diff --git a/cmd/dist/push.go b/cmd/dist/push.go
index 5133dabed..71caa2d2a 100644
--- a/cmd/dist/push.go
+++ b/cmd/dist/push.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/progress"
@@ -99,26 +98,7 @@ var pushCommand = cli.Command{
 				return nil, nil
 			})
 
-			pushHandler := images.HandlerFunc(func(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor) ([]ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
-				ctx = log.WithLogger(ctx, log.G(ctx).WithFields(logrus.Fields{
-					"digest":    desc.Digest,
-					"mediatype": desc.MediaType,
-					"size":      desc.Size,
-				}))
-
-				log.G(ctx).Debug("push")
-				r, err := cs.Reader(ctx, desc.Digest)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				defer r.Close()
-
-				tracker := ongoing.track(remotes.MakeRefKey(ctx, desc), desc.Size)
-				defer tracker.Close()
-				tr := io.TeeReader(r, tracker)
-
-				return nil, pusher.Push(ctx, desc, tr)
-			})
+			pushHandler := remotes.PushHandler(cs, ongoing.wrapPusher(pusher))
 
 			var m sync.Mutex
 			manifestStack := []ocispec.Descriptor{}
@@ -213,6 +193,17 @@ func (pt *pushTracker) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+type pushWrapper struct {
+	jobs   *pushjobs
+	pusher remotes.Pusher
+}
+
+func (pw pushWrapper) Push(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor, r io.Reader) error {
+	tr := pw.jobs.track(remotes.MakeRefKey(ctx, desc), desc.Size)
+	defer tr.Close()
+	return pw.pusher.Push(ctx, desc, io.TeeReader(r, tr))
+}
+
 type pushStatus struct {
 	name    string
 	started bool
@@ -230,6 +221,13 @@ func newPushJobs() *pushjobs {
 	return &pushjobs{jobs: make(map[string]*pushTracker)}
 }
 
+func (j *pushjobs) wrapPusher(p remotes.Pusher) remotes.Pusher {
+	return pushWrapper{
+		jobs:   j,
+		pusher: p,
+	}
+}
+
 func (j *pushjobs) add(ref string) {
 	j.mu.Lock()
 	defer j.mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/images/handlers.go b/images/handlers.go
index e647520ed..bea61f31a 100644
--- a/images/handlers.go
+++ b/images/handlers.go
@@ -11,9 +11,17 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
-var SkipDesc = fmt.Errorf("skip descriptor")
+var (
+	// SkipDesc is used to skip processing of a descriptor and
+	// its descendants.
+	SkipDesc = fmt.Errorf("skip descriptor")
 
-var StopHandler = fmt.Errorf("stop handler")
+	// StopHandler is used to signify that the descriptor
+	// has been handled and should not be handled further.
+	// This applies only to a single descriptor in a handler
+	// chain and does not apply to descendant descriptors.
+	StopHandler = fmt.Errorf("stop handler")
+)
 
 type Handler interface {
 	Handle(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor) (subdescs []ocispec.Descriptor, err error)
diff --git a/remotes/handlers.go b/remotes/handlers.go
index ec9551172..0e4502720 100644
--- a/remotes/handlers.go
+++ b/remotes/handlers.go
@@ -64,3 +64,22 @@ func fetch(ctx context.Context, ingester content.Ingester, fetcher Fetcher, desc
 
 	return content.WriteBlob(ctx, ingester, ref, rc, desc.Size, desc.Digest)
 }
+
+func PushHandler(provider content.Provider, pusher Pusher) images.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descriptor) ([]ocispec.Descriptor, error) {
+		ctx = log.WithLogger(ctx, log.G(ctx).WithFields(logrus.Fields{
+			"digest":    desc.Digest,
+			"mediatype": desc.MediaType,
+			"size":      desc.Size,
+		}))
+
+		log.G(ctx).Debug("push")
+		r, err := provider.Reader(ctx, desc.Digest)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		defer r.Close()
+
+		return nil, pusher.Push(ctx, desc, r)
+	}
+}