diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim/main_unix.go b/cmd/containerd-shim/main_unix.go
index 209462f75..4bcab7973 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim/main_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim/main_unix.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func main() {
 		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "socket,s",
-			Usage: "abstract socket path to server on",
+			Usage: "abstract socket path to serve on",
 		},
 	}
 	app.Before = func(context *cli.Context) error {
diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
index e8cb32294..10d51b78b 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_linux.go
@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"net"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"syscall"
 
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials"
+
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/reaper"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	runc "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // setupSignals creates a new signal handler for all signals and sets the shim as a
@@ -30,3 +37,64 @@ func setupSignals() (chan os.Signal, error) {
 func setupRoot() error {
 	return unix.Mount("", "/", "", unix.MS_SLAVE|unix.MS_REC, "")
 }
+
+func newServer() *grpc.Server {
+	return grpc.NewServer(grpc.Creds(NewUnixSocketCredentils(0, 0)))
+}
+
+type unixSocketCredentials struct {
+	uid        int
+	gid        int
+	serverName string
+}
+
+func NewUnixSocketCredentils(uid, gid int) credentials.TransportCredentials {
+	return &unixSocketCredentials{uid, gid, "locahost"}
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) ClientHandshake(ctx context.Context, addr string, rawConn net.Conn) (net.Conn, credentials.AuthInfo, error) {
+	return nil, nil, errors.New("ClientHandshake is not supported by unixSocketCredentials")
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) ServerHandshake(c net.Conn) (net.Conn, credentials.AuthInfo, error) {
+	uc, ok := c.(*net.UnixConn)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, nil, errors.New("unixSocketCredentials only supports unix socket")
+	}
+
+	f, err := uc.File()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unixSocketCredentials: failed to retrieve connection underlying fd")
+	}
+	pcred, err := syscall.GetsockoptUcred(int(f.Fd()), syscall.SOL_SOCKET, syscall.SO_PEERCRED)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unixSocketCredentials: failed to retrieve socket peer credentials")
+	}
+
+	if (u.uid != -1 && uint32(u.uid) != pcred.Uid) || (u.gid != -1 && uint32(u.gid) != pcred.Gid) {
+		return nil, nil, errors.New("unixSocketCredentials: invalid credentials")
+	}
+
+	return c, u, nil
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) Info() credentials.ProtocolInfo {
+	return credentials.ProtocolInfo{
+		SecurityProtocol: "unix-socket-peer-creds",
+		SecurityVersion:  "1.0",
+		ServerName:       u.serverName,
+	}
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) Clone() credentials.TransportCredentials {
+	return &unixSocketCredentials{u.uid, u.gid, u.serverName}
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) OverrideServerName(serverName string) error {
+	u.serverName = serverName
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (u *unixSocketCredentials) AuthType() string {
+	return "unix-socket-peer-creds"
+}
diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_unix.go b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_unix.go
index 2315163b7..110123d7f 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim/shim_unix.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/reaper"
 	runc "github.com/containerd/go-runc"
 )
@@ -25,3 +27,7 @@ func setupSignals() (chan os.Signal, error) {
 func setupRoot() error {
 	return nil
 }
+
+func newServer() *grpc.Server {
+	return grpc.NewServer()
+}