diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index bc46f8632..ddf66bc8f 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -353,11 +353,50 @@ func (c *Client) ListImages(ctx context.Context) ([]Image, error) {
 	return images, nil
 }
 
-// Events returns an event subscription for the provided filters
-func (c *Client) Events(ctx context.Context, filters ...string) (eventsapi.Events_SubscribeClient, error) {
-	return c.EventService().Subscribe(ctx, &eventsapi.SubscribeRequest{
+// Subscribe to events that match one or more of the provided filters.
+//
+// Callers should listen on both the envelope channel and errs channel. If the
+// errs channel returns nil or an error, the subscriber should terminate.
+//
+// To cancel shutdown reciept of events, cancel the provided context. The errs
+// channel will be closed and return a nil error.
+func (c *Client) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, filters ...string) (ch <-chan *eventsapi.Envelope, errs <-chan error) {
+	var (
+		evq  = make(chan *eventsapi.Envelope)
+		errq = make(chan error, 1)
+	)
+
+	errs = errq
+	ch = evq
+
+	session, err := c.EventService().Subscribe(ctx, &eventsapi.SubscribeRequest{
 		Filters: filters,
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		errq <- err
+		close(errq)
+		return
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		defer close(errq)
+
+		for {
+			ev, err := session.Recv()
+			if err != nil {
+				errq <- err
+				return
+			}
+
+			select {
+			case evq <- ev:
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return ch, errs
 }
 
 // Close closes the clients connection to containerd
diff --git a/events/events.go b/events/events.go
index d00c9e578..1ae0fc880 100644
--- a/events/events.go
+++ b/events/events.go
@@ -22,3 +22,7 @@ type publisherFunc func(ctx context.Context, topic string, event Event) error
 func (fn publisherFunc) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event Event) error {
 	return fn(ctx, topic, event)
 }
+
+type Subscriber interface {
+	Subscribe(ctx context.Context, filters ...string) (ch <-chan *events.Envelope, errs <-chan error)
+}