diff --git a/client/services.go b/client/services.go
index 55e09d2a8..d2e69a1ce 100644
--- a/client/services.go
+++ b/client/services.go
@@ -230,27 +230,3 @@ func WithInMemoryServices(ic *plugin.InitContext) Opt {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
-
-func WithInMemorySandboxControllers(ic *plugin.InitContext) Opt {
-	return func(c *clientOpts) error {
-		sc := make(map[string]sandbox.Controller)
-		sandboxers, err := ic.GetByType(plugins.SandboxControllerPlugin)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		for name, p := range sandboxers {
-			sc[name] = p.(sandbox.Controller)
-		}
-
-		podSandboxers, err := ic.GetByType(plugins.PodSandboxPlugin)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		for name, p := range podSandboxers {
-			sc[name] = p.(sandbox.Controller)
-		}
-
-		c.services.sandboxers = sc
-		return nil
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internal/cri/server/restart.go b/internal/cri/server/restart.go
index f487c9aed..f4d63b211 100644
--- a/internal/cri/server/restart.go
+++ b/internal/cri/server/restart.go
@@ -111,12 +111,11 @@ func (c *criService) recover(ctx context.Context) error {
 		}
 
 		var (
-			state      = sandboxstore.StateUnknown
-			controller = c.client.SandboxController(sbx.Sandboxer)
-			endpoint   sandboxstore.Endpoint
+			state    = sandboxstore.StateUnknown
+			endpoint sandboxstore.Endpoint
 		)
 
-		status, err := controller.Status(ctx, sbx.ID, false)
+		status, err := c.sandboxService.SandboxStatus(ctx, sbx.Sandboxer, sbx.ID, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.G(ctx).
 				WithError(err).
diff --git a/plugins/cri/cri.go b/plugins/cri/cri.go
index a111eb1d0..08be0f3bd 100644
--- a/plugins/cri/cri.go
+++ b/plugins/cri/cri.go
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ func initCRIService(ic *plugin.InitContext) (interface{}, error) {
 		containerd.WithDefaultNamespace(constants.K8sContainerdNamespace),
 		containerd.WithDefaultPlatform(platforms.Default()),
 		containerd.WithInMemoryServices(ic),
-		containerd.WithInMemorySandboxControllers(ic),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create containerd client: %w", err)