diff --git a/scripts/installer.sh b/scripts/installer.sh
index a98fc4681..93fc880e5 100755
--- a/scripts/installer.sh
+++ b/scripts/installer.sh
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ if [[ ${try} -eq 10 ]]; then
     exit 4
 fi
 
+echo "==> installer: ensure sshfs is installed"
+apt install -y sshfs
+
 echo "==> installer: downloading new addon images"
 images=$(node -e "var i = require('${box_src_tmp_dir}/src/infra_version.js'); console.log(i.baseImages.map(function (x) { return x.tag; }).join(' '), Object.keys(i.images).map(function (x) { return i.images[x].tag; }).join(' '));")
 
diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 581cc1bad..a4bceee18 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ function debugApp(app) {
 function api(provider) {
     switch (provider) {
     case 'cifs': return require('./storage/filesystem.js');
+    case 'sshfs': return require('./storage/sshfs.js');
     case 's3': return require('./storage/s3.js');
     case 'gcs': return require('./storage/gcs.js');
     case 'filesystem': return require('./storage/filesystem.js');
diff --git a/src/storage/sshfs.js b/src/storage/sshfs.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82494e519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/storage/sshfs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+'use strict';
+
+exports = module.exports = {
+    upload: upload,
+    download: download,
+
+    copy: copy,
+
+    listDir: listDir,
+
+    remove: remove,
+    removeDir: removeDir,
+
+    testConfig: testConfig,
+    removePrivateFields: removePrivateFields,
+    injectPrivateFields: injectPrivateFields
+};
+
+var assert = require('assert'),
+    BoxError = require('../boxerror.js'),
+    debug = require('debug')('box:storage/sshfs'),
+    filesystem = require('./filesystem.js'),
+    mkdirp = require('mkdirp'),
+    path = require('path'),
+    safe = require('safetydance'),
+    shell = require('../shell.js');
+
+// we mostly reuse the filesystem.js implementation but the config params are different
+function translateConfig(apiConfig) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+
+    // skip chown
+    apiConfig._doNotChown = true;
+
+    // do not preserver file attributes
+    apiConfig._doNotPreserveAttributes = true;
+
+    // resolve the actual path
+    apiConfig.backupFolder = path.join(apiConfig.mountPoint, apiConfig.prefix);
+
+    return apiConfig;
+}
+
+// storage api
+function upload(apiConfig, backupFilePath, sourceStream, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof backupFilePath, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof sourceStream, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    filesystem.upload(translateConfig(apiConfig), backupFilePath, sourceStream, callback);
+}
+
+function download(apiConfig, sourceFilePath, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof sourceFilePath, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    filesystem.download(translateConfig(apiConfig), sourceFilePath, callback);
+}
+
+function listDir(apiConfig, dir, batchSize, iteratorCallback, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof dir, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof batchSize, 'number');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof iteratorCallback, 'function');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    filesystem.listDir(translateConfig(apiConfig), dir, batchSize, iteratorCallback, callback);
+}
+
+function copy(apiConfig, oldFilePath, newFilePath) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof oldFilePath, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof newFilePath, 'string');
+
+    return filesystem.copy(translateConfig(apiConfig), oldFilePath, newFilePath);
+}
+
+function remove(apiConfig, filename, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof filename, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    filename.remove(translateConfig(apiConfig), filename, callback);
+}
+
+function removeDir(apiConfig, pathPrefix) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof pathPrefix, 'string');
+
+    return filesystem.removeDir(translateConfig(apiConfig), pathPrefix);
+}
+
+function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    if (!apiConfig.mountPoint || typeof apiConfig.mountPoint !== 'string') return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'mountPoint must be non-empty string', { field: 'mountPoint' }));
+
+    if ('noHardlinks' in apiConfig && typeof apiConfig.noHardlinks !== 'boolean') return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'noHardlinks must be boolean', { field: 'noHardLinks' }));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.prefix !== 'string') return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'prefix must be a string', { field: 'prefix' }));
+
+    // TODO check fstab entry
+    // TODO check mountpoint
+    // TODO check we can stat backup dir
+    // TODO check backup dir is dir
+    // TODO check we can create 'snapshot' folder
+    // TODO check we can write to backup dir (create and remove test file)
+
+    callback(null);
+}
+
+function removePrivateFields(apiConfig) {
+    return apiConfig;
+}
+
+function injectPrivateFields(/* newConfig, currentConfig */) {
+}