diff --git a/client_test.go b/client_test.go
index 84a33d932485..2b6b89fd5044 100644
--- a/client_test.go
+++ b/client_test.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 		err := ctrd.start("containerd", address, []string{
 			"--root", defaultRoot,
+			"--state", defaultState,
 			"--log-level", "debug",
 		}, buf, buf)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/client_unix_test.go b/client_unix_test.go
index 2eb0a657b266..27fe7fab12f7 100644
--- a/client_unix_test.go
+++ b/client_unix_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	defaultRoot    = "/var/lib/containerd-test"
+	defaultState   = "/run/containerd-test"
 	defaultAddress = "/run/containerd-test/containerd.sock"
 )
 
diff --git a/client_windows_test.go b/client_windows_test.go
index e1073ca6017d..115d71497456 100644
--- a/client_windows_test.go
+++ b/client_windows_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ const (
 var (
 	dockerLayerFolders []string
 
-	defaultRoot = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "root-test")
+	defaultRoot  = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "root-test")
+	defaultState = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("programfiles"), "containerd", "state-test")
 )
 
 func platformTestSetup(client *Client) error {
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/main.go b/cmd/containerd/main.go
index dc724732af7a..f919d19be880 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/main.go
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ func main() {
 			Name:  "root",
 			Usage: "containerd root directory",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "state",
+			Usage: "containerd state directory",
+		},
 	}
 	app.Commands = []cli.Command{
 		configCommand,
@@ -156,6 +160,10 @@ func applyFlags(context *cli.Context, config *server.Config) error {
 			name: "root",
 			d:    &config.Root,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "state",
+			d:    &config.State,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "address",
 			d:    &config.GRPC.Address,