diff --git a/events/exchange.go b/events/exchange/exchange.go
similarity index 92%
rename from events/exchange.go
rename to events/exchange/exchange.go
index eeeeea362..3fefb9c25 100644
--- a/events/exchange.go
+++ b/events/exchange/exchange.go
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-package events
+package exchange
 
 import (
 	"context"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	events "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
+	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/filters"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/identifiers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ func NewExchange() *Exchange {
 //
 // This is useful when an event is forwaded on behalf of another namespace or
 // when the event is propagated on behalf of another publisher.
-func (e *Exchange) Forward(ctx context.Context, envelope *events.Envelope) (err error) {
+func (e *Exchange) Forward(ctx context.Context, envelope *v1.Envelope) (err error) {
 	if err := validateEnvelope(envelope); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -59,11 +60,11 @@ func (e *Exchange) Forward(ctx context.Context, envelope *events.Envelope) (err
 // Publish packages and sends an event. The caller will be considered the
 // initial publisher of the event. This means the timestamp will be calculated
 // at this point and this method may read from the calling context.
-func (e *Exchange) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event Event) (err error) {
+func (e *Exchange) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event events.Event) (err error) {
 	var (
 		namespace string
 		encoded   *types.Any
-		envelope  events.Envelope
+		envelope  v1.Envelope
 	)
 
 	namespace, err = namespaces.NamespaceRequired(ctx)
@@ -108,9 +109,9 @@ func (e *Exchange) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event Event) (err
 // Zero or more filters may be provided as strings. Only events that match
 // *any* of the provided filters will be sent on the channel. The filters use
 // the standard containerd filters package syntax.
-func (e *Exchange) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, fs ...string) (ch <-chan *events.Envelope, errs <-chan error) {
+func (e *Exchange) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, fs ...string) (ch <-chan *v1.Envelope, errs <-chan error) {
 	var (
-		evch                  = make(chan *events.Envelope)
+		evch                  = make(chan *v1.Envelope)
 		errq                  = make(chan error, 1)
 		channel               = goevents.NewChannel(0)
 		queue                 = goevents.NewQueue(channel)
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ func (e *Exchange) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, fs ...string) (ch <-chan *even
 		for {
 			select {
 			case ev := <-channel.C:
-				env, ok := ev.(*events.Envelope)
+				env, ok := ev.(*v1.Envelope)
 				if !ok {
 					// TODO(stevvooe): For the most part, we are well protected
 					// from this condition. Both Forward and Publish protect
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ func validateTopic(topic string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func validateEnvelope(envelope *events.Envelope) error {
+func validateEnvelope(envelope *v1.Envelope) error {
 	if err := namespaces.Validate(envelope.Namespace); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "event envelope has invalid namespace")
 	}
diff --git a/events/exchange_test.go b/events/exchange/exchange_test.go
similarity index 87%
rename from events/exchange_test.go
rename to events/exchange/exchange_test.go
index 5493fa305..9aa8f9960 100644
--- a/events/exchange_test.go
+++ b/events/exchange/exchange_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package events
+package exchange
 
 import (
 	"context"
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	events "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
+	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -17,10 +18,10 @@ import (
 
 func TestExchangeBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := namespaces.WithNamespace(context.Background(), t.Name())
-	testevents := []Event{
-		&events.ContainerCreate{ID: "asdf"},
-		&events.ContainerCreate{ID: "qwer"},
-		&events.ContainerCreate{ID: "zxcv"},
+	testevents := []events.Event{
+		&v1.ContainerCreate{ID: "asdf"},
+		&v1.ContainerCreate{ID: "qwer"},
+		&v1.ContainerCreate{ID: "zxcv"},
 	}
 	exchange := NewExchange()
 
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func TestExchangeBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Wait()
 
 	for _, subscriber := range []struct {
-		eventq <-chan *events.Envelope
+		eventq <-chan *v1.Envelope
 		errq   <-chan error
 		cancel func()
 	}{
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ func TestExchangeBasic(t *testing.T) {
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
-				received = append(received, ev.(*events.ContainerCreate))
+				received = append(received, ev.(*v1.ContainerCreate))
 			case err := <-subscriber.errq:
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal(err)
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ func TestExchangeValidateTopic(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(testcase.input, func(t *testing.T) {
-			event := &events.ContainerCreate{ID: t.Name()}
+			event := &v1.ContainerCreate{ID: t.Name()}
 			if err := exchange.Publish(ctx, testcase.input, event); errors.Cause(err) != testcase.err {
 				if err == nil {
 					t.Fatalf("expected error %v, received nil", testcase.err)
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ func TestExchangeValidateTopic(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			envelope := events.Envelope{
+			envelope := v1.Envelope{
 				Timestamp: time.Now().UTC(),
 				Namespace: namespace,
 				Topic:     testcase.input,
diff --git a/linux/bundle.go b/linux/bundle.go
index 29ab6ba5f..07a96d37b 100644
--- a/linux/bundle.go
+++ b/linux/bundle.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events/exchange"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/linux/runcopts"
 	client "github.com/containerd/containerd/linux/shim"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func ShimRemote(shim, daemonAddress, cgroup string, nonewns, debug bool, exitHan
 }
 
 // ShimLocal is a ShimOpt for using an in process shim implementation
-func ShimLocal(exchange *events.Exchange) ShimOpt {
+func ShimLocal(exchange *exchange.Exchange) ShimOpt {
 	return func(b *bundle, ns string, ropts *runcopts.RuncOptions) (client.Config, client.ClientOpt) {
 		return b.shimConfig(ns, ropts), client.WithLocal(exchange)
 	}
diff --git a/linux/runtime.go b/linux/runtime.go
index 26d001f8a..44219e40d 100644
--- a/linux/runtime.go
+++ b/linux/runtime.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/api/types"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events/exchange"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/identifiers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/linux/runcopts"
 	client "github.com/containerd/containerd/linux/shim"
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ type Runtime struct {
 	monitor runtime.TaskMonitor
 	tasks   *runtime.TaskList
 	db      *metadata.DB
-	events  *events.Exchange
+	events  *exchange.Exchange
 
 	config *Config
 }
diff --git a/plugin/context.go b/plugin/context.go
index 67ad2aa44..87e53b84f 100644
--- a/plugin/context.go
+++ b/plugin/context.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events/exchange"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	ocispec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ type InitContext struct {
 	State   string
 	Config  interface{}
 	Address string
-	Events  *events.Exchange
+	Events  *exchange.Exchange
 
 	Meta *Meta // plugins can fill in metadata at init.
 
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index d1a58e915..b585b4a36 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 	version "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/version/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content/local"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events/exchange"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 		services []plugin.Service
 		s        = &Server{
 			rpc:    rpc,
-			events: events.NewExchange(),
+			events: exchange.NewExchange(),
 		}
 		initialized = plugin.NewPluginSet()
 	)
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 // Server is the containerd main daemon
 type Server struct {
 	rpc    *grpc.Server
-	events *events.Exchange
+	events *exchange.Exchange
 }
 
 // ServeGRPC provides the containerd grpc APIs on the provided listener
diff --git a/services/events/service.go b/services/events/service.go
index c6f080b8c..eb5c33e6f 100644
--- a/services/events/service.go
+++ b/services/events/service.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package events
 import (
 	api "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/events/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events/exchange"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/empty"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 type service struct {
-	events *events.Exchange
+	events *exchange.Exchange
 }
 
 // NewService returns the GRPC events server
-func NewService(events *events.Exchange) api.EventsServer {
+func NewService(events *exchange.Exchange) api.EventsServer {
 	return &service{events: events}
 }