			Address: server.DefaultAddress,
 		},
diff --git a/linux/runtime.go b/linux/runtime.go
index 049c4328d..712175210 100644
--- a/linux/runtime.go
+++ b/linux/runtime.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ type Config struct {
 }
 
 func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(ic.Root, 0711); err != nil {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(ic.State, 0711); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	monitor, err := ic.Get(plugin.TaskMonitorPlugin)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func New(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 	}
 	cfg := ic.Config.(*Config)
 	r := &Runtime{
-		root:      ic.Root,
+		root:      ic.State,
 		remote:    !cfg.NoShim,
 		shim:      cfg.Shim,
 		shimDebug: cfg.ShimDebug,
diff --git a/plugin/context.go b/plugin/context.go
index 16cf1b8b7..dc5fb1528 100644
--- a/plugin/context.go
+++ b/plugin/context.go
@@ -9,16 +9,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 )
 
-func NewContext(ctx context.Context, plugins map[PluginType]map[string]interface{}, root, id string) *InitContext {
+func NewContext(ctx context.Context, plugins map[PluginType]map[string]interface{}, root, state, id string) *InitContext {
 	return &InitContext{
 		plugins: plugins,
 		Root:    filepath.Join(root, id),
+		State:   filepath.Join(state, id),
 		Context: log.WithModule(ctx, id),
 	}
 }
 
 type InitContext struct {
 	Root    string
+	State   string
 	Address string
 	Context context.Context
 	Config  interface{}
diff --git a/server/config.go b/server/config.go
index 02659b669..dec0cfc57 100644
--- a/server/config.go
+++ b/server/config.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 type Config struct {
 	// Root is the path to a directory where containerd will store persistent data
 	Root string `toml:"root"`
+	// State is the path to a directory where containerd will store transient data
+	State string `toml:"state"`
 	// GRPC configuration settings
 	GRPC GRPCConfig `toml:"grpc"`
 	// Debug and profiling settings
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 940f40eaf..40b140159 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -36,9 +36,15 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 	if config.Root == "" {
 		return nil, errors.New("root must be specified")
 	}
+	if config.State == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("state must be specified")
+	}
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(config.Root, 0711); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(config.State, 0711); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	if err := apply(ctx, config); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -66,6 +72,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 			ctx,
 			initialized,
 			config.Root,
+			config.State,
 			id,
 		)
 		initContext.Events = s.events
diff --git a/server/server_linux.go b/server/server_linux.go
index 58001cca0..34d35d012 100644
--- a/server/server_linux.go
+++ b/server/server_linux.go
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
+	// DefaultRootDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// persistent data
+	DefaultRootDir = "/var/lib/containerd"
+	// DefaultStateDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// transient data
+	DefaultStateDir = "/run/containerd"
 	// DefaultAddress is the default unix socket address
 	DefaultAddress = "/run/containerd/containerd.sock"
 	// DefaultDebuggAddress is the default unix socket address for pprof data
diff --git a/server/server_unsupported.go b/server/server_unsupported.go
index 197bfa029..0ec5d7e0a 100644
--- a/server/server_unsupported.go
+++ b/server/server_unsupported.go
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ package server
 import "context"
 
 const (
+	// DefaultRootDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// persistent data
+	DefaultRootDir = "/var/lib/containerd"
+	// DefaultStateDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// transient data
+	DefaultStateDir = "/run/containerd"
 	// DefaultAddress is the default unix socket address
 	DefaultAddress = "/run/containerd/containerd.sock"
 	// DefaultDebuggAddress is the default unix socket address for pprof data
diff --git a/server/server_windows.go b/server/server_windows.go
index 0fb9f64be..b35e776f7 100644
--- a/server/server_windows.go
+++ b/server/server_windows.go
@@ -2,7 +2,20 @@
 
 package server
 
-import "context"
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+var (
+	// DefaultRootDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// persistent data
+	DefaultRootDir = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "root")
+	// DefaultStateDir is the default location used by containerd to store
+	// transient data
+	DefaultStateDir = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "state")
+)
 
 const (
 	// DefaultAddress is the default winpipe address