diff --git a/pkg/init/cmd/service/main.go b/pkg/init/cmd/service/main.go
index c34201ce5..160266682 100644
--- a/pkg/init/cmd/service/main.go
+++ b/pkg/init/cmd/service/main.go
@@ -1,22 +1,25 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultSocket     = "/run/containerd/containerd.sock"
-	defaultPath       = "/containers/services"
-	defaultContainerd = "/usr/bin/containerd"
-	installPath       = "/usr/bin/service"
-	onbootPath        = "/containers/onboot"
-	shutdownPath      = "/containers/onshutdown"
+	defaultSocket              = "/run/containerd/containerd.sock"
+	defaultPath                = "/containers/services"
+	defaultContainerd          = "/usr/bin/containerd"
+	installPath                = "/usr/bin/service"
+	onbootPath                 = "/containers/onboot"
+	shutdownPath               = "/containers/onshutdown"
+	defaultContainerdNamespace = "services.linuxkit"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -48,8 +51,12 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Printf("Options:\n")
 		flag.PrintDefaults()
 	}
-	flagQuiet := flag.Bool("q", false, "Quiet execution")
-	flagVerbose := flag.Bool("v", false, "Verbose execution")
+	var (
+		ctx                     = context.Background()
+		flagQuiet               = flag.Bool("q", false, "Quiet execution")
+		flagVerbose             = flag.Bool("v", false, "Verbose execution")
+		flagContainerdNamespace = flag.String("containerd-namespace", defaultContainerdNamespace, "containerd namespace to use with services")
+	)
 
 	// Set up logging
 	log.SetFormatter(new(infoFormatter))
@@ -68,6 +75,8 @@ func main() {
 		log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
 	}
 
+	ctx = namespaces.WithNamespace(ctx, *flagContainerdNamespace)
+
 	args := flag.Args()
 	if len(args) < 1 {
 		// check if called form startup scripts
@@ -78,16 +87,16 @@ func main() {
 		case strings.Contains(command, "onshutdown"):
 			os.Exit(runcInit(shutdownPath))
 		case strings.Contains(command, "containerd"):
-			systemInitCmd([]string{})
+			systemInitCmd(ctx, []string{})
 			os.Exit(0)
 		}
 	}
 
 	switch args[0] {
 	case "start":
-		startCmd(args[1:])
+		startCmd(ctx, args[1:])
 	case "system-init":
-		systemInitCmd(args[1:])
+		systemInitCmd(ctx, args[1:])
 	default:
 		fmt.Printf("%q is not valid command.\n\n", args[0])
 		flag.Usage()
diff --git a/pkg/init/cmd/service/start.go b/pkg/init/cmd/service/start.go
index 187322f47..d4964ba1e 100644
--- a/pkg/init/cmd/service/start.go
+++ b/pkg/init/cmd/service/start.go
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cio"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-func startCmd(args []string) {
+func startCmd(ctx context.Context, args []string) {
 	invoked := filepath.Base(os.Args[0])
 	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("start", flag.ExitOnError)
 	flags.Usage = func() {
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ func startCmd(args []string) {
 		"service": service,
 	})
 
-	id, pid, msg, err := start(service, *sock, *path, *dumpSpec)
+	id, pid, msg, err := start(ctx, service, *sock, *path, *dumpSpec)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal(msg)
 	}
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ func (c *logio) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func start(service, sock, basePath, dumpSpec string) (string, uint32, string, error) {
+func start(ctx context.Context, service, sock, basePath, dumpSpec string) (string, uint32, string, error) {
 	path := filepath.Join(basePath, service)
 
 	runtimeConfig := getRuntimeConfig(path)
@@ -90,8 +89,6 @@ func start(service, sock, basePath, dumpSpec string) (string, uint32, string, er
 		return "", 0, "creating containerd client", err
 	}
 
-	ctx := namespaces.WithNamespace(context.Background(), "default")
-
 	var spec *specs.Spec
 	specf, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(path, "config.json"))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/init/cmd/service/system_init.go b/pkg/init/cmd/service/system_init.go
index e530e54a5..3ca71b50c 100644
--- a/pkg/init/cmd/service/system_init.go
+++ b/pkg/init/cmd/service/system_init.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ func cleanupTask(ctx context.Context, ctr containerd.Container) error {
 	}
 }
 
-func systemInitCmd(args []string) {
+func systemInitCmd(ctx context.Context, args []string) {
 	invoked := filepath.Base(os.Args[0])
 	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("system-init", flag.ExitOnError)
 	flags.Usage = func() {
@@ -108,8 +107,6 @@ func systemInitCmd(args []string) {
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal("creating containerd client")
 	}
 
-	ctx := namespaces.WithNamespace(context.Background(), "default")
-
 	ctrs, err := client.Containers(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal("listing containers")
@@ -140,7 +137,7 @@ func systemInitCmd(args []string) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, file := range files {
-		if id, pid, msg, err := start(file.Name(), *sock, *path, ""); err != nil {
+		if id, pid, msg, err := start(ctx, file.Name(), *sock, *path, ""); err != nil {
 			log.WithError(err).Error(msg)
 		} else {
 			log.Debugf("Started %s pid %d", id, pid)