diff --git a/pkg/server/container_create.go b/pkg/server/container_create.go
index cea3a58db..136e8b8ca 100644
--- a/pkg/server/container_create.go
+++ b/pkg/server/container_create.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/apis/cri/v1alpha1/runtime"
 
 	containerstore "github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-containerd/pkg/store/container"
+	"github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-containerd/pkg/util"
 )
 
 // CreateContainer creates a new container in the given PodSandbox.
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, r *runtime.C
 	// Generate unique id and name for the container and reserve the name.
 	// Reserve the container name to avoid concurrent `CreateContainer` request creating
 	// the same container.
-	id := generateID()
+	id := util.GenerateID()
 	name := makeContainerName(config.GetMetadata(), sandboxConfig.GetMetadata())
 	if err = c.containerNameIndex.Reserve(name, id); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to reserve container name %q: %v", name, err)
diff --git a/pkg/server/container_execsync.go b/pkg/server/container_execsync.go
index 17be309e3..80180386a 100644
--- a/pkg/server/container_execsync.go
+++ b/pkg/server/container_execsync.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/remotecommand"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/apis/cri/v1alpha1/runtime"
+
+	"github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-containerd/pkg/util"
 )
 
 // ExecSync executes a command in the container, and returns the stdout output.
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) execInContainer(ctx context.Context, id string, o
 		// Create empty buffer if stdin is nil.
 		opts.stdin = new(bytes.Buffer)
 	}
-	execID := generateID()
+	execID := util.GenerateID()
 	process, err := task.Exec(ctx, execID, pspec, containerd.NewIOWithTerminal(
 		opts.stdin,
 		opts.stdout,
diff --git a/pkg/server/helpers.go b/pkg/server/helpers.go
index d43851297..b4ecffbcc 100644
--- a/pkg/server/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/server/helpers.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"
 	imagedigest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/identity"
 	imagespec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
@@ -102,11 +101,6 @@ const (
 	containerMetadataLabel = "io.cri-containerd.container.metadata"
 )
 
-// generateID generates a random unique id.
-func generateID() string {
-	return stringid.GenerateNonCryptoID()
-}
-
 // makeSandboxName generates sandbox name from sandbox metadata. The name
 // generated is unique as long as sandbox metadata is unique.
 func makeSandboxName(s *runtime.PodSandboxMetadata) string {
diff --git a/pkg/server/sandbox_run.go b/pkg/server/sandbox_run.go
index 983fbf82a..46d1bec17 100644
--- a/pkg/server/sandbox_run.go
+++ b/pkg/server/sandbox_run.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/apis/cri/v1alpha1/runtime"
 
 	sandboxstore "github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-containerd/pkg/store/sandbox"
+	"github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-containerd/pkg/util"
 )
 
 // RunPodSandbox creates and starts a pod-level sandbox. Runtimes should ensure
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ func (c *criContainerdService) RunPodSandbox(ctx context.Context, r *runtime.Run
 	config := r.GetConfig()
 
 	// Generate unique id and name for the sandbox and reserve the name.
-	id := generateID()
+	id := util.GenerateID()
 	name := makeSandboxName(config.GetMetadata())
 	// Reserve the sandbox name to avoid concurrent `RunPodSandbox` request starting the
 	// same sandbox.
diff --git a/pkg/util/id.go b/pkg/util/id.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae7fbdcc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/id.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package util
+
+import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"
+
+// GenerateID generates a random unique id.
+func GenerateID() string {
+	return stringid.GenerateNonCryptoID()
+}