diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index 1a17b89d8..c20da1ef4 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ def get_remote_command(remote_args: List[str], hostname: str = 'localhost', inte
         else:
             args = [c.replace("'", """'"'"'""") for c in remote_args]
             command_to_execute = "exec \"$login_shell\" -c '{}'".format(' '.join(args))
-    sh_script = load_script(exec_cmd=command_to_execute)
+    sh_script = load_script(script_type='py' if is_python else 'sh', exec_cmd=command_to_execute)
     return [f'{interpreter} -c {shlex.quote(sh_script)}']
 
 
diff --git a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..046bae2e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py
@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2022, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+
+import atexit
+import base64
+import getpass
+import io
+import os
+import pwd
+import select
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tarfile
+import tempfile
+import termios
+import tty
+
+tty_fd = -1
+original_termios_state = None
+data_dir = shell_integration_dir = ''
+HOME = os.path.expanduser('~')
+login_shell = pwd.getpwuid(os.geteuid()).pw_shell or 'sh'
+
+
+def cleanup():
+    global tty_fd, original_termios_state
+    if tty_fd > -1:
+        if original_termios_state is not None:
+            termios.tcsetattr(tty_fd, termios.TCSANOW, original_termios_state)
+            original_termios_state = None
+        os.close(tty_fd)
+        tty_fd = -1
+
+
+def write_all(fd, data) -> None:
+    if isinstance(data, str):
+        data = data.encode('utf-8')
+    data = memoryview(data)
+    while data:
+        try:
+            n = os.write(fd, data)
+        except BlockingIOError:
+            continue
+        if not n:
+            break
+        data = data[n:]
+
+
+def dcs_to_kitty(type, payload):
+    if isinstance(payload, str):
+        payload = payload.encode('utf-8')
+    payload = base64.standard_b64encode(payload)
+    return b'\033P@kitty-' + type.encode('ascii') + b'|' + payload + b'\033\\'
+
+
+def send_data_request():
+    hostname = os.environ.get('HOSTNAME') or os.uname().nodename
+    write_all(tty_fd, dcs_to_kitty('ssh', 'hostname={}:pwfile=PASSWORD_FILENAME:user={}:pw=DATA_PASSWORD'.format(hostname, getpass.getuser())))
+
+
+def apply_env_vars(raw):
+    global login_shell
+
+    def process_defn(defn, dest):
+        parts = defn.split('=', 1)
+        if len(parts) == 1:
+            key, val = parts[0], ''
+        else:
+            key, val = parts
+        dest[key] = val
+
+    for line in raw.splitlines():
+        if line.startswith('export '):
+            process_defn(line.split(' ', 1)[-1], os.environ)
+        elif line.startswith('unset '):
+            os.environ.pop(line.split(' ', 1)[-1], None)
+    login_shell = os.environ.pop('KITTY_LOGIN_SHELL', login_shell)
+
+
+def move(src, dest):
+    for x in os.listdir(src):
+        os.rename(os.path.join(src, x), os.path.join(dest, x))
+
+
+def compile_terminfo():
+    if not shutil.which('tic'):
+        return
+    tname = '.terminfo'
+    if os.path.exists('/usr/share/misc/terminfo.cdb'):
+        tname += '.cdb'
+    cp = subprocess.run(
+        ['tic', '-x', '-o', os.path.join(HOME, tname), os.path.join(HOME, '.terminfo', 'kitty.terminfo')],
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT
+    )
+    if cp.returncode != 0:
+        sys.stderr.buffer.write(cp.stdout)
+        raise SystemExit('Failed to compile the terminfo database')
+
+
+def get_data():
+    global data_dir, shell_integration_dir
+    data = b''
+
+    while data.count(b'\036') < 2:
+        select.select([tty_fd], [], [])
+        n = os.read(tty_fd, 64)
+        if not n:
+            raise SystemExit('Unexpected EOF while reading data from terminal')
+        data += n
+    leading_data, size, data = data.split(b'\036', 2)
+    if size.startswith(b'!'):
+        raise SystemExit(size[1:].decode('utf-8', 'replace'))
+    size = int(size)
+    while len(data) < size:
+        select.select([tty_fd], [], [])
+        n = os.read(tty_fd, size - len(data))
+        if not n:
+            raise SystemExit('Unexpected EOF while reading data from terminal')
+        data += n
+    cleanup()
+    if leading_data:
+        # clear current line as it might have things echoed on it from leading_data
+        # because we only turn off echo in this script whereas the leading bytes could
+        # have been sent before the script had a chance to run
+        print(end='\r\033[K')
+    data = base64.standard_b64decode(data)
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=HOME, prefix='.kitty-ssh-kitten-untar-') as tdir, tarfile.open(fileobj=io.BytesIO(data)) as tf:
+        tf.extractall(tdir)
+        with open(tdir + '/data.sh') as f:
+            env_vars = f.read()
+            apply_env_vars(env_vars)
+            data_dir = os.path.join(HOME, os.environ.pop('KITTY_SSH_KITTEN_DATA_DIR'))
+            shell_integration_dir = os.path.join(data_dir, 'shell-integration')
+            move(tdir + '/home', HOME)
+            if os.path.exists(tdir + '/root'):
+                move(tdir + '/root', '/')
+
+
+def exec_bash_with_integration():
+    os.environ['ENV'] = os.path.join(shell_integration_dir, 'bash', 'kitty.bash')
+    os.environ['KITTY_BASH_INJECT'] = '1'
+    if not os.environ.get('HISTFILE'):
+        os.environ['HISTFILE'] = os.path.join(HOME, '.bash_history')
+        os.environ['KITTY_BASH_UNEXPORT_HISTFILE'] = '1'
+    os.execlp(login_shell, '--posix')
+
+
+def exec_zsh_with_integration():
+    zdotdir = os.environ.get('ZDOTDIR') or ''
+    if not zdotdir:
+        zdotdir = HOME
+        os.environ.pop('KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR', None)  # ensure this is not propagated
+    else:
+        os.environ['KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR'] = zdotdir
+    # dont prevent zsh-new-user from running
+    for q in '.zshrc .zshenv .zprofile .zlogin'.split():
+        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(HOME, q)):
+            break
+    else:
+        os.environ.pop('KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR', None)  # ensure this is not propagated
+        return
+    os.execlp(login_shell, '-l')
+
+
+def exec_fish_with_integration():
+    if not os.environ.get('XDG_DATA_DIRS'):
+        os.environ['XDG_DATA_DIRS'] = shell_integration_dir
+    else:
+        os.environ['XDG_DATA_DIRS'] = f'{shell_integration_dir}:' + os.environ['XDG_DATA_DIRS']
+    os.environ['KITTY_FISH_XDG_DATA_DIR'] = shell_integration_dir
+    os.execlp(login_shell, '-l')
+
+
+def exec_with_shell_integration():
+    shell_name = os.path.basename(login_shell).lower()
+    if shell_name == 'bash':
+        exec_bash_with_integration()
+    if shell_name == 'zsh':
+        exec_zsh_with_integration()
+    if shell_name == 'fish':
+        exec_fish_with_integration()
+
+
+def main():
+    global tty_fd, original_termios_state, login_shell
+    try:
+        tty_fd = os.open(os.ctermid(), os.O_RDWR | os.O_NONBLOCK | os.O_NOINHERIT)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    else:
+        try:
+            original_termios_state = termios.tcgetattr(tty_fd)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            tty.makeraw(tty_fd, termios.TCSANOW)
+            new_state = termios.tcgetattr(tty_fd)
+            new_state[3] &= ~termios.ECHO
+            new_state[-1][termios.VMIN] = 1
+            new_state[-1][termios.VTIME] = 0
+            termios.tcsetattr(tty_fd, termios.TCSANOW, new_state)
+    if original_termios_state is not None:
+        try:
+            send_data_request()
+            get_data()
+        finally:
+            cleanup()
+    ksi = frozenset(filter(None, os.environ.pop('KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION', '').split()))
+    compile_terminfo()
+    exec_cmd = b'EXEC_CMD'
+    if exec_cmd:
+        cmd = base64.standard_b64decode(exec_cmd).decode('utf-8')
+        os.execlp(login_shell, os.path.basename(login_shell), '-c', cmd)
+    if ksi and 'no-rc' not in ksi:
+        exec_with_shell_integration()
+    os.execlp(login_shell, '-' + os.path.basename(login_shell))
+
+
+atexit.register(cleanup)
+main()