diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
index 59b02d5ae..75a74d0ff 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
@@ -371,6 +371,12 @@ func ec2BaseTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 		p.AddStage(osbuild.NewRHSMStage(rhsmStageOptions))
 	}
 
+	p.AddStage((osbuild.NewSshdConfigStage(&osbuild.SshdConfigStageOptions{
+		Config: osbuild.SshdConfigConfig{
+			PasswordAuthentication: common.BoolToPtr(false),
+		},
+	})))
+
 	return p, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ami-boot.json b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ami-boot.json
index 40ac0a95c..8e10a8b7b 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ami-boot.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ami-boot.json
@@ -1060,6 +1060,14 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          {
+            "type": "org.osbuild.sshd.config",
+            "options": {
+              "config": {
+                "PasswordAuthentication": false
+              }
+            }
+          },
           {
             "type": "org.osbuild.fstab",
             "options": {
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ec2-boot.json b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ec2-boot.json
index 030915d30..e56617807 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ec2-boot.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-aarch64-ec2-boot.json
@@ -1074,6 +1074,14 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          {
+            "type": "org.osbuild.sshd.config",
+            "options": {
+              "config": {
+                "PasswordAuthentication": false
+              }
+            }
+          },
           {
             "type": "org.osbuild.fstab",
             "options": {
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ami-boot.json b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ami-boot.json
index 1aeacf228..00fa7b197 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ami-boot.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ami-boot.json
@@ -1035,6 +1035,14 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          {
+            "type": "org.osbuild.sshd.config",
+            "options": {
+              "config": {
+                "PasswordAuthentication": false
+              }
+            }
+          },
           {
             "type": "org.osbuild.dracut.conf",
             "options": {
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2-boot.json b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2-boot.json
index 6ddde62b3..e9e1fb179 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2-boot.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2-boot.json
@@ -1050,6 +1050,14 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          {
+            "type": "org.osbuild.sshd.config",
+            "options": {
+              "config": {
+                "PasswordAuthentication": false
+              }
+            }
+          },
           {
             "type": "org.osbuild.dracut.conf",
             "options": {
diff --git a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2_ha-boot.json b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2_ha-boot.json
index a13aa4093..09d88c85c 100644
--- a/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2_ha-boot.json
+++ b/test/data/manifests/rhel_85-x86_64-ec2_ha-boot.json
@@ -1234,6 +1234,14 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          {
+            "type": "org.osbuild.sshd.config",
+            "options": {
+              "config": {
+                "PasswordAuthentication": false
+              }
+            }
+          },
           {
             "type": "org.osbuild.dracut.conf",
             "options": {