diff --git a/net/openssh/Makefile b/net/openssh/Makefile
index 2a0863248..c93ae2794 100644
--- a/net/openssh/Makefile
+++ b/net/openssh/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=openssh
 PKG_VERSION:=8.4p1
-PKG_RELEASE:=1
+PKG_RELEASE:=2
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/OpenSSH/portable/ \
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@ define Package/openssh-server/install
 	sed -r -i 's,^#(HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_(rsa|ed25519)_key)$$$$,\1,' $(1)/etc/ssh/sshd_config
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/init.d
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/sshd.init $(1)/etc/init.d/sshd
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/lib/preinit
+	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/sshd.failsafe $(1)/lib/preinit/99_10_failsafe_sshd
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/usr/sbin
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/sbin/sshd $(1)/usr/sbin/
 endef
diff --git a/net/openssh/files/sshd.failsafe b/net/openssh/files/sshd.failsafe
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ed1429bb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/openssh/files/sshd.failsafe
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+failsafe_sshd () {
+
+	# if dropbear is executable it can handle failsafe
+	[ -x /usr/sbin/dropbear ] && return
+
+	sshd_tmpdir=/tmp/sshd
+	mkdir $sshd_tmpdir
+
+	sed -i 's/^root:.*/root::0:17000:::::/g' /etc/shadow
+
+	for type in ed25519; do
+		key=$sshd_tmpdir/ssh_host_${type}_key
+		ssh-keygen -N '' -t ${type} -f ${key}
+	done
+
+	mkdir -m 0700 -p /var/empty
+
+	cat > $sshd_tmpdir/sshd_config <<EOF
+HostKey $sshd_tmpdir/ssh_host_ed25519_key
+PermitRootLogin	yes
+PermitEmptyPasswords yes
+EOF
+
+	/usr/sbin/sshd -f $sshd_tmpdir/sshd_config -E $sshd_tmpdir/sshd.log
+
+}
+
+boot_hook_add failsafe failsafe_sshd