diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 01c1c2441..1566ef110 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -523,19 +523,7 @@ func (c *Client) ListImages(ctx context.Context, filters ...string) ([]Image, er
 }
 
 // Restore restores a container from a checkpoint
-func (c *Client) Restore(ctx context.Context, id, ref string, opts ...RestoreOpts) (Container, error) {
-	checkpoint, err := c.GetImage(ctx, ref)
-	if err != nil {
-		if !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		ck, err := c.Fetch(ctx, ref)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		checkpoint = NewImage(c, ck)
-	}
-
+func (c *Client) Restore(ctx context.Context, id string, checkpoint Image, opts ...RestoreOpts) (Container, error) {
 	store := c.ContentStore()
 	index, err := decodeIndex(ctx, store, checkpoint.Target())
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go b/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
index 44a80b63a..a0420a44f 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/commands/containers/containers.go
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ var restoreCommand = cli.Command{
 			containerd.WithRestoreRuntime,
 		}
 
-		ctr, err := client.Restore(ctx, id, ref, opts...)
+		ctr, err := client.Restore(ctx, id, checkpoint, opts...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}