diff --git a/cmd/ctr/apply.go b/cmd/ctr/apply.go
deleted file mode 100644
index b43b4484b..000000000
--- a/cmd/ctr/apply.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"os"
-
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/archive"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/archive/compression"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/ctr/commands"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
-	"github.com/urfave/cli"
-)
-
-var applyCommand = cli.Command{
-	Name:      "apply",
-	Usage:     "apply layer from stdin to dir",
-	ArgsUsage: "[flags] <path>",
-	Flags:     []cli.Flag{},
-	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
-		var (
-			dir = context.Args().First()
-		)
-		ctx, cancel := commands.AppContext(context)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		log.G(ctx).Info("applying layer from stdin")
-
-		rd, err := compression.DecompressStream(os.Stdin)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if _, err := archive.Apply(ctx, dir, rd); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		return nil
-	},
-}
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/main.go b/cmd/ctr/main.go
index 8cdf5eb8f..f3e547324 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/main.go
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ containerd CLI
 	app.Commands = append([]cli.Command{
 		plugins.Command,
 		versionCmd.Command,
-		applyCommand,
 		containers.Command,
 		content.Command,
 		events.Command,