diff --git a/rffmpeg.py b/rffmpeg.py
index 96d8097..dc4e73c 100755
--- a/rffmpeg.py
+++ b/rffmpeg.py
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ except Exception as e:
 
 # Handle the fallback configuration using get() to avoid failing
 config["ssh_command"] = o_config["rffmpeg"]["commands"].get("ssh", "ssh")
+config["remote_persist"] = int(o_config["rffmpeg"]["remote"].get("persist", 0))
 config["fallback_ffmpeg_command"] = o_config["rffmpeg"]["commands"].get("fallback_ffmpeg", config["ffmpeg_command"])
 config["fallback_ffprobe_command"] = o_config["rffmpeg"]["commands"].get("fallback_ffprobe", config["ffprobe_command"])
 
@@ -213,14 +214,17 @@ def setup_remote_command(target_host):
     rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("-q")
 
     # Set our connection timeouts, in case one of several remote machines is offline
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("-o")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("ConnectTimeout=1")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("-o")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("ConnectionAttempts=1")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("-o")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("StrictHostKeyChecking=no")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("-o")
-    rffmpeg_ssh_command.append("UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null")
+    rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "ConnectTimeout=1" ])
+    rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "ConnectionAttempts=1" ])
+    rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "StrictHostKeyChecking=no" ])
+    rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null" ])
+
+    # Use SSH control persistence to keep sessions alive for subsequent commands
+    persist = config["remote_persist"]
+    if persist > 0:
+        rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "ControlMaster=auto" ])
+        rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "ControlPath=/run/shm/ssh-%r@%h:%p" ])
+        rffmpeg_ssh_command.extend([ "-o", "ControlPersist={}".format(persist) ])
 
     for arg in config["remote_args"]:
         if arg:
diff --git a/rffmpeg.yml.sample b/rffmpeg.yml.sample
index 70f0cd3..68a2930 100644
--- a/rffmpeg.yml.sample
+++ b/rffmpeg.yml.sample
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ rffmpeg:
         # The remote SSH user to connect as
         user: jellyfin
 
+        # How long to persist SSH sessions (0 to disable)
+        persist: 300
+
         # A YAML list of additional SSH arguments (e.g. private keys),
         # one line per space-separated argument element.
         args: