diff --git a/client_ttrpc_test.go b/client_ttrpc_test.go
index ee75553dc..b12da5f27 100644
--- a/client_ttrpc_test.go
+++ b/client_ttrpc_test.go
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ import (
 
 	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/ttrpc/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/ttrpcutil"
 	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
 	"gotest.tools/assert"
 )
 
 func TestClientTTRPC_New(t *testing.T) {
-	client, err := NewTTRPC(address + ".ttrpc")
+	client, err := ttrpcutil.NewClient(address + ".ttrpc")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
 	err = client.Close()
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ func TestClientTTRPC_New(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestClientTTRPC_Reconnect(t *testing.T) {
-	client, err := NewTTRPC(address + ".ttrpc")
+	client, err := ttrpcutil.NewClient(address + ".ttrpc")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
 	err = client.Reconnect()
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ func TestClientTTRPC_Reconnect(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestClientTTRPC_Close(t *testing.T) {
-	client, err := NewTTRPC(address + ".ttrpc")
+	client, err := ttrpcutil.NewClient(address + ".ttrpc")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
 	err = client.Close()
diff --git a/client_ttrpc.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
similarity index 78%
rename from client_ttrpc.go
rename to pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
index 1dc249065..ba3d51d51 100644
--- a/client_ttrpc.go
+++ b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
    limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package containerd
+package ttrpcutil
 
 import (
 	"sync"
@@ -29,16 +29,16 @@ const ttrpcDialTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 
 type ttrpcConnector func() (*ttrpc.Client, error)
 
-// ClientTTRPC is the client to interact with TTRPC part of containerd server (plugins, events)
-type ClientTTRPC struct {
+// Client is the client to interact with TTRPC part of containerd server (plugins, events)
+type Client struct {
 	mu        sync.Mutex
 	connector ttrpcConnector
 	client    *ttrpc.Client
 	closed    bool
 }
 
-// NewTTRPC returns a new containerd TTRPC client that is connected to the containerd instance provided by address
-func NewTTRPC(address string, opts ...ttrpc.ClientOpts) (*ClientTTRPC, error) {
+// NewClient returns a new containerd TTRPC client that is connected to the containerd instance provided by address
+func NewClient(address string, opts ...ttrpc.ClientOpts) (*Client, error) {
 	connector := func() (*ttrpc.Client, error) {
 		conn, err := ttrpcDial(address, ttrpcDialTimeout)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ func NewTTRPC(address string, opts ...ttrpc.ClientOpts) (*ClientTTRPC, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &ClientTTRPC{
+	return &Client{
 		connector: connector,
 		client:    client,
 	}, nil
 }
 
 // Reconnect re-establishes the TTRPC connection to the containerd daemon
-func (c *ClientTTRPC) Reconnect() error {
+func (c *Client) Reconnect() error {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -83,12 +83,12 @@ func (c *ClientTTRPC) Reconnect() error {
 }
 
 // EventsService creates an EventsService client
-func (c *ClientTTRPC) EventsService() v1.EventsService {
+func (c *Client) EventsService() v1.EventsService {
 	return v1.NewEventsClient(c.Client())
 }
 
 // Client returns the underlying TTRPC client object
-func (c *ClientTTRPC) Client() *ttrpc.Client {
+func (c *Client) Client() *ttrpc.Client {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func (c *ClientTTRPC) Client() *ttrpc.Client {
 }
 
 // Close closes the clients TTRPC connection to containerd
-func (c *ClientTTRPC) Close() error {
+func (c *Client) Close() error {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/client_ttrpc_unix.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go
similarity index 97%
rename from client_ttrpc_unix.go
rename to pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go
index b3f0ba3b4..16fb64954 100644
--- a/client_ttrpc_unix.go
+++ b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
    limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package containerd
+package ttrpcutil
 
 import (
 	"net"
diff --git a/client_ttrpc_windows.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go
similarity index 98%
rename from client_ttrpc_windows.go
rename to pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go
index b6ef39ba3..1fc4fc164 100644
--- a/client_ttrpc_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
    limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package containerd
+package ttrpcutil
 
 import (
 	"net"
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
index 4c3519388..d1f2a0c28 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
@@ -21,14 +21,13 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
-	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/ttrpc/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/ttrpcutil"
+	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
+	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ type item struct {
 }
 
 func newPublisher(address string) (*remoteEventsPublisher, error) {
-	client, err := containerd.NewTTRPC(address)
+	client, err := ttrpcutil.NewClient(address)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func newPublisher(address string) (*remoteEventsPublisher, error) {
 }
 
 type remoteEventsPublisher struct {
-	client  *containerd.ClientTTRPC
+	client  *ttrpcutil.Client
 	closed  chan struct{}
 	closer  sync.Once
 	requeue chan *item