diff --git a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
index 321f8f17c4..6102fe98fe 100644
--- a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
+++ b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/language/English/strings.xml
@@ -42,4 +42,5 @@
 
 	<string id="5020">SSH</string>
 	<string id="5021">Start ssh server at boot</string>
+	<string id="5022">Disable password authentication</string>
 </strings>
diff --git a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
index 6387300912..7305bc4979 100644
--- a/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
+++ b/packages/mediacenter/xbmc-addon-settings/source/resources/settings.xml
@@ -73,5 +73,6 @@
 		<setting label="5020" type="lsep"/>
 		<setting type="sep" />
 		<setting id="SSHD_START" type="bool" label="5021" default="false" />
+		<setting id="SSHD_DISABLE_PW_AUTH" type="bool" label="5022" default="false" visible="eq(-1,true)"/>
     </category>
 </settings>
diff --git a/packages/network/openssh/init.d/51_sshd b/packages/network/openssh/init.d/51_sshd
index d8effb1e9c..63c5cf5518 100644
--- a/packages/network/openssh/init.d/51_sshd
+++ b/packages/network/openssh/init.d/51_sshd
@@ -81,10 +81,16 @@
         cp /etc/ssh/known_hosts $HOME/.ssh
       fi
 
+    # Check if password authentication is disabled
+      OPTIONS=""
+
+      if [ "$SSHD_DISABLE_PW_AUTH" == "true" ] ; then
+        OPTIONS="-o 'PasswordAuthentication no'"
+      fi
       progress "Starting SSH Server"
 
       mkdir -p /var/empty
       chmod -R 600 /var/empty
-      $SSHD
+      eval $SSHD $OPTIONS
     fi
   )&