diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d11e315..a412ee1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ pkgs.krops.writeCommand "deploy-with-swap" {
 
 [see `writeDeploy`](#writeDeploy)
 
+### `allocateTTY` (optional, defaults to false)
+
+whether the ssh session should do a pseudo-terminal allocation.
+sets `-t` on the ssh command.
 
 ## Source Types
 
diff --git a/pkgs/krops/default.nix b/pkgs/krops/default.nix
index d773052..d092307 100644
--- a/pkgs/krops/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/krops/default.nix
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ in
 { nix, openssh, populate, writers }: rec {
 
   rebuild = args: target:
-    runShell target "nixos-rebuild -I ${lib.escapeShellArg target.path} ${
+    runShell target {} "nixos-rebuild -I ${lib.escapeShellArg target.path} ${
       lib.concatMapStringsSep " " lib.escapeShellArg args
     }";
 
-  runShell = target: command:
+  runShell = target: {
+    allocateTTY ? false
+  }: command:
     let
       command' = if target.sudo then "sudo ${command}" else command;
     in
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ in
           exec ${openssh}/bin/ssh ${lib.escapeShellArgs (lib.flatten [
             (lib.optionals (target.user != "") ["-l" target.user])
             "-p" target.port
-            "-T"
+            (if allocateTTY then "-t" else "-T")
             target.extraOptions
             target.host
             command'])}
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ in
     command ? (targetPath: "echo ${targetPath}"),
     backup ? false,
     force ? false,
+    allocateTTY ? false,
     source,
     target
   }: let
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ in
     writers.writeDash name ''
       set -efu
       ${populate { inherit backup force source; target = target'; }}
-      ${runShell target' (command target'.path)}
+      ${runShell target' { inherit allocateTTY; } (command target'.path)}
     '';
 
   writeDeploy = name: {