diff --git a/ssh/tailssh/incubator.go b/ssh/tailssh/incubator.go
index e52ffbfce..952d755ea 100644
--- a/ssh/tailssh/incubator.go
+++ b/ssh/tailssh/incubator.go
@@ -270,7 +270,12 @@ func beIncubator(args []string) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		return server.Serve()
+		// TODO(https://github.com/pkg/sftp/pull/554): Revert the check for io.EOF,
+		// when sftp is patched to report clean termination.
+		if err := server.Serve(); err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	cmd := exec.Command(ia.cmdName, ia.cmdArgs...)