diff --git a/cmd/sketch/main.go b/cmd/sketch/main.go
index 7b0c34a..94f7559 100644
--- a/cmd/sketch/main.go
+++ b/cmd/sketch/main.go
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 	verbose := flag.Bool("verbose", false, "enable verbose output")
 	version := flag.Bool("version", false, "print the version and exit")
 	workingDir := flag.String("C", "", "when set, change to this directory before running")
+	sshServerIdentity := flag.String("ssh_server_identity", "", "location of the file containing the private key that the container's ssh server will use to identify itself")
+	sshAuthorizedKeys := flag.String("ssh_authorized_keys", "", "location of the file containing the public keys that the container's ssh server will authorize")
+	sshPort := flag.Int("ssh_port", 2022, "the host port number that the container's ssh server will listen on")
 
 	// Flags geared towards sketch developers or sketch internals:
 	gitUsername := flag.String("git-username", "", "(internal) username for git commits")
@@ -179,6 +182,21 @@
 			outbuf, errbuf = &bytes.Buffer{}, &bytes.Buffer{}
 			stdout, stderr = outbuf, errbuf
 		}
+
+		var authorizedKeys, serverIdentity []byte
+		if *sshAuthorizedKeys != "" {
+			authorizedKeys, err = os.ReadFile(*sshAuthorizedKeys)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("reading ssh_authorized_keys from %s: %w", *sshAuthorizedKeys, err)
+			}
+		}
+		if *sshServerIdentity != "" {
+			serverIdentity, err = os.ReadFile(*sshServerIdentity)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("reading ssh_id_rsa from %s: %w", *sshServerIdentity, err)
+			}
+		}
+
 		fmt.Printf("launching container...\n")
 		config := dockerimg.ContainerConfig{
 			SessionID:         *sessionID,
@@ -194,6 +212,9 @@
 			ContainerLogDest:  *containerLogDest,
 			SketchBinaryLinux: *sketchBinaryLinux,
 			SketchPubKey:      pubKey,
+			SSHServerIdentity: serverIdentity,
+			SSHAuthorizedKeys: authorizedKeys,
+			SSHPort:           *sshPort,
 			ForceRebuild:      false,
 			HostHostname:      getHostname(),
 			HostOS:            runtime.GOOS,
diff --git a/dockerimg/dockerimg.go b/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
index 6043c23..6ef95ee 100644
--- a/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
+++ b/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"sketch.dev/loop/server"
 	"sketch.dev/loop/webui"
 	"sketch.dev/skribe"
 )
@@ -68,6 +69,15 @@
 	// Sketch client public key.
 	SketchPubKey string
 
+	// Host port for the container's ssh server
+	SSHPort int
+
+	// Public keys authorized to connect to the container's ssh server
+	SSHAuthorizedKeys []byte
+
+	// Private key used to identify the container's ssh server
+	SSHServerIdentity []byte
+
 	// Host information to pass to the container
 	HostHostname   string
 	HostOS         string
@@ -251,7 +261,7 @@
 		// the scrollback (which is not good, but also not fatal).  I can't see why it does this
 		// though, since none of the calls in postContainerInitConfig obviously write to stdout
 		// or stderr.
-		if err := postContainerInitConfig(ctx, localAddr, commit, gitSrv.gitPort, gitSrv.pass); err != nil {
+		if err := postContainerInitConfig(ctx, localAddr, commit, gitSrv.gitPort, gitSrv.pass, config.SSHServerIdentity, config.SSHAuthorizedKeys); err != nil {
 			slog.ErrorContext(ctx, "LaunchContainer.postContainerInitConfig", slog.String("err", err.Error()))
 			errCh <- appendInternalErr(err)
 		}
@@ -368,6 +378,9 @@
 	if config.SketchPubKey != "" {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "-e", "SKETCH_PUB_KEY="+config.SketchPubKey)
 	}
+	if config.SSHPort != 0 {
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "-p", fmt.Sprintf("%d:2022", config.SSHPort)) // forward container ssh port to host ssh port
+	}
 	if relPath != "." {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "-w", "/app/"+relPath)
 	}
@@ -471,13 +484,17 @@
 }
 
 // Contact the container and configure it.
-func postContainerInitConfig(ctx context.Context, localAddr, commit, gitPort, gitPass string) error {
+func postContainerInitConfig(ctx context.Context, localAddr, commit, gitPort, gitPass string, sshServerIdentity, sshAuthorizedKeys []byte) error {
 	localURL := "http://" + localAddr
-	initMsg, err := json.Marshal(map[string]string{
-		"commit":          commit,
-		"git_remote_addr": fmt.Sprintf("http://sketch:%s@host.docker.internal:%s/.git", gitPass, gitPort),
-		"host_addr":       localAddr,
-	})
+
+	initMsg, err := json.Marshal(
+		server.InitRequest{
+			Commit:            commit,
+			GitRemoteAddr:     fmt.Sprintf("http://sketch:%s@host.docker.internal:%s/.git", gitPass, gitPort),
+			HostAddr:          localAddr,
+			SSHAuthorizedKeys: sshAuthorizedKeys,
+			SSHServerIdentity: sshServerIdentity,
+		})
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("init msg: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 738d758..6d2bb2d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -8,18 +8,21 @@
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.7.0
 	github.com/richardlehane/crock32 v1.0.1
+	go.skia.org/infra v0.0.0-20250421160028-59e18403fd4a
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.37.0
 	golang.org/x/net v0.38.0
-	golang.org/x/sync v0.12.0
-	golang.org/x/term v0.30.0
+	golang.org/x/sync v0.13.0
+	golang.org/x/term v0.31.0
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.31.0
 	mvdan.cc/sh/v3 v3.11.0
 )
 
 require (
+	github.com/anmitsu/go-shlex v0.0.0-20200514113438-38f4b401e2be // indirect
+	github.com/gliderlabs/ssh v0.3.8 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.13 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 // indirect
-	go.skia.org/infra v0.0.0-20250421160028-59e18403fd4a // indirect
 	golang.org/x/mod v0.24.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.31.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/text v0.23.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.32.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/text v0.24.0 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a854e69..2741a4a 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+github.com/anmitsu/go-shlex v0.0.0-20200514113438-38f4b401e2be h1:9AeTilPcZAjCFIImctFaOjnTIavg87rW78vTPkQqLI8=
+github.com/anmitsu/go-shlex v0.0.0-20200514113438-38f4b401e2be/go.mod h1:ySMOLuWl6zY27l47sB3qLNK6tF2fkHG55UZxx8oIVo4=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.24 h1:bJrF4RRfyJnbTJqzRLHzcGaZK1NeM5kTC9jGgovnR1s=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.24/go.mod h1:08sCNb52WyoAwi2QDyzUCTgcvVFhUzewun7wtTfvcwE=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/evanw/esbuild v0.25.2 h1:ublSEmZSjzOc6jLO1OTQy/vHc1wiqyDF4oB3hz5sM6s=
 github.com/evanw/esbuild v0.25.2/go.mod h1:D2vIQZqV/vIf/VRHtViaUtViZmG7o+kKmlBfVQuRi48=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0 h1:S8gINlzdQ840/4pfAwic/ZE0djQEH3wM94VfqLTZcOM=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.18.0/go.mod h1:4FelSpRwEGDpQ12mAdzqdOukCy4u8WUtOY6lkT/6HfU=
+github.com/gliderlabs/ssh v0.3.8 h1:a4YXD1V7xMF9g5nTkdfnja3Sxy1PVDCj1Zg4Wb8vY6c=
+github.com/gliderlabs/ssh v0.3.8/go.mod h1:xYoytBv1sV0aL3CavoDuJIQNURXkkfPA/wxQ1pL1fAU=
 github.com/go-quicktest/qt v1.101.0 h1:O1K29Txy5P2OK0dGo59b7b0LR6wKfIhttaAhHUyn7eI=
 github.com/go-quicktest/qt v1.101.0/go.mod h1:14Bz/f7NwaXPtdYEgzsx46kqSxVwTbzVZsDC26tQJow=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.7.0 h1:wk8382ETsv4JYUZwIsn6YpYiWiBsYLSJiTsyBybVuN8=
@@ -17,28 +23,36 @@
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.16/go.mod h1:kYGgaQfpe5nmfYZH+SKPsOc2e4SrIfOl2e/yFXSvRLM=
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 h1:xfD0iDuEKnDkl03q4limB+vH+GxLEtL/jb4xVJSWWEY=
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20/go.mod h1:W+V8PltTTMOvKvAeJH7IuucS94S2C6jfK/D7dTCTo3Y=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/richardlehane/crock32 v1.0.1 h1:GV9EqtAr7RminQ8oGrDt3gYXkzDDPJ5fROaO1Mux14g=
 github.com/richardlehane/crock32 v1.0.1/go.mod h1:xUIlLABtHBgs1bNIBdUQR9F2xtRzS0TujtbR68hmEWU=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.14.1 h1:UQB4HGPB6osV0SQTLymcB4TgvyWu6ZyliaW0tI/otEQ=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.14.1/go.mod h1:MaRKkUm5W0goXpeCfT7UZI6fk/L7L7so1lCWt35ZSgc=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.10.0 h1:Xv5erBjTwe/5IxqUQTdXv5kgmIvbHo3QQyRwhJsOfJA=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.10.0/go.mod h1:r2ic/lqez/lEtzL7wO/rwa5dbSLXVDPFyf8C91i36aY=
 go.skia.org/infra v0.0.0-20250421160028-59e18403fd4a h1:XqDi+8oE4eakFiXZXmQlsPaZTTdsPOy54jP3my6lIcU=
 go.skia.org/infra v0.0.0-20250421160028-59e18403fd4a/go.mod h1:itQeLiwIYtXPJJEqdxRpOlS77LNv/quHjkyy+SaXrkw=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.37.0 h1:kJNSjF/Xp7kU0iB2Z+9viTPMW4EqqsrywMXLJOOsXSE=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.37.0/go.mod h1:vg+k43peMZ0pUMhYmVAWysMK35e6ioLh3wB8ZCAfbVc=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.24.0 h1:ZfthKaKaT4NrhGVZHO1/WDTwGES4De8KtWO0SIbNJMU=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.24.0/go.mod h1:IXM97Txy2VM4PJ3gI61r1YEk/gAj6zAHN3AdZt6S9Ww=
 golang.org/x/net v0.38.0 h1:vRMAPTMaeGqVhG5QyLJHqNDwecKTomGeqbnfZyKlBI8=
 golang.org/x/net v0.38.0/go.mod h1:ivrbrMbzFq5J41QOQh0siUuly180yBYtLp+CKbEaFx8=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.12.0 h1:MHc5BpPuC30uJk597Ri8TV3CNZcTLu6B6z4lJy+g6Jw=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.12.0/go.mod h1:1dzgHSNfp02xaA81J2MS99Qcpr2w7fw1gpm99rleRqA=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.13.0 h1:AauUjRAJ9OSnvULf/ARrrVywoJDy0YS2AwQ98I37610=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.13.0/go.mod h1:1dzgHSNfp02xaA81J2MS99Qcpr2w7fw1gpm99rleRqA=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220715151400-c0bba94af5f8/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220811171246-fbc7d0a398ab/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.31.0 h1:ioabZlmFYtWhL+TRYpcnNlLwhyxaM9kWTDEmfnprqik=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.31.0/go.mod h1:BJP2sWEmIv4KK5OTEluFJCKSidICx8ciO85XgH3Ak8k=
-golang.org/x/term v0.30.0 h1:PQ39fJZ+mfadBm0y5WlL4vlM7Sx1Hgf13sMIY2+QS9Y=
-golang.org/x/term v0.30.0/go.mod h1:NYYFdzHoI5wRh/h5tDMdMqCqPJZEuNqVR5xJLd/n67g=
-golang.org/x/text v0.23.0 h1:D71I7dUrlY+VX0gQShAThNGHFxZ13dGLBHQLVl1mJlY=
-golang.org/x/text v0.23.0/go.mod h1:/BLNzu4aZCJ1+kcD0DNRotWKage4q2rGVAg4o22unh4=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.32.0 h1:s77OFDvIQeibCmezSnk/q6iAfkdiQaJi4VzroCFrN20=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.32.0/go.mod h1:BJP2sWEmIv4KK5OTEluFJCKSidICx8ciO85XgH3Ak8k=
+golang.org/x/term v0.31.0 h1:erwDkOK1Msy6offm1mOgvspSkslFnIGsFnxOKoufg3o=
+golang.org/x/term v0.31.0/go.mod h1:R4BeIy7D95HzImkxGkTW1UQTtP54tio2RyHz7PwK0aw=
+golang.org/x/text v0.24.0 h1:dd5Bzh4yt5KYA8f9CJHCP4FB4D51c2c6JvN37xJJkJ0=
+golang.org/x/text v0.24.0/go.mod h1:L8rBsPeo2pSS+xqN0d5u2ikmjtmoJbDBT1b7nHvFCdU=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.31.0 h1:0EedkvKDbh+qistFTd0Bcwe/YLh4vHwWEkiI0toFIBU=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.31.0/go.mod h1:naFTU+Cev749tSJRXJlna0T3WxKvb1kWEx15xA4SdmQ=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 mvdan.cc/sh/v3 v3.11.0 h1:q5h+XMDRfUGUedCqFFsjoFjrhwf2Mvtt1rkMvVz0blw=
 mvdan.cc/sh/v3 v3.11.0/go.mod h1:LRM+1NjoYCzuq/WZ6y44x14YNAI0NK7FLPeQSaFagGg=
diff --git a/loop/server/loophttp.go b/loop/server/loophttp.go
index a814551..d83d8cf 100644
--- a/loop/server/loophttp.go
+++ b/loop/server/loophttp.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -66,6 +67,14 @@
 	RuntimeWorkingDir string `json:"runtime_working_dir,omitempty"`
 }
 
+type InitRequest struct {
+	HostAddr          string `json:"host_addr"`
+	GitRemoteAddr     string `json:"git_remote_addr"`
+	Commit            string `json:"commit"`
+	SSHAuthorizedKeys []byte `json:"ssh_authorized_keys"`
+	SSHServerIdentity []byte `json:"ssh_server_identity"`
+}
+
 // Server serves sketch HTTP. Server implements http.Handler.
 type Server struct {
 	mux      *http.ServeMux
@@ -146,20 +155,29 @@
 			http.Error(w, "failed to read request body: "+err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
 			return
 		}
-		m := make(map[string]string)
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &m); err != nil {
+
+		m := &InitRequest{}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(body, m); err != nil {
 			http.Error(w, "bad request body: "+err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
 			return
 		}
-		hostAddr := m["host_addr"]
-		gitRemoteAddr := m["git_remote_addr"]
-		commit := m["commit"]
+
+		// Start the SSH server if the init request included ssh keys.
+		if len(m.SSHAuthorizedKeys) > 0 && len(m.SSHServerIdentity) > 0 {
+			go func() {
+				ctx := context.Background()
+				if err := s.ServeSSH(ctx, m.SSHServerIdentity, m.SSHAuthorizedKeys); err != nil {
+					slog.ErrorContext(r.Context(), "/init ServeSSH", slog.String("err", err.Error()))
+				}
+			}()
+		}
+
 		ini := loop.AgentInit{
 			WorkingDir:    "/app",
 			InDocker:      true,
-			Commit:        commit,
-			GitRemoteAddr: gitRemoteAddr,
-			HostAddr:      hostAddr,
+			Commit:        m.Commit,
+			GitRemoteAddr: m.GitRemoteAddr,
+			HostAddr:      m.HostAddr,
 		}
 		if err := agent.Init(ini); err != nil {
 			http.Error(w, "init failed: "+err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
diff --git a/loop/server/sshserver.go b/loop/server/sshserver.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b1f9e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/loop/server/sshserver.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"syscall"
+	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/creack/pty"
+	"github.com/gliderlabs/ssh"
+)
+
+func setWinsize(f *os.File, w, h int) {
+	syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, f.Fd(), uintptr(syscall.TIOCSWINSZ),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&struct{ h, w, x, y uint16 }{uint16(h), uint16(w), 0, 0})))
+}
+
+func (s *Server) ServeSSH(ctx context.Context, hostKey, authorizedKeys []byte) error {
+	allowed, _, _, _, err := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey(authorizedKeys)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ServeSSH: couldn't parse authorized keys: %w", err)
+	}
+	return ssh.ListenAndServe(":2022",
+		func(s ssh.Session) {
+			handleSessionfunc(ctx, s)
+		},
+		ssh.HostKeyPEM(hostKey),
+		ssh.PublicKeyAuth(func(ctx ssh.Context, key ssh.PublicKey) bool {
+			return ssh.KeysEqual(key, allowed)
+		}),
+	)
+}
+
+func handleSessionfunc(ctx context.Context, s ssh.Session) {
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "/bin/bash")
+	ptyReq, winCh, isPty := s.Pty()
+	if isPty {
+		cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, fmt.Sprintf("TERM=%s", ptyReq.Term))
+		f, err := pty.Start(cmd)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		go func() {
+			for win := range winCh {
+				setWinsize(f, win.Width, win.Height)
+			}
+		}()
+		go func() {
+			io.Copy(f, s) // stdin
+		}()
+		io.Copy(s, f) // stdout
+		cmd.Wait()
+	} else {
+		io.WriteString(s, "No PTY requested.\n")
+		s.Exit(1)
+	}
+}