diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/config.go b/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
index d6133f9a1..9fd870c35 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/config.go
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
 // Config is a wrapper of server config for printing out.
 type Config struct {
-	*server.Config
+	*srvconfig.Config
 	// Plugins overrides `Plugins map[string]toml.Primitive` in server config.
 	Plugins map[string]interface{} `toml:"plugins"`
 }
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/config_linux.go b/cmd/containerd/command/config_linux.go
index 3010ee65f..48b535239 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/config_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/config_linux.go
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/defaults"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 )
 
-func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
-	return &server.Config{
+func defaultConfig() *srvconfig.Config {
+	return &srvconfig.Config{
 		Root:  defaults.DefaultRootDir,
 		State: defaults.DefaultStateDir,
-		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
+		GRPC: srvconfig.GRPCConfig{
 			Address:        defaults.DefaultAddress,
 			MaxRecvMsgSize: defaults.DefaultMaxRecvMsgSize,
 			MaxSendMsgSize: defaults.DefaultMaxSendMsgSize,
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/config_unsupported.go b/cmd/containerd/command/config_unsupported.go
index 3b479a1c6..3b14250d4 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/config_unsupported.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/config_unsupported.go
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/defaults"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 )
 
-func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
-	return &server.Config{
+func defaultConfig() *srvconfig.Config {
+	return &srvconfig.Config{
 		Root:  defaults.DefaultRootDir,
 		State: defaults.DefaultStateDir,
-		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
+		GRPC: srvconfig.GRPCConfig{
 			Address: defaults.DefaultAddress,
 		},
-		Debug: server.Debug{
+		Debug: srvconfig.Debug{
 			Level:   "info",
 			Address: defaults.DefaultDebugAddress,
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/config_windows.go b/cmd/containerd/command/config_windows.go
index 3010ee65f..48b535239 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/config_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/config_windows.go
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/defaults"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 )
 
-func defaultConfig() *server.Config {
-	return &server.Config{
+func defaultConfig() *srvconfig.Config {
+	return &srvconfig.Config{
 		Root:  defaults.DefaultRootDir,
 		State: defaults.DefaultStateDir,
-		GRPC: server.GRPCConfig{
+		GRPC: srvconfig.GRPCConfig{
 			Address:        defaults.DefaultAddress,
 			MaxRecvMsgSize: defaults.DefaultMaxRecvMsgSize,
 			MaxSendMsgSize: defaults.DefaultMaxSendMsgSize,
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/command/main.go b/cmd/containerd/command/main.go
index 55e6393e7..09e0eeb95 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/command/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/command/main.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/mount"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/version"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ func App() *cli.App {
 		// we don't miss any signals during boot
 		signal.Notify(signals, handledSignals...)
 
-		if err := server.LoadConfig(context.GlobalString("config"), config); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if err := srvconfig.LoadConfig(context.GlobalString("config"), config); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return err
 		}
 		// apply flags to the config
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ func serve(ctx gocontext.Context, l net.Listener, serveFunc func(net.Listener) e
 	}()
 }
 
-func applyFlags(context *cli.Context, config *server.Config) error {
+func applyFlags(context *cli.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	// the order for config vs flag values is that flags will always override
 	// the config values if they are set
 	if err := setLevel(context, config); err != nil {
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ func applyFlags(context *cli.Context, config *server.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func setLevel(context *cli.Context, config *server.Config) error {
+func setLevel(context *cli.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	l := context.GlobalString("log-level")
 	if l == "" {
 		l = config.Debug.Level
diff --git a/daemon_config_linux_test.go b/daemon_config_linux_test.go
index 40d9bb0a9..7fca228e1 100644
--- a/daemon_config_linux_test.go
+++ b/daemon_config_linux_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/oci"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/testutil"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/runtime/v2/runc/options"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 )
 
 // the following nolint is for shutting up gometalinter on non-linux.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func newDaemonWithConfig(t *testing.T, configTOML string) (*Client, *daemon, fun
 	testutil.RequiresRoot(t)
 	var (
 		ctrd              = daemon{}
-		configTOMLDecoded server.Config
+		configTOMLDecoded srvconfig.Config
 		buf               = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
 	)
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func newDaemonWithConfig(t *testing.T, configTOML string) (*Client, *daemon, fun
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if err = server.LoadConfig(configTOMLFile, &configTOMLDecoded); err != nil {
+	if err = srvconfig.LoadConfig(configTOMLFile, &configTOMLDecoded); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/services/server/config.go b/services/server/config/config.go
similarity index 99%
rename from services/server/config.go
rename to services/server/config/config.go
index a91d5fffd..2124d8671 100644
--- a/services/server/config.go
+++ b/services/server/config/config.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
    limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package server
+package config
 
 import (
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
diff --git a/services/server/server.go b/services/server/server.go
index ed10766f3..71214b79c 100644
--- a/services/server/server.go
+++ b/services/server/server.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/metadata"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshots"
 	ssproxy "github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshots/proxy"
 	metrics "github.com/docker/go-metrics"
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // New creates and initializes a new containerd server
-func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
+func New(ctx context.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) (*Server, error) {
 	switch {
 	case config.Root == "":
 		return nil, errors.New("root must be specified")
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 type Server struct {
 	rpc     *grpc.Server
 	events  *exchange.Exchange
-	config  *Config
+	config  *srvconfig.Config
 	plugins []*plugin.Plugin
 }
 
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ func (s *Server) Stop() {
 
 // LoadPlugins loads all plugins into containerd and generates an ordered graph
 // of all plugins.
-func LoadPlugins(ctx context.Context, config *Config) ([]*plugin.Registration, error) {
+func LoadPlugins(ctx context.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) ([]*plugin.Registration, error) {
 	// load all plugins into containerd
 	if err := plugin.Load(filepath.Join(config.Root, "plugins")); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/services/server/server_linux.go b/services/server/server_linux.go
index c45ccd3d5..96b28a572 100644
--- a/services/server/server_linux.go
+++ b/services/server/server_linux.go
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/cgroups"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/sys"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
 
 // apply sets config settings on the server process
-func apply(ctx context.Context, config *Config) error {
+func apply(ctx context.Context, config *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	if config.OOMScore != 0 {
 		log.G(ctx).Debugf("changing OOM score to %d", config.OOMScore)
 		if err := sys.SetOOMScore(os.Getpid(), config.OOMScore); err != nil {
diff --git a/services/server/server_solaris.go b/services/server/server_solaris.go
index 0dbbb9fea..f3182211f 100644
--- a/services/server/server_solaris.go
+++ b/services/server/server_solaris.go
@@ -16,8 +16,12 @@
 
 package server
 
-import "context"
+import (
+	"context"
 
-func apply(_ context.Context, _ *Config) error {
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/server/config"
+)
+
+func apply(_ context.Context, _ *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/services/server/server_test.go b/services/server/server_test.go
index 57b52197f..351ea4904 100644
--- a/services/server/server_test.go
+++ b/services/server/server_test.go
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 	"gotest.tools/assert"
 	is "gotest.tools/assert/cmp"
 )
 
 func TestNewErrorsWithSamePathForRootAndState(t *testing.T) {
 	path := "/tmp/path/for/testing"
-	_, err := New(context.Background(), &Config{
+	_, err := New(context.Background(), &srvconfig.Config{
 		Root:  path,
 		State: path,
 	})
diff --git a/services/server/server_unsupported.go b/services/server/server_unsupported.go
index c6211dbb2..a6f187651 100644
--- a/services/server/server_unsupported.go
+++ b/services/server/server_unsupported.go
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@
 
 package server
 
-import "context"
+import (
+	"context"
 
-func apply(_ context.Context, _ *Config) error {
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
+)
+
+func apply(_ context.Context, _ *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/services/server/server_windows.go b/services/server/server_windows.go
index ac0b8481c..e0dd19b1d 100644
--- a/services/server/server_windows.go
+++ b/services/server/server_windows.go
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ package server
 
 import (
 	"context"
+
+	srvconfig "github.com/containerd/containerd/services/server/config"
 )
 
-func apply(_ context.Context, _ *Config) error {
+func apply(_ context.Context, _ *srvconfig.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }