diff --git a/registry/client/auth/api_version.go b/internal/client/auth/api_version.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/auth/api_version.go
rename to internal/client/auth/api_version.go
diff --git a/registry/client/auth/challenge/addr.go b/internal/client/auth/challenge/addr.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/auth/challenge/addr.go
rename to internal/client/auth/challenge/addr.go
diff --git a/registry/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge.go b/internal/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge.go
rename to internal/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge.go
diff --git a/registry/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge_test.go b/internal/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge_test.go
rename to internal/client/auth/challenge/authchallenge_test.go
diff --git a/registry/client/auth/session.go b/internal/client/auth/session.go
similarity index 98%
rename from registry/client/auth/session.go
rename to internal/client/auth/session.go
index b0879fb4f..9669dfd02 100644
--- a/registry/client/auth/session.go
+++ b/internal/client/auth/session.go
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/transport"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/transport"
 )
 
 var (
diff --git a/registry/client/auth/session_test.go b/internal/client/auth/session_test.go
similarity index 99%
rename from registry/client/auth/session_test.go
rename to internal/client/auth/session_test.go
index e424e0e29..aacf1ef70 100644
--- a/registry/client/auth/session_test.go
+++ b/internal/client/auth/session_test.go
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/transport"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/transport"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/testutil"
 )
 
diff --git a/registry/client/blob_writer.go b/internal/client/blob_writer.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/blob_writer.go
rename to internal/client/blob_writer.go
diff --git a/registry/client/blob_writer_test.go b/internal/client/blob_writer_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/blob_writer_test.go
rename to internal/client/blob_writer_test.go
diff --git a/registry/client/errors.go b/internal/client/errors.go
similarity index 98%
rename from registry/client/errors.go
rename to internal/client/errors.go
index 9d20b8b7d..4077f373e 100644
--- a/registry/client/errors.go
+++ b/internal/client/errors.go
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"mime"
 	"net/http"
 
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/api/errcode"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
 )
 
 // ErrNoErrorsInBody is returned when an HTTP response body parses to an empty
diff --git a/registry/client/errors_test.go b/internal/client/errors_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/errors_test.go
rename to internal/client/errors_test.go
diff --git a/registry/client/repository.go b/internal/client/repository.go
similarity index 99%
rename from registry/client/repository.go
rename to internal/client/repository.go
index d39af2560..4080ec134 100644
--- a/registry/client/repository.go
+++ b/internal/client/repository.go
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/transport"
 	v2 "github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/api/v2"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/transport"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage/cache"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage/cache/memory"
 	"github.com/distribution/reference"
diff --git a/registry/client/repository_test.go b/internal/client/repository_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/repository_test.go
rename to internal/client/repository_test.go
diff --git a/registry/client/transport/http_reader.go b/internal/client/transport/http_reader.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/transport/http_reader.go
rename to internal/client/transport/http_reader.go
diff --git a/registry/client/transport/http_reader_test.go b/internal/client/transport/http_reader_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/transport/http_reader_test.go
rename to internal/client/transport/http_reader_test.go
diff --git a/registry/client/transport/transport.go b/internal/client/transport/transport.go
similarity index 100%
rename from registry/client/transport/transport.go
rename to internal/client/transport/transport.go
diff --git a/registry/proxy/proxyauth.go b/registry/proxy/proxyauth.go
index 07d80b48a..ee79ed7e6 100644
--- a/registry/proxy/proxyauth.go
+++ b/registry/proxy/proxyauth.go
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/context"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
 )
 
 const challengeHeader = "Docker-Distribution-Api-Version"
diff --git a/registry/proxy/proxymanifeststore_test.go b/registry/proxy/proxymanifeststore_test.go
index 2ac325d44..026cb0699 100644
--- a/registry/proxy/proxymanifeststore_test.go
+++ b/registry/proxy/proxymanifeststore_test.go
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/manifest/schema2"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/proxy/scheduler"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage/cache/memory"
diff --git a/registry/proxy/proxyregistry.go b/registry/proxy/proxyregistry.go
index 8420138f1..15dc783b7 100644
--- a/registry/proxy/proxyregistry.go
+++ b/registry/proxy/proxyregistry.go
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/configuration"
 	dcontext "github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/context"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/auth/challenge"
-	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/client/transport"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/auth/challenge"
+	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/internal/client/transport"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/proxy/scheduler"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage"
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/v3/registry/storage/driver"