diff --git a/pkg/dialer/dialer_windows.go b/pkg/dialer/dialer_windows.go
index 64d30dea0..4dd296ebc 100644
--- a/pkg/dialer/dialer_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/dialer/dialer_windows.go
@@ -19,21 +19,13 @@ package dialer
 import (
 	"net"
 	"os"
-	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	winio "github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
 )
 
 func isNoent(err error) bool {
-	if err != nil {
-		if oerr, ok := err.(*os.PathError); ok {
-			if oerr.Err == syscall.ENOENT {
-				return true
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return false
+	return os.IsNotExist(err)
 }
 
 func dialer(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
index ba3d51d51..5edb19dc3 100644
--- a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
+++ b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/services/ttrpc/events/v1"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
 	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ type Client struct {
 // NewClient returns a new containerd TTRPC client that is connected to the containerd instance provided by address
 func NewClient(address string, opts ...ttrpc.ClientOpts) (*Client, error) {
 	connector := func() (*ttrpc.Client, error) {
-		conn, err := ttrpcDial(address, ttrpcDialTimeout)
+		conn, err := dialer.Dialer(address, ttrpcDialTimeout)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to connect")
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 16fb64954..000000000
--- a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_unix.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-// +build !windows
-
-/*
-   Copyright The containerd Authors.
-
-   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-   You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-   limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package ttrpcutil
-
-import (
-	"net"
-	"strings"
-	"time"
-)
-
-func ttrpcDial(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
-	address = strings.TrimPrefix(address, "unix://")
-	return net.DialTimeout("unix", address, timeout)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go
deleted file mode 100644
index b8c69ef0a..000000000
--- a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client_windows.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-// +build windows
-
-/*
-   Copyright The containerd Authors.
-
-   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-   You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-   limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package ttrpcutil
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"net"
-	"os"
-	"time"
-
-	winio "github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-)
-
-func ttrpcDial(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	// If there is nobody serving the pipe we limit the timeout for this case to
-	// 5 seconds because any shim that would serve this endpoint should serve it
-	// within 5 seconds.
-	serveTimer := time.NewTimer(5 * time.Second)
-	defer serveTimer.Stop()
-	for {
-		c, err := winio.DialPipeContext(ctx, address)
-		if err != nil {
-			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				select {
-				case <-serveTimer.C:
-					return nil, errors.Wrap(os.ErrNotExist, "pipe not found before timeout")
-				default:
-					// Wait 10ms for the shim to serve and try again.
-					time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
-					continue
-				}
-			} else if err == context.DeadlineExceeded {
-				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "timed out waiting for npipe %s", address)
-			}
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		return c, nil
-	}
-}
diff --git a/runtime/v1/shim/client/client.go b/runtime/v1/shim/client/client.go
index 7c68248c5..116e84083 100644
--- a/runtime/v1/shim/client/client.go
+++ b/runtime/v1/shim/client/client.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/events"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
 	v1 "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v1"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v1/shim"
 	shimapi "github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v1/shim/v1"
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ func connect(address string, d func(string, time.Duration) (net.Conn, error)) (n
 
 func annonDialer(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
 	address = strings.TrimPrefix(address, "unix://")
-	return net.DialTimeout("unix", "\x00"+address, timeout)
+	return dialer.Dialer("\x00"+address, timeout)
 }
 
 // WithConnect connects to an existing shim
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/util_unix.go b/runtime/v2/shim/util_unix.go
index 7ca65033f..093a66239 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/util_unix.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/util_unix.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func SocketAddress(ctx context.Context, id string) (string, error) {
 // AnonDialer returns a dialer for an abstract socket
 func AnonDialer(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
 	address = strings.TrimPrefix(address, "unix://")
-	return net.DialTimeout("unix", "\x00"+address, timeout)
+	return dialer.Dialer("\x00"+address, timeout)
 }
 
 func AnonReconnectDialer(address string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {