diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index d418ec27d..fb4b29435 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ type Container interface {
 	SetLabels(context.Context, map[string]string) (map[string]string, error)
 	// Extensions returns the extensions set on the container
 	Extensions() map[string]prototypes.Any
+	// Update a container
+	Update(context.Context, ...UpdateContainerOpts) error
 }
 
 func containerFromRecord(client *Client, c containers.Container) *container {
@@ -238,6 +240,27 @@ func (c *container) NewTask(ctx context.Context, ioCreate IOCreation, opts ...Ne
 	return t, nil
 }
 
+func (c *container) Update(ctx context.Context, opts ...UpdateContainerOpts) error {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+	// fetch the current container config before updating it
+	current, err := c.client.ContainerService().Get(ctx, c.ID())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, o := range opts {
+		if err := o(ctx, c.client, &current); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	nc, err := c.client.ContainerService().Update(ctx, current)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errdefs.FromGRPC(err)
+	}
+	c.c = nc
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *container) loadTask(ctx context.Context, ioAttach IOAttach) (Task, error) {
 	response, err := c.client.TaskService().Get(ctx, &tasks.GetRequest{
 		ContainerID: c.c.ID,
diff --git a/container_linux_test.go b/container_linux_test.go
index b04c57810..c161a3b40 100644
--- a/container_linux_test.go
+++ b/container_linux_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
-func TestContainerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+func TestTaskUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	client, err := newClient(t, address)
diff --git a/container_opts.go b/container_opts.go
index 5ad0a9739..40d922a64 100644
--- a/container_opts.go
+++ b/container_opts.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ import (
 // NewContainerOpts allows the caller to set additional options when creating a container
 type NewContainerOpts func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Container) error
 
+// UpdateContainerOpts allows the caller to set additional options when updating a container
+type UpdateContainerOpts func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Container) error
+
 // WithRuntime allows a user to specify the runtime name and additional options that should
 // be used to create tasks for the container
 func WithRuntime(name string, options interface{}) NewContainerOpts {
diff --git a/container_test.go b/container_test.go
index ef8f88cc0..d1792fd12 100644
--- a/container_test.go
+++ b/container_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package containerd
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
@@ -11,7 +12,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	// Register the typeurl
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
 	_ "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime"
+	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
 	gogotypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
@@ -1451,20 +1454,21 @@ func TestContainerExtensions(t *testing.T) {
 	ext := gogotypes.Any{TypeUrl: "test.ext.url", Value: []byte("hello")}
 	container, err := client.NewContainer(ctx, id, WithNewSpec(), WithContainerExtension("hello", &ext))
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
 	}
 	defer container.Delete(ctx)
 
 	checkExt := func(container Container) {
 		cExts := container.Extensions()
 		if len(cExts) != 1 {
-			t.Fatal("expected 1 container extension")
+			t.Errorf("expected 1 container extension")
 		}
 		if cExts["hello"].TypeUrl != ext.TypeUrl {
-			t.Fatalf("got unexpected type url for extension: %s", cExts["hello"].TypeUrl)
+			t.Errorf("got unexpected type url for extension: %s", cExts["hello"].TypeUrl)
 		}
 		if !bytes.Equal(cExts["hello"].Value, ext.Value) {
-			t.Fatalf("expected extension value %q, got: %q", ext.Value, cExts["hello"].Value)
+			t.Errorf("expected extension value %q, got: %q", ext.Value, cExts["hello"].Value)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1472,7 +1476,57 @@ func TestContainerExtensions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	container, err = client.LoadContainer(ctx, container.ID())
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
 	}
 	checkExt(container)
 }
+
+func TestContainerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, cancel := testContext()
+	defer cancel()
+	id := t.Name()
+
+	client, err := newClient(t, address)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer client.Close()
+
+	container, err := client.NewContainer(ctx, id, WithNewSpec())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer container.Delete(ctx)
+
+	spec, err := container.Spec()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	const hostname = "updated-hostname"
+	spec.Hostname = hostname
+
+	if err := container.Update(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Container) error {
+		a, err := typeurl.MarshalAny(spec)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		c.Spec = a
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	if spec, err = container.Spec(); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	if spec.Hostname != hostname {
+		t.Errorf("hostname %q != %q", spec.Hostname, hostname)
+	}
+}