diff --git a/src/freedombone-image b/src/freedombone-image
index c972ea48..06271e45 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-image
+++ b/src/freedombone-image
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ DEFAULT_DOMAIN_NAME="${PROJECT_NAME}.local"
 # Minimum number of characters in a password
 MINIMUM_PASSWORD_LENGTH=10
 
+# Optional ssh public key to allow
+SSH_PUBKEY="no"
+
 while [[ $# > 1 ]]
 do
 key="$1"
@@ -91,6 +94,10 @@ case $key in
         exit 3628
     fi
     ;;
+    --sshkey|--sshpubkey|--pubkey)
+    shift
+    SSH_PUBKEY="$1"
+    ;;
     -s|--size)
     shift
     IMAGE_SIZE="$1"
@@ -169,7 +176,8 @@ make $IMAGE_TYPE \
     NAMESERVER2="$NAMESERVER2" \
     PROJECT_NAME="$PROJECT_NAME" \
     CONFIG_FILENAME="$CONFIG_FILENAME" \
-    IMAGE_SIZE="$IMAGE_SIZE"
+    IMAGE_SIZE="$IMAGE_SIZE" \
+	SSH_PUBKEY="$SSH_PUBKEY"
 
 shopt -s nullglob
 imgfiles=(build/${PROJECT_NAME}*.img)
diff --git a/src/freedombone-image-customise b/src/freedombone-image-customise
index 233f37e5..300335ef 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-image-customise
+++ b/src/freedombone-image-customise
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ NAMESERVER2='85.214.20.141'
 # optional configuration file containing freedombone settings
 CONFIG_FILENAME=
 
+# Optional ssh public key to allow
+SSH_PUBKEY="no"
+
 enable_eatmydata_override() {
     chroot $rootdir apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y eatmydata
     if [ -x $rootdir/usr/bin/eatmydata ] && \
@@ -149,6 +152,20 @@ To complete the installation run the following:
 ' > $rootdir/etc/init.d/motd
 }
 
+configure_ssh {
+    if [[ "$SSH_PUBKEY" != "no" ]]; then
+        if [ ! -d $rootdir/home/$MY_USERNAME/.ssh ]; then
+            mkdir $rootdir/home/$MY_USERNAME/.ssh
+        fi
+        echo "$SSH_PUBKEY" > $rootdir/home/$MY_USERNAME/.ssh/authorized_keys
+        chroot $rootdir chown -R $MY_USERNAME:$MY_USERNAME /home/$MY_USERNAME/.ssh
+        sed -i 's|PasswordAuthentication.*|PasswordAuthentication no|g' $rootdir/etc/ssh/sshd_config
+        echo "Using ssh public key:"
+        echo $SSH_PUBKEY
+        echo 'Password ssh authentication turned off'
+    fi
+}
+
 continue_installation {
     # If a configuration file exists then run with it
     # otherwise the interactive installer can be used
@@ -252,6 +269,7 @@ fi
 set_apt_sources $MIRROR
 chroot $rootdir apt-get update
 
+configure_ssh
 configure_networking
 continue_installation
 
diff --git a/src/freedombone-image-make b/src/freedombone-image-make
index 7f2fc43d..40827b09 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-image-make
+++ b/src/freedombone-image-make
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export NAMESERVER1
 export NAMESERVER2
 export PROJECT_NAME
 export CONFIG_FILENAME
+export SSH_PUBKEY
 
 # Locate vmdebootstrap program fetched in Makefile
 basedir=`pwd`
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ sudo sed -i "s|NAMESERVER1=.*|NAMESERVER1=${NAMESERVER1}|g" $TEMP_CUSTOMISE
 sudo sed -i "s|NAMESERVER2=.*|NAMESERVER2=${NAMESERVER1}|g" $TEMP_CUSTOMISE
 sudo sed -i "s|PROJECT_NAME=.*|PROJECT_NAME=${PROJECT_NAME}|g" $TEMP_CUSTOMISE
 sudo sed -i "s|CONFIG_FILENAME=.*|CONFIG_FILENAME=${CONFIG_FILENAME}|g" $TEMP_CUSTOMISE
+sudo sed -i "s|SSH_PUBKEY=.*|SSH_PUBKEY=${SSH_PUBKEY}|g" $TEMP_CUSTOMISE
 
 echo "starting $VMDEBOOTSTRAP"
 # Run vmdebootstrap script to create image