diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 6c5814425..f340e9509 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (c *Client) Containers(ctx context.Context, filters ...string) ([]Container
 // NewContainer will create a new container in container with the provided id
 // the id must be unique within the namespace
 func (c *Client) NewContainer(ctx context.Context, id string, opts ...NewContainerOpts) (Container, error) {
-	ctx, done, err := c.withLease(ctx)
+	ctx, done, err := c.WithLease(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (c *Client) Pull(ctx context.Context, ref string, opts ...RemoteOpt) (Image
 	}
 	store := c.ContentStore()
 
-	ctx, done, err := c.withLease(ctx)
+	ctx, done, err := c.WithLease(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ func (c *Client) Import(ctx context.Context, ref string, reader io.Reader, opts
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	ctx, done, err := c.withLease(ctx)
+	ctx, done, err := c.WithLease(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/lease.go b/lease.go
index 6ecc58dec..8eb3bc0fe 100644
--- a/lease.go
+++ b/lease.go
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ func (c *Client) ListLeases(ctx context.Context) ([]Lease, error) {
 	return leases, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Client) withLease(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, func() error, error) {
+// WithLease attaches a lease on the context
+func (c *Client) WithLease(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, func() error, error) {
 	_, ok := leases.Lease(ctx)
 	if ok {
 		return ctx, func() error {
diff --git a/task.go b/task.go
index c69579764..2cbcbaff1 100644
--- a/task.go
+++ b/task.go
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ func (t *task) Resize(ctx context.Context, w, h uint32) error {
 }
 
 func (t *task) Checkpoint(ctx context.Context, opts ...CheckpointTaskOpts) (Image, error) {
-	ctx, done, err := t.client.withLease(ctx)
+	ctx, done, err := t.client.WithLease(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}