diff --git a/cmd/buildctl/build.go b/cmd/buildctl/build.go
index 815f9158ca851..c321042caa3e4 100644
--- a/cmd/buildctl/build.go
+++ b/cmd/buildctl/build.go
@@ -127,11 +127,11 @@ func read(r io.Reader, clicontext *cli.Context) (*llb.Definition, error) {
 			dgst := digest.FromBytes(dt)
 			opMetadata, ok := def.Metadata[dgst]
 			if !ok {
-				opMetadata = pb.OpMetadata{}
+				opMetadata = &pb.OpMetadata{}
 			}
-			c := llb.Constraints{Metadata: opMetadata}
+			c := llb.Constraints{Metadata: *opMetadata}
 			llb.IgnoreCache(&c)
-			def.Metadata[dgst] = c.Metadata
+			def.Metadata[dgst] = &c.Metadata
 		}
 	}
 	return def, nil
diff --git a/cmd/buildctl/debug/dumpllb.go b/cmd/buildctl/debug/dumpllb.go
index 7ae6b9d9acfd3..2d339c15b3c03 100644
--- a/cmd/buildctl/debug/dumpllb.go
+++ b/cmd/buildctl/debug/dumpllb.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func loadLLB(r io.Reader) ([]llbOp, error) {
 			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to parse op")
 		}
 		dgst := digest.FromBytes(dt)
-		ent := llbOp{Op: op, Digest: dgst, OpMetadata: def.Metadata[dgst]}
+		ent := llbOp{Op: op, Digest: dgst, OpMetadata: *def.Metadata[dgst]}
 		ops = append(ops, ent)
 	}
 	return ops, nil