diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index b558c8c14..88b3d2f7f 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
+import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -42,14 +43,18 @@ exec -a "-$shell_name" "$0"
 def parse_ssh_args(args):
     boolean_ssh_args = {'-' + x for x in '46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy'}
     other_ssh_args = {'-' + x for x in 'bBcDeEFIJlLmOopQRSWw'}
+    passthrough_args = {'-' + x for x in 'Nnf'}
     ssh_args = []
     server_args = []
     expecting_option_val = False
+    passthrough = False
     for arg in args:
         if server_args:
             server_args.append(arg)
             continue
         if arg.startswith('-'):
+            if arg in passthrough_args:
+                passthrough = True
             if arg in boolean_ssh_args:
                 ssh_args.append(arg)
                 continue
@@ -65,22 +70,24 @@ def parse_ssh_args(args):
         server_args.append(arg)
     if not server_args:
         raise SystemExit('Must specify server to connect to')
-    return ssh_args, server_args
+    return ssh_args, server_args, passthrough
 
 
 def main(args):
-    ssh_args, server_args = parse_ssh_args(args[1:])
-    terminfo = subprocess.check_output(['infocmp']).decode('utf-8')
-    sh_script = SHELL_SCRIPT.replace('TERMINFO', terminfo, 1)
-    if len(server_args) > 1:
-        command_to_execute = ["'{}'".format(c.replace("'", """'"'"'""")) for c in server_args[1:]]
-        command_to_execute = 'cmd=({}); exec "$cmd"'.format(' '.join(command_to_execute))
+    ssh_args, server_args, passthrough = parse_ssh_args(args[1:])
+    if passthrough:
+        cmd = ['ssh'] + ssh_args + server_args
     else:
-        command_to_execute = ''
-    sh_script = sh_script.replace('EXEC_CMD', command_to_execute)
-    cmd = ['ssh'] + ssh_args + ['-t', server_args[0], sh_script] + server_args[1:]
-    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd)
-    raise SystemExit(p.wait())
+        terminfo = subprocess.check_output(['infocmp']).decode('utf-8')
+        sh_script = SHELL_SCRIPT.replace('TERMINFO', terminfo, 1)
+        if len(server_args) > 1:
+            command_to_execute = ["'{}'".format(c.replace("'", """'"'"'""")) for c in server_args[1:]]
+            command_to_execute = 'cmd=({}); exec "$cmd"'.format(' '.join(command_to_execute))
+        else:
+            command_to_execute = ''
+        sh_script = sh_script.replace('EXEC_CMD', command_to_execute)
+        cmd = ['ssh'] + ssh_args + ['-t', server_args[0], sh_script] + server_args[1:]
+    os.execvp('ssh', cmd)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':