diff --git a/cmd/dockerd/config_unix.go b/cmd/dockerd/config_unix.go
index 89148d81c4..e76c962422 100644
--- a/cmd/dockerd/config_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/dockerd/config_unix.go
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/config"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/registry"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go b/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
index 4ced1361ac..8389378174 100644
--- a/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonmessage"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/pidfile"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/plugingetter"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/sysinfo"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/plugin"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/runconfig"
 	"github.com/docker/go-connections/tlsconfig"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/session"
diff --git a/cmd/dockerd/docker.go b/cmd/dockerd/docker.go
index 41123fa949..3c594a0878 100644
--- a/cmd/dockerd/docker.go
+++ b/cmd/dockerd/docker.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/dockerversion"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonmessage"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/reexec"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/util/apicaps"
 	"github.com/moby/term"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
diff --git a/daemon/config/config_linux.go b/daemon/config/config_linux.go
index 70d1efda8d..13b06752bc 100644
--- a/daemon/config/config_linux.go
+++ b/daemon/config/config_linux.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	units "github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
diff --git a/daemon/info_unix.go b/daemon/info_unix.go
index b9affb62a9..12e9180366 100644
--- a/daemon/info_unix.go
+++ b/daemon/info_unix.go
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	containertypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/sysinfo"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
diff --git a/daemon/oci_linux.go b/daemon/oci_linux.go
index 2806abfaae..59c07941ef 100644
--- a/daemon/oci_linux.go
+++ b/daemon/oci_linux.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/oci"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/oci/caps"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/idtools"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless/specconv"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless/specconv"
 	volumemounts "github.com/docker/docker/volume/mounts"
 	"github.com/moby/sys/mount"
 	"github.com/moby/sys/mountinfo"
diff --git a/libnetwork/iptables/iptables.go b/libnetwork/iptables/iptables.go
index 9423d6247e..86e0c364b2 100644
--- a/libnetwork/iptables/iptables.go
+++ b/libnetwork/iptables/iptables.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/discovery_unix.go b/pkg/plugins/discovery_unix.go
index db712d07f3..46d57d31e7 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/discovery_unix.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/discovery_unix.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 )
 
 const globalConfigPluginsPath = "/etc/docker/plugins"
diff --git a/rootless/rootless.go b/pkg/rootless/rootless.go
similarity index 92%
rename from rootless/rootless.go
rename to pkg/rootless/rootless.go
index 4cda7cf6fd..f407f0fc42 100644
--- a/rootless/rootless.go
+++ b/pkg/rootless/rootless.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package rootless // import "github.com/docker/docker/rootless"
+package rootless // import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 
 import (
 	"os"
diff --git a/rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go b/pkg/rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go
similarity index 97%
rename from rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go
rename to pkg/rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go
index 4e542818c2..16200e22e9 100644
--- a/rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/rootless/specconv/specconv_linux.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package specconv // import "github.com/docker/docker/rootless/specconv"
+package specconv // import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless/specconv"
 
 import (
 	"os"