diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
index 9e40b6aa7..fa0201064 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ var listCommand = cli.Command{
 		w := tabwriter.NewWriter(os.Stdout, 4, 8, 4, ' ', 0)
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "CONTAINER\tIMAGE\tRUNTIME\t")
 		for _, c := range containers {
-			info, err := c.Info(ctx)
+			info, err := c.Info(ctx, containerd.WithoutRefreshedMetadata)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ var infoCommand = cli.Command{
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		info, err := container.Info(ctx)
+		info, err := container.Info(ctx, containerd.WithoutRefreshedMetadata)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index 2073d40b4..9bc43604e 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ type Container interface {
 	// ID identifies the container
 	ID() string
 	// Info returns the underlying container record type
-	Info(context.Context) (containers.Container, error)
+	Info(context.Context, ...InfoOpts) (containers.Container, error)
 	// Delete removes the container
 	Delete(context.Context, ...DeleteOpts) error
 	// NewTask creates a new task based on the container metadata
@@ -80,16 +80,18 @@ type Container interface {
 
 func containerFromRecord(client *Client, c containers.Container) *container {
 	return &container{
-		client: client,
-		id:     c.ID,
+		client:   client,
+		id:       c.ID,
+		metadata: c,
 	}
 }
 
 var _ = (Container)(&container{})
 
 type container struct {
-	client *Client
-	id     string
+	client   *Client
+	id       string
+	metadata containers.Container
 }
 
 // ID returns the container's unique id
@@ -97,8 +99,22 @@ func (c *container) ID() string {
 	return c.id
 }
 
-func (c *container) Info(ctx context.Context) (containers.Container, error) {
-	return c.get(ctx)
+func (c *container) Info(ctx context.Context, opts ...InfoOpts) (containers.Container, error) {
+	i := &InfoConfig{
+		// default to refreshing the container's local metadata
+		Refresh: true,
+	}
+	for _, o := range opts {
+		o(i)
+	}
+	if i.Refresh {
+		metadata, err := c.get(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return c.metadata, err
+		}
+		c.metadata = metadata
+	}
+	return c.metadata, nil
 }
 
 func (c *container) Extensions(ctx context.Context) (map[string]prototypes.Any, error) {
diff --git a/container_opts.go b/container_opts.go
index 1ce989432..25b8f9730 100644
--- a/container_opts.go
+++ b/container_opts.go
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ type NewContainerOpts func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Co
 // UpdateContainerOpts allows the caller to set additional options when updating a container
 type UpdateContainerOpts func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Container) error
 
+// InfoOpts controls how container metadata is fetched and returned
+type InfoOpts func(*InfoConfig)
+
+// InfoConfig specifies how container metadata is fetched
+type InfoConfig struct {
+	// Refresh will to a fetch of the latest container metadata
+	Refresh bool
+}
+
 // WithRuntime allows a user to specify the runtime name and additional options that should
 // be used to create tasks for the container
 func WithRuntime(name string, options interface{}) NewContainerOpts {
@@ -235,3 +244,8 @@ func WithSpec(s *oci.Spec, opts ...oci.SpecOpts) NewContainerOpts {
 		return err
 	}
 }
+
+// WithoutRefreshedMetadata will use the current metadata attached to the container object
+func WithoutRefreshedMetadata(i *InfoConfig) {
+	i.Refresh = false
+}