diff --git a/cache/manager.go b/cache/manager.go
index 3a3f6867..0ef2f699 100644
--- a/cache/manager.go
+++ b/cache/manager.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package cache
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -16,8 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
-const dbFile = "cache.db"
-
 var (
 	errLocked   = errors.New("locked")
 	errNotFound = errors.New("not found")
@@ -25,9 +21,9 @@ var (
 )
 
 type ManagerOpt struct {
-	Snapshotter snapshot.Snapshotter
-	Root        string
-	GCPolicy    GCPolicy
+	Snapshotter   snapshot.Snapshotter
+	GCPolicy      GCPolicy
+	MetadataStore *metadata.Store
 }
 
 type Accessor interface {
@@ -56,18 +52,9 @@ type cacheManager struct {
 }
 
 func NewManager(opt ManagerOpt) (Manager, error) {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(opt.Root, 0700); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create %s", opt.Root)
-	}
-
-	md, err := metadata.NewStore(filepath.Join(opt.Root, dbFile))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	cm := &cacheManager{
 		ManagerOpt: opt,
-		md:         md,
+		md:         opt.MetadataStore,
 		records:    make(map[string]*cacheRecord),
 	}
 
diff --git a/cache/manager_test.go b/cache/manager_test.go
index 2ca1959a..80bb488d 100644
--- a/cache/manager_test.go
+++ b/cache/manager_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshot/naive"
+	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache/metadata"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/snapshot"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -24,9 +25,12 @@ func TestManager(t *testing.T) {
 	snapshotter, err := naive.NewSnapshotter(filepath.Join(tmpdir, "snapshots"))
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	md, err := metadata.NewStore(filepath.Join(tmpdir, "metadata.db"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	cm, err := NewManager(ManagerOpt{
-		Root:        tmpdir,
-		Snapshotter: snapshotter,
+		Snapshotter:   snapshotter,
+		MetadataStore: md,
 	})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/cache/metadata/metadata_test.go b/cache/metadata/metadata_test.go
index 0402422f..fec67813 100644
--- a/cache/metadata/metadata_test.go
+++ b/cache/metadata/metadata_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestGetSetSearch(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	si, ok := s.GetItem("foo")
+	si, ok := s.Get("foo")
 	require.False(t, ok)
 
 	v := si.Get("bar")
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func TestGetSetSearch(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	si, ok = s.GetItem("foo")
+	si, ok = s.Get("foo")
 	require.True(t, ok)
 
 	v = si.Get("bar")
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func TestGetSetSearch(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// add second item to test Search
 
-	si, ok = s.GetItem("foo2")
+	si, ok = s.Get("foo2")
 	require.False(t, ok)
 
 	v, err = NewValue("foobar2")
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func TestGetSetSearch(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.Equal(t, "foo2", sis[0].ID())
 
-	_, ok = s.GetItem("foo")
+	_, ok = s.Get("foo")
 	require.False(t, ok)
 }
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func TestIndexes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tcase := range tcases {
-		si, ok := s.GetItem(tcase.key)
+		si, ok := s.Get(tcase.key)
 		require.False(t, ok)
 
 		v, err := NewValue(tcase.valueKey)
diff --git a/control/control_default.go b/control/control_default.go
index b0faa0b9..b9dd0ff8 100644
--- a/control/control_default.go
+++ b/control/control_default.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/rootfs"
 	ctdsnapshot "github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshot"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache"
+	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache/metadata"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/snapshot/blobmapping"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/source"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/source/containerimage"
@@ -21,18 +22,23 @@ type pullDeps struct {
 }
 
 func defaultControllerOpts(root string, pd pullDeps) (*Opt, error) {
+	md, err := metadata.NewStore(filepath.Join(root, "metadata.db"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	snapshotter, err := blobmapping.NewSnapshotter(blobmapping.Opt{
-		Root:        filepath.Join(root, "blobmap"),
-		Content:     pd.ContentStore,
-		Snapshotter: pd.Snapshotter,
+		Content:       pd.ContentStore,
+		Snapshotter:   pd.Snapshotter,
+		MetadataStore: md,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	cm, err := cache.NewManager(cache.ManagerOpt{
-		Snapshotter: snapshotter,
-		Root:        filepath.Join(root, "cachemanager"),
+		Snapshotter:   snapshotter,
+		MetadataStore: md,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/control/control_standalone_test.go b/control/control_standalone_test.go
index a5391f73..2989200a 100644
--- a/control/control_standalone_test.go
+++ b/control/control_standalone_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache"
+	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache/metadata"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/snapshot"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/snapshot/blobmapping"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/source"
@@ -32,16 +33,19 @@ func TestControl(t *testing.T) {
 	cd, err := newStandalonePullDeps(tmpdir)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	md, err := metadata.NewStore(filepath.Join(tmpdir, "metadata.db"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	snapshotter, err := blobmapping.NewSnapshotter(blobmapping.Opt{
-		Root:        filepath.Join(tmpdir, "blobmap"),
-		Content:     cd.ContentStore,
-		Snapshotter: cd.Snapshotter,
+		Content:       cd.ContentStore,
+		Snapshotter:   cd.Snapshotter,
+		MetadataStore: md,
 	})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	cm, err := cache.NewManager(cache.ManagerOpt{
-		Snapshotter: snapshotter,
-		Root:        filepath.Join(tmpdir, "cachemanager"),
+		Snapshotter:   snapshotter,
+		MetadataStore: md,
 	})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/hack/test-unit b/hack/test-unit
index eff98194..546966b1 100755
--- a/hack/test-unit
+++ b/hack/test-unit
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ set -eu -o pipefail -x
 # update this to iidfile after 17.06
 docker build -t buildkit:test --target unit-tests -f ./hack/dockerfiles/test.Dockerfile --force-rm .
 docker run --rm -v /tmp --privileged buildkit:test go test ${TESTFLAGS:--v} ${TESTPKGS:-./...}
-
+docker run --rm -v /tmp --privileged buildkit:test go test -tags standalone -v ./control
diff --git a/snapshot/blobmapping/snapshotter.go b/snapshot/blobmapping/snapshotter.go
index b6ab7499..79158a9a 100644
--- a/snapshot/blobmapping/snapshotter.go
+++ b/snapshot/blobmapping/snapshotter.go
@@ -1,29 +1,22 @@
 package blobmapping
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/snapshot"
+	"github.com/moby/buildkit/cache/metadata"
 	digest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
-const dbFile = "blobmap.db"
-
-var (
-	bucketBySnapshot = []byte("by_snapshot")
-	bucketByBlob     = []byte("by_blob")
-)
+const blobKey = "blobmapping.blob"
 
 type Opt struct {
-	Content     content.Store
-	Snapshotter snapshot.Snapshotter
-	Root        string
+	Content       content.Store
+	Snapshotter   snapshot.Snapshotter
+	MetadataStore *metadata.Store
 }
 
 type Info struct {
@@ -35,36 +28,18 @@ type Info struct {
 
 type Snapshotter struct {
 	snapshot.Snapshotter
-	db  *bolt.DB
 	opt Opt
 }
 
 func NewSnapshotter(opt Opt) (*Snapshotter, error) {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(opt.Root, 0700); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create %s", opt.Root)
-	}
-
-	p := filepath.Join(opt.Root, dbFile)
-	db, err := bolt.Open(p, 0600, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to open database file %s", p)
-	}
-
 	s := &Snapshotter{
 		Snapshotter: opt.Snapshotter,
-		db:          db,
 		opt:         opt,
 	}
 
 	return s, nil
 }
 
-func (s *Snapshotter) init() error {
-	// this should do a walk from the DB and remove any records that are not
-	// in snapshotter any more
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Remove also removes a refrence to a blob. If it is a last reference then it deletes it the blob as well
 // Remove is not safe to be called concurrently
 func (s *Snapshotter) Remove(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
@@ -73,26 +48,21 @@ func (s *Snapshotter) Remove(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	blobs, err := s.opt.MetadataStore.Search(index(blob))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if err := s.Snapshotter.Remove(ctx, key); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		b := tx.Bucket(bucketBySnapshot)
-		if b == nil {
-			return nil
+	if len(blobs) == 1 && blobs[0].ID() == key { // last snapshot
+		if err := s.opt.Content.Delete(ctx, blob); err != nil {
+			logrus.Errorf("failed to delete blob %v", blob)
 		}
-		b.Delete([]byte(key))
-
-		if blob != "" {
-			b = tx.Bucket(bucketByBlob)
-			b.Delete(blobKey(blob, key))
-			if len(keyRange(tx, blobKey(blob, ""))) == 0 { // last snapshot
-				s.opt.Content.Delete(ctx, blob) // log error
-			}
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *Snapshotter) Usage(ctx context.Context, key string) (snapshot.Usage, error) {
@@ -114,23 +84,17 @@ func (s *Snapshotter) Usage(ctx context.Context, key string) (snapshot.Usage, er
 	return u, nil
 }
 
-// TODO: make Blob/SetBlob part of generic metadata wrapper that can detect
-// blob key for deletion logic
-
 func (s *Snapshotter) GetBlob(ctx context.Context, key string) (digest.Digest, error) {
+	md, _ := s.opt.MetadataStore.Get(key)
+	v := md.Get(blobKey)
+	if v == nil {
+		return "", nil
+	}
 	var blob digest.Digest
-	err := s.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		b := tx.Bucket(bucketBySnapshot)
-		if b == nil {
-			return nil
-		}
-		v := b.Get([]byte(key))
-		if v != nil {
-			blob = digest.Digest(v)
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
-	return blob, err
+	if err := v.Unmarshal(&blob); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return blob, nil
 }
 
 // Validates that there is no blob associated with the snapshot.
@@ -141,47 +105,19 @@ func (s *Snapshotter) SetBlob(ctx context.Context, key string, blob digest.Diges
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		b, err := tx.CreateBucketIfNotExists(bucketBySnapshot)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		v := b.Get([]byte(key))
-		if v != nil {
-			if string(v) != string(blob) {
-				return errors.Errorf("different blob already set for %s", key)
-			} else {
-				return nil
-			}
-		}
+	md, _ := s.opt.MetadataStore.Get(key)
 
-		if err := b.Put([]byte(key), []byte(blob)); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		b, err = tx.CreateBucketIfNotExists(bucketByBlob)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		return b.Put(blobKey(blob, key), []byte{})
+	v, err := metadata.NewValue(blob)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	v.Index = index(blob)
+
+	return md.Update(func(b *bolt.Bucket) error {
+		return md.SetValue(b, blobKey, *v)
 	})
 }
 
-func blobKey(blob digest.Digest, snapshot string) []byte {
-	return []byte(string(blob) + "-" + snapshot)
-}
-
-// results are only valid for the lifetime of the transaction
-func keyRange(tx *bolt.Tx, key []byte) (out [][]byte) {
-	c := tx.Cursor()
-	lastKey := append([]byte{}, key...)
-	lastKey = append(lastKey, ^byte(0))
-	k, _ := c.Seek([]byte(key))
-	for {
-		if k != nil && bytes.Compare(k, lastKey) <= 0 {
-			out = append(out, k)
-			continue
-		}
-		break
-	}
-	return
+func index(blob digest.Digest) string {
+	return "blobmap::" + blob.String()
 }