diff --git a/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go b/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
index 85091bd6aa..d6ead6ef3b 100644
--- a/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/dockerd/daemon.go
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func initRouter(opts routerOptions) {
 		sessionrouter.NewRouter(opts.sessionManager),
 		swarmrouter.NewRouter(opts.cluster),
 		pluginrouter.NewRouter(opts.daemon.PluginManager()),
-		distributionrouter.NewRouter(opts.daemon.ImageService()),
+		distributionrouter.NewRouter(opts.daemon.ImageBackend()),
 	}
 
 	if opts.buildBackend != nil {
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ func createAndStartCluster(cli *DaemonCli, d *daemon.Daemon) (*cluster.Cluster,
 		Name:                   name,
 		Backend:                d,
 		VolumeBackend:          d.VolumesService(),
-		ImageBackend:           d.ImageService(),
+		ImageBackend:           d.ImageBackend(),
 		PluginBackend:          d.PluginManager(),
 		NetworkSubnetsProvider: d,
 		DefaultAdvertiseAddr:   cli.Config.SwarmDefaultAdvertiseAddr,
diff --git a/daemon/containerd/image_pull.go b/daemon/containerd/image_pull.go
index e9aa62ee17..506e0bb135 100644
--- a/daemon/containerd/image_pull.go
+++ b/daemon/containerd/image_pull.go
@@ -2,14 +2,12 @@ package containerd
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/snapshotters"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
-	"github.com/docker/distribution"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/registry"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/errdefs"
@@ -73,8 +71,3 @@ func (i *ImageService) PullImage(ctx context.Context, image, tagOrDigest string,
 	_, err = i.client.Pull(ctx, ref.String(), opts...)
 	return err
 }
-
-// GetRepository returns a repository from the registry.
-func (i *ImageService) GetRepository(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, authConfig *registry.AuthConfig) (distribution.Repository, error) {
-	return nil, errdefs.NotImplemented(errors.New("not implemented"))
-}
diff --git a/daemon/daemon.go b/daemon/daemon.go
index 70f169d224..3b9b5244ec 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -23,12 +23,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/dialer"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/userns"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes/docker"
+	dist "github.com/docker/distribution"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	containertypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
+	registrytypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/registry"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/swarm"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/volume"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/builder"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/container"
+	executorpkg "github.com/docker/docker/daemon/cluster/executor"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/config"
 	ctrd "github.com/docker/docker/daemon/containerd"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/events"
@@ -37,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	dlogger "github.com/docker/docker/daemon/logger"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/network"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/stats"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/distribution"
 	dmetadata "github.com/docker/docker/distribution/metadata"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/dockerversion"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/errdefs"
@@ -1466,6 +1471,14 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) ImageService() ImageService {
 	return daemon.imageService
 }
 
+// ImageBackend returns an image-backend for Swarm and the distribution router.
+func (daemon *Daemon) ImageBackend() executorpkg.ImageBackend {
+	return &imageBackend{
+		ImageService:    daemon.imageService,
+		registryService: daemon.registryService,
+	}
+}
+
 // RegistryService returns the Daemon's RegistryService
 func (daemon *Daemon) RegistryService() *registry.Service {
 	return daemon.registryService
@@ -1491,3 +1504,21 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) RawSysInfo() *sysinfo.SysInfo {
 
 	return daemon.sysInfo
 }
+
+// imageBackend is used to satisfy the [executorpkg.ImageBackend] and
+// [github.com/docker/docker/api/server/router/distribution.Backend]
+// interfaces.
+type imageBackend struct {
+	ImageService
+	registryService *registry.Service
+}
+
+// GetRepository returns a repository from the registry.
+func (i *imageBackend) GetRepository(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, authConfig *registrytypes.AuthConfig) (dist.Repository, error) {
+	return distribution.GetRepository(ctx, ref, &distribution.ImagePullConfig{
+		Config: distribution.Config{
+			AuthConfig:      authConfig,
+			RegistryService: i.registryService,
+		},
+	})
+}
diff --git a/daemon/image_service.go b/daemon/image_service.go
index f7160bbb37..bd4d2cad17 100644
--- a/daemon/image_service.go
+++ b/daemon/image_service.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"io"
 
-	"github.com/docker/distribution"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/backend"
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@ type ImageService interface {
 
 	// Other
 
-	GetRepository(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, authConfig *registry.AuthConfig) (distribution.Repository, error)
 	DistributionServices() images.DistributionServices
 	Children(id image.ID) []image.ID
 	Cleanup() error
diff --git a/daemon/images/image_pull.go b/daemon/images/image_pull.go
index 7b248850ac..8344ddaf1e 100644
--- a/daemon/images/image_pull.go
+++ b/daemon/images/image_pull.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/leases"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
-	dist "github.com/docker/distribution"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	imagetypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/image"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/registry"
@@ -134,16 +133,6 @@ func (i *ImageService) pullImageWithReference(ctx context.Context, ref reference
 	return err
 }
 
-// GetRepository returns a repository from the registry.
-func (i *ImageService) GetRepository(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, authConfig *registry.AuthConfig) (dist.Repository, error) {
-	return distribution.GetRepository(ctx, ref, &distribution.ImagePullConfig{
-		Config: distribution.Config{
-			AuthConfig:      authConfig,
-			RegistryService: i.registryService,
-		},
-	})
-}
-
 func tempLease(ctx context.Context, mgr leases.Manager) (context.Context, func(context.Context) error, error) {
 	nop := func(context.Context) error { return nil }
 	_, ok := leases.FromContext(ctx)