diff --git a/content/local/store.go b/content/local/store.go
index 996724057..5503cb56f 100644
--- a/content/local/store.go
+++ b/content/local/store.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/filters"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/continuity"
 	digest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
@@ -477,6 +478,35 @@ func (s *store) Writer(ctx context.Context, opts ...content.WriterOpt) (content.
 	return w, nil // lock is now held by w.
 }
 
+func (s *store) resumeStatus(ref string, total int64, digester digest.Digester) (content.Status, error) {
+	path, _, data := s.ingestPaths(ref)
+	status, err := s.status(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return status, errors.Wrap(err, "failed reading status of resume write")
+	}
+	if ref != status.Ref {
+		// NOTE(stevvooe): This is fairly catastrophic. Either we have some
+		// layout corruption or a hash collision for the ref key.
+		return status, errors.Wrapf(err, "ref key does not match: %v != %v", ref, status.Ref)
+	}
+
+	if total > 0 && status.Total > 0 && total != status.Total {
+		return status, errors.Errorf("provided total differs from status: %v != %v", total, status.Total)
+	}
+
+	// TODO(stevvooe): slow slow slow!!, send to goroutine or use resumable hashes
+	fp, err := os.Open(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return status, err
+	}
+
+	p := bufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
+	status.Offset, err = io.CopyBuffer(digester.Hash(), fp, *p)
+	bufPool.Put(p)
+	fp.Close()
+	return status, err
+}
+
 // writer provides the main implementation of the Writer method. The caller
 // must hold the lock correctly and release on error if there is a problem.
 func (s *store) writer(ctx context.Context, ref string, total int64, expected digest.Digest) (content.Writer, error) {
@@ -498,45 +528,25 @@ func (s *store) writer(ctx context.Context, ref string, total int64, expected di
 		updatedAt time.Time
 	)
 
+	foundValidIngest := false
 	// ensure that the ingest path has been created.
 	if err := os.Mkdir(path, 0755); err != nil {
 		if !os.IsExist(err) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-
-		status, err := s.status(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed reading status of resume write")
+		status, err := s.resumeStatus(ref, total, digester)
+		if err == nil {
+			foundValidIngest = true
+			updatedAt = status.UpdatedAt
+			startedAt = status.StartedAt
+			total = status.Total
+			offset = status.Offset
+		} else {
+			logrus.Infof("failed to resume the status from path %s: %s. will recreate them", path, err.Error())
 		}
+	}
 
-		if ref != status.Ref {
-			// NOTE(stevvooe): This is fairly catastrophic. Either we have some
-			// layout corruption or a hash collision for the ref key.
-			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "ref key does not match: %v != %v", ref, status.Ref)
-		}
-
-		if total > 0 && status.Total > 0 && total != status.Total {
-			return nil, errors.Errorf("provided total differs from status: %v != %v", total, status.Total)
-		}
-
-		// TODO(stevvooe): slow slow slow!!, send to goroutine or use resumable hashes
-		fp, err := os.Open(data)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		p := bufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
-		offset, err = io.CopyBuffer(digester.Hash(), fp, *p)
-		bufPool.Put(p)
-		fp.Close()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		updatedAt = status.UpdatedAt
-		startedAt = status.StartedAt
-		total = status.Total
-	} else {
+	if !foundValidIngest {
 		startedAt = time.Now()
 		updatedAt = startedAt
 
@@ -546,11 +556,11 @@ func (s *store) writer(ctx context.Context, ref string, total int64, expected di
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		if writeTimestampFile(filepath.Join(path, "startedat"), startedAt); err != nil {
+		if err := writeTimestampFile(filepath.Join(path, "startedat"), startedAt); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		if writeTimestampFile(filepath.Join(path, "updatedat"), startedAt); err != nil {
+		if err := writeTimestampFile(filepath.Join(path, "updatedat"), startedAt); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}