diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index de693f7f9..8301d61e8 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes/docker"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes/docker/schema1"
 	contentservice "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/content"
-	diffservice "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/diff"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshot"
 	"github.com/containerd/typeurl"
 	ptypes "github.com/gogo/protobuf/types"
@@ -453,7 +452,7 @@ func (c *Client) ImageService() images.Store {
 
 // DiffService returns the underlying Differ
 func (c *Client) DiffService() diff.Differ {
-	return diffservice.NewDiffServiceFromClient(diffapi.NewDiffClient(c.conn))
+	return NewDiffServiceFromClient(diffapi.NewDiffClient(c.conn))
 }
 
 // IntrospectionService returns the underlying Introspection Client
diff --git a/services/diff/client.go b/diff.go
similarity index 85%
rename from services/diff/client.go
rename to diff.go
index d34848be2..4e47efafc 100644
--- a/services/diff/client.go
+++ b/diff.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package diff
+package containerd
 
 import (
 	diffapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/diff/v1"
@@ -12,16 +12,16 @@ import (
 // NewDiffServiceFromClient returns a new diff service which communicates
 // over a GRPC connection.
 func NewDiffServiceFromClient(client diffapi.DiffClient) diff.Differ {
-	return &remote{
+	return &diffRemote{
 		client: client,
 	}
 }
 
-type remote struct {
+type diffRemote struct {
 	client diffapi.DiffClient
 }
 
-func (r *remote) Apply(ctx context.Context, diff ocispec.Descriptor, mounts []mount.Mount) (ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
+func (r *diffRemote) Apply(ctx context.Context, diff ocispec.Descriptor, mounts []mount.Mount) (ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
 	req := &diffapi.ApplyRequest{
 		Diff:   fromDescriptor(diff),
 		Mounts: fromMounts(mounts),
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (r *remote) Apply(ctx context.Context, diff ocispec.Descriptor, mounts []mo
 	return toDescriptor(resp.Applied), nil
 }
 
-func (r *remote) DiffMounts(ctx context.Context, a, b []mount.Mount, opts ...diff.Opt) (ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
+func (r *diffRemote) DiffMounts(ctx context.Context, a, b []mount.Mount, opts ...diff.Opt) (ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
 	var config diff.Config
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		if err := opt(&config); err != nil {
diff --git a/services/diff/service.go b/services/diff/service.go
index 81e44dcf6..f847693a4 100644
--- a/services/diff/service.go
+++ b/services/diff/service.go
@@ -140,3 +140,19 @@ func toMounts(apim []*types.Mount) []mount.Mount {
 	}
 	return mounts
 }
+
+func toDescriptor(d *types.Descriptor) ocispec.Descriptor {
+	return ocispec.Descriptor{
+		MediaType: d.MediaType,
+		Digest:    d.Digest,
+		Size:      d.Size_,
+	}
+}
+
+func fromDescriptor(d ocispec.Descriptor) *types.Descriptor {
+	return &types.Descriptor{
+		MediaType: d.MediaType,
+		Digest:    d.Digest,
+		Size_:     d.Size,
+	}
+}