diff --git a/tmate-slave.c b/tmate-slave.c
index 47d521fb..db8766c9 100644
--- a/tmate-slave.c
+++ b/tmate-slave.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ extern int client_connect(char *path, int start_server);
 
 static void usage(void)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "usage: tmate-slave [-l logfile] [-p PORT] [-v]\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "usage: tmate-slave [-k keys_dir] [-l logfile] [-p PORT] [-v]\n");
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int opt;
 	int port = TMATE_DEFAULT_PORT;
 	char *log_path = NULL; /* stderr */
+	char *keys_dir = "keys";
 
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "p:l:v")) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "p:l:vk:")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'p':
 			port = atoi(optarg);
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'l':
 			log_path = optarg;
 			break;
+		case 'k':
+			keys_dir = optarg;
+			break;
 		case 'v':
 			debug_level++;
 			break;
@@ -63,7 +67,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	tmate_preload_trace_lib();
 
-	tmate_ssh_server_main(port);
+	tmate_ssh_server_main(keys_dir, port);
 	return 0;
 }
 static void set_session_token(struct tmate_ssh_client *client,
diff --git a/tmate-ssh-server.c b/tmate-ssh-server.c
index 9ff08a92..ce17adc0 100644
--- a/tmate-ssh-server.c
+++ b/tmate-ssh-server.c
@@ -258,16 +258,13 @@ static int get_ip(int fd, char *dst, size_t len)
 
 struct tmate_ssh_client tmate_client;
 
-void tmate_ssh_server_main(int port)
+static ssh_bind prepare_ssh(const char *keys_dir, int port)
 {
-	struct tmate_ssh_client *client = &tmate_client;
 	ssh_bind bind;
-	pid_t pid;
-
+	char buffer[PATH_MAX];
 	int verbosity = SSH_LOG_NOLOG;
 	//int verbosity = SSH_LOG_PACKET;
 
-	setup_signals();
 	ssh_callbacks_init(&ssh_session_callbacks);
 
 	bind = ssh_bind_new();
@@ -275,16 +272,32 @@ void tmate_ssh_server_main(int port)
 		tmate_fatal("Cannot initialize ssh");
 
 	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_BINDPORT, &port);
-	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_BANNER, SSH_BANNER);
+	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_BANNER, TMATE_SSH_BANNER);
 	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_LOG_VERBOSITY, &verbosity);
-	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_DSAKEY, "keys/ssh_host_dsa_key");
-	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_RSAKEY, "keys/ssh_host_rsa_key");
+
+	sprintf(buffer, "%s/ssh_host_dsa_key", keys_dir);
+	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_DSAKEY, buffer);
+
+	sprintf(buffer, "%s/ssh_host_rsa_key", keys_dir);
+	ssh_bind_options_set(bind, SSH_BIND_OPTIONS_RSAKEY, buffer);
 
 	if (ssh_bind_listen(bind) < 0)
 		tmate_fatal("Error listening to socket: %s\n", ssh_get_error(bind));
 
 	tmate_info("Accepting connections on %d", port);
 
+	return bind;
+}
+
+void tmate_ssh_server_main(const char *keys_dir, int port)
+{
+	struct tmate_ssh_client *client = &tmate_client;
+	ssh_bind bind;
+	pid_t pid;
+
+	setup_signals();
+	bind = prepare_ssh(keys_dir, port);
+
 	for (;;) {
 		client->session = ssh_new();
 		client->channel = NULL;
diff --git a/tmate.h b/tmate.h
index 50ac3b57..d5ec06a3 100644
--- a/tmate.h
+++ b/tmate.h
@@ -113,10 +113,10 @@ extern void tmate_flush_pty(struct tmate_ssh_client *client);
 
 /* tmate-ssh-server.c */
 
-#define SSH_BANNER "tmate"
+#define TMATE_SSH_BANNER "tmate"
 
 extern struct tmate_ssh_client tmate_client;
-extern void tmate_ssh_server_main(int port);
+extern void tmate_ssh_server_main(const char *keys_dir, int port);
 
 /* tmate-slave.c */