diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 686b34a..fa9fa7a 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -4,3 +4,7 @@
 [submodule "proxy"]
 	path = proxy
 	url = https://github.com/theta42/proxy.git
+[submodule "jump-host"]
+	path = jump-host
+	url = https://github.com/theta42/jump-host.git
+	branch = master
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7b3ee52..ff000c9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ for what changed inside the apps it composes.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- **Optional SSH jump host** (theta42/jump-host) as a third, opt-in submodule. Enable with `CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED=true` in `setup.env`: setup.sh clones/tag-tracks the submodule and builds it behind the `jump-host` compose profile, the bootstrap mints a directory API token and writes `./config/jump-secrets.js` (LDAP admin bind so it can inject users' `sshPublicKey`), the jump host is registered as a proxy Host (its web UI) and seeded as a directory service. Users then `ssh uid_-_host@jump.<domain>` (WinSCP-friendly) or `ssh uid@jump.<domain>` for a TUI host picker; the web UI on :3002 shows audit + metrics. Off by default — existing installs are unaffected.
+
 ## [1.3.4] - 2026-07-23
 
 ### Bumped
diff --git a/bootstrap/bootstrap.js b/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
index 878ef31..ee88616 100644
--- a/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
+++ b/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
@@ -418,6 +418,17 @@ async function seedDirectory(token, clientId) {
 		subType: 'openresty',
 	});
 
+	// Optional SSH jump host service.
+	if (/^(1|true|yes)$/i.test(process.env.CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED || '')) {
+		const jumpHost = process.env.CFG_JUMP_HOST || (DOMAIN ? `jump.${DOMAIN}` : '');
+		await ensure('service', 'SSH Jump Host', 'jump-host', host.id, {
+			address: jumpHost ? `https://${jumpHost}` : '',
+			port: 3002,
+			gitRepo: 'https://github.com/theta42/jump-host',
+			subType: 'ssh',
+		});
+	}
+
 	// Link the proxy's OAuth client (Resource-backed since sso-manager 1.3.0)
 	// under its service, if it appears in the directory and isn't linked yet.
 	if (clientId) {
@@ -463,6 +474,87 @@ function writeProxyCreds(id, secret) {
 	}
 }
 
+// ── 6. Optional: provision the SSH jump host ────────────────────────────────
+// When CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED=true, the jump host needs: a directory API token
+// (to resolve which hosts a user may reach), an LDAP bind account that can
+// WRITE the sshPublicKey attribute (it injects its own key on first use), and
+// a config file it reads. We write /config/jump-secrets.js deriving LDAP/site
+// from sso-secrets.js + a freshly minted API token. The bundled jump host
+// binds as cn=admin (already able to write sshPublicKey) — hardened bare-metal
+// deployments should use a scoped account + attribute ACL instead (see the
+// jump-host README). Idempotent: skips if the file already has a real token.
+const JUMP_ENABLED = /^(1|true|yes)$/i.test(process.env.CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED || '');
+const JUMP_HOST = process.env.CFG_JUMP_HOST || (DOMAIN ? `jump.${DOMAIN}` : '');
+const JUMP_SECRETS = '/config/jump-secrets.js';
+const JUMP_TOKEN_NAME = 'theta-jump-host';
+
+async function mintApiToken(token, name) {
+	const res = await fetch(`${SSO_INTERNAL}/api/api-token`, {
+		method: 'POST',
+		headers: { 'auth-token': token, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+		body: JSON.stringify({ name, description: 'theta-env jump host (auto-registered)' }),
+	});
+	if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`mint API token failed (${res.status}): ${await res.text().catch(() => '')}`);
+	const data = await res.json();
+	const raw = data.token || (data.results && data.results.token) || data.raw_token;
+	if (!raw) throw new Error(`API token response had no token: ${JSON.stringify(data)}`);
+	return raw;
+}
+
+function jumpFileHasToken() {
+	try {
+		const src = fs.readFileSync(JUMP_SECRETS, 'utf8');
+		return /apiToken:\s*['"]sso_[0-9a-f]{24}_[0-9a-f]{48}['"]/.test(src);
+	} catch (_) { return false; }
+}
+
+function writeJumpSecrets(apiToken) {
+	const siteName = (sso.stack && sso.stack.siteName) || 'local';
+	const ldapsHost = (sso.ldap && sso.ldap.ldapsHost) || SSO_HOST;
+	const body = `'use strict';
+// Generated by theta-env bootstrap. The jump host reads this via
+// @simpleworkjs/conf (CONF_SECRETS). Binds as cn=admin so it can write the
+// sshPublicKey attribute (key injection); for a hardened deployment use a
+// scoped account with an sshPublicKey write-ACL instead (see jump-host README).
+module.exports = {
+\tname: ${JSON.stringify(sso.name || 'SSO Manager')},
+\tldap: {
+\t\turl: 'ldap://sso-manager:389',
+\t\tbindDN: ${JSON.stringify(BIND_DN)},
+\t\tbindPassword: ${JSON.stringify(ADMIN_PASS)},
+\t\tuserBase: ${JSON.stringify(`ou=people,${BASE_DN}`)},
+\t\tgroupBase: ${JSON.stringify(`ou=groups,${BASE_DN}`)},
+\t\ttlsOptions: { rejectUnauthorized: false },
+\t},
+\tsso: {
+\t\turl: 'http://sso-manager:3001',
+\t\tapiToken: ${JSON.stringify(apiToken)},
+\t},
+\tssh: {
+\t\tlistenPort: 2222,
+\t\thostKeyPath: '/var/lib/jump-host/keys',
+\t\tpasswordAuth: 'off',
+\t\tkeyComment: ${JSON.stringify(`jump-host@${siteName}`)},
+\t},
+\tweb: { port: 3002 },
+\tauth: { adminGroups: ['app_sso_admin'] },
+\tredis: { prefix: 'jump_host_', redisConf: { url: 'redis://127.0.0.1:6379' } },
+\tstack: { ssoHost: ${JSON.stringify(SSO_HOST)}, jumpHost: ${JSON.stringify(JUMP_HOST)}, ldapsHost: ${JSON.stringify(ldapsHost)} },
+};
+`;
+	fs.writeFileSync(JUMP_SECRETS, body, { mode: 0o600 });
+}
+
+async function provisionJumpHost(token) {
+	if (jumpFileHasToken()) {
+		log('Jump host: /config/jump-secrets.js already has an API token — keeping.');
+		return;
+	}
+	const apiToken = await mintApiToken(token, JUMP_TOKEN_NAME);
+	writeJumpSecrets(apiToken);
+	log('Jump host: wrote /config/jump-secrets.js (minted directory API token).');
+}
+
 (async function main() {
 	try {
 		log(`Base DN: ${BASE_DN}`);
@@ -506,6 +598,17 @@ function writeProxyCreds(id, secret) {
 			resolvedClientId = id;
 		}
 
+		// Provision the jump host (mint token + write config) when enabled.
+		// Warn-only — never fail the whole bring-up over the optional service.
+		if (JUMP_ENABLED) {
+			try {
+				await provisionJumpHost(token);
+				out('JUMP_HOST_CONFIGURED', '1');
+			} catch (e) {
+				log(`WARNING: jump host provisioning failed (${e.message || e}) — continuing`);
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Seed the directory (site/host/services + OAuth client link). Never
 		// fails the bootstrap — warn and continue.
 		try {
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 0f40fa4..ee3b922 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -131,6 +131,32 @@ services:
       retries: 3
       start_period: 30s
 
+  # Optional SSH jump host. Only started when the `jump-host` compose profile
+  # is active — setup.sh exports COMPOSE_PROFILES=jump-host when
+  # CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED=true. Authenticates users against the SSO's OpenLDAP,
+  # resolves reachable hosts from the directory API, and bridges SSH through.
+  jump-host:
+    profiles: ["jump-host"]
+    build:
+      context: ./jump-host
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      args:
+        GIT_COMMIT: ${JUMP_GIT_COMMIT:-}
+    container_name: jump-host
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    networks: [theta-net]
+    depends_on:
+      sso-manager:
+        condition: service_healthy
+    ports:
+      - "${JUMP_SSH_PORT:-2222}:2222"   # SSH front door
+      - "${JUMP_WEB_BIND:-0.0.0.0}:${JUMP_WEB_PORT:-3002}:3002"  # web UI/API
+    environment:
+      - NODE_ENV=production
+    volumes:
+      - ./config:/config:ro         # jump-secrets.js (written by ensure_config/bootstrap)
+      - jump-data:/var/lib/jump-host  # generated host keys persist here
+
 networks:
   theta-net:
     driver: bridge
@@ -141,4 +167,5 @@ volumes:
   sso-data:
   proxy-data:
   proxy-cache:
-  proxy-logs:
\ No newline at end of file
+  proxy-logs:
+  jump-data:
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jump-host b/jump-host
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..6e6f42e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jump-host
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 6e6f42e8913cd19cf1083b5381749b4a26e0ddf7
diff --git a/setup.env.example b/setup.env.example
index c35190b..2469fbb 100644
--- a/setup.env.example
+++ b/setup.env.example
@@ -33,6 +33,18 @@ CFG_DOMAIN=example.com
 #CFG_SSO_HOST=sso.example.com
 #CFG_PROXY_HOST=proxy.example.com
 
+# ── Optional SSH jump host ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Enable the theta42/jump-host component: a public SSH jump host that
+# authenticates users against the directory and bridges them to downstream
+# hosts (ssh uid_-_target@jump, or an interactive picker). Off by default.
+# When true, setup.sh clones/builds the jump-host submodule, the bootstrap
+# mints its directory API token + writes ./config/jump-secrets.js, and it's
+# registered in the proxy + directory. See jump-host's README for the LDAP
+# write-ACL note (the bundled deployment binds as cn=admin).
+#CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED=false
+#CFG_JUMP_HOST=jump.example.com   # defaults to jump.<domain>
+#JUMP_SSH_PORT=2222               # host port mapped to the jump host's SSH (never 22 by default)
+
 # Advanced: override the derived LDAP base DN directly (e.g. to namespace
 # under an OU-style prefix). Leave unset to use the DN built from CFG_DOMAIN:
 #CFG_BASE_DN=dc=example,dc=com
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 21c590a..f6264b5 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -152,6 +152,19 @@ then
 	fi
 fi
 
+# ── Optional jump host: resolve the enable flag early ─────────────────────────
+# CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED gates the optional SSH jump host (a third submodule).
+# Read it from the environment or ./setup.env now (before the submodule loop
+# and the compose steps) so every run knows whether to build/start it. The
+# authoritative CFG_* for secrets are still resolved in ensure_config; this is
+# only the on/off switch + its hostname.
+[[ -f ./setup.env ]] && parse_kv_file ./setup.env
+JUMP_ENABLED=0
+case "${CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED:-}" in 1|true|TRUE|yes|YES) JUMP_ENABLED=1 ;; esac
+export CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED CFG_JUMP_HOST
+# When enabled, activate the compose profile so `up`/`ps` include the service.
+if [[ "$JUMP_ENABLED" == "1" ]]; then export COMPOSE_PROFILES="jump-host"; fi
+
 # ── 1. Update submodules to their latest release tag, verify build contexts ───
 # Submodules track release tags (vX.Y.Z), not the tip of master -- so
 # "update" means "move to the newest tag", not "move to the newest commit".
@@ -167,8 +180,11 @@ if [[ "${SKIP_SUBMODULE_UPDATE:-0}" != "1" ]]; then
 		die "git submodule update --init failed. Run manually: git submodule update --init --recursive"
 	fi
 
-	info "Updating submodules to their latest release tag (sso-manager-node, proxy)..."
-	for sm in sso-manager-node proxy; do
+	# jump-host is optional: only track/build it when enabled.
+	SUBMODULES=(sso-manager-node proxy)
+	[[ "$JUMP_ENABLED" == "1" ]] && SUBMODULES+=(jump-host)
+	info "Updating submodules to their latest release tag (${SUBMODULES[*]})..."
+	for sm in "${SUBMODULES[@]}"; do
 		[[ -d "$sm" ]] || continue
 		before_rev="$(git -C "$sm" rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || true)"
 		# Prefer the exact tag the submodule is currently pinned to; fall back
@@ -660,6 +676,8 @@ BOOTSTRAP_OUT=$("${COMPOSE[@]}" exec -T \
 	-e STACK_HOST_MAC="$STACK_HOST_MAC" \
 	-e STACK_HOST_OS="$STACK_HOST_OS" \
 	-e STACK_HOST_KERNEL="$STACK_HOST_KERNEL" \
+	-e CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED="${CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED:-}" \
+	-e CFG_JUMP_HOST="${CFG_JUMP_HOST:-}" \
 	sso-manager node /bootstrap/bootstrap.js) \
 	|| die "bootstrap failed:\n${BOOTSTRAP_OUT}"
 
@@ -735,6 +753,46 @@ NODEEOF
 ) || die "Registering hosts with the proxy failed:\n${HOSTS_OUT}"
 echo "$HOSTS_OUT" | sed 's/^/[setup] /'
 
+# ── 7b. Optional: build + start the SSH jump host ─────────────────────────────
+# Enabled by CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED. The bootstrap (step 5) already wrote
+# ./config/jump-secrets.js (minted API token + LDAP admin bind). Build/start the
+# service (compose profile 'jump-host' is active), wait for its web /health, and
+# register its web UI hostname as a proxy Host so https://<JUMP_HOST> routes.
+if [[ "$JUMP_ENABLED" == "1" ]]; then
+	JUMP_HOST="${CFG_JUMP_HOST:-jump.${SSO_HOST#sso.}}"
+	JUMP_GIT_COMMIT="$(git -C jump-host rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)"
+	export JUMP_GIT_COMMIT
+	info "Building + starting jump-host (optional; enabled via CFG_JUMP_HOST_ENABLED)..."
+	"${COMPOSE[@]}" up -d --build jump-host
+
+	info "Waiting for jump-host to be healthy..."
+	for i in $(seq 1 60); do
+		if docker exec jump-host node -e "require('http').get('http://localhost:3002/health',r=>process.exit(r.statusCode===200?0:1)).on('error',()=>process.exit(1))" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+			info "jump-host is healthy."; break
+		fi
+		if (( i == 60 )); then warn "jump-host did not become healthy in 120s. Check: ${COMPOSE[*]} logs jump-host"; break; fi
+		sleep 2
+	done
+
+	info "Registering ${JUMP_HOST} (jump-host web UI) with the proxy..."
+	JUMP_HOSTS_OUT=$("${COMPOSE[@]}" exec -T proxy node <<NODEEOF || true
+const {Host} = require('/app/models').models;
+(async () => {
+	try {
+		try { await Host.get($(js_str "$JUMP_HOST")); console.log('SKIP ${JUMP_HOST} (already exists)'); }
+		catch (e) {
+			if (e.name !== 'EntryNotFound') throw e;
+			await Host.create({ host: $(js_str "$JUMP_HOST"), ip: 'jump-host', targetPort: 3002, forcessl: true, targetssl: false, sso_enabled: false, created_by: 'setup.sh' });
+			console.log('CREATED ${JUMP_HOST} -> jump-host:3002');
+		}
+		process.exit(0);
+	} catch (error) { console.error('ERROR', error.message); process.exit(1); }
+})();
+NODEEOF
+)
+	echo "$JUMP_HOSTS_OUT" | sed 's/^/[setup] /'
+fi
+
 # ── 8. Summary ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo
 info "\033[1;32mDone. Your SSO + proxy stack is up.\033[0m"
@@ -743,6 +801,11 @@ echo "  SSO Manager UI:    https://${SSO_HOST}   (fronted by the proxy under TLS
 echo "                      first-run fallback: http://127.0.0.1:${SSO_PORT:-3001}"
 echo "  Proxy mgmt UI:      https://${PROXY_HOST}"
 echo "                      first-run fallback: http://127.0.0.1:${MGMT_PORT:-3000}"
+if [[ "$JUMP_ENABLED" == "1" ]]; then
+echo "  Jump host (SSH):    ssh -p ${JUMP_SSH_PORT:-2222} <uid>@${JUMP_HOST:-jump.${SSO_HOST#sso.}}   (TUI picker)"
+echo "                      ssh -p ${JUMP_SSH_PORT:-2222} <uid>_-_<host>@${JUMP_HOST:-jump.${SSO_HOST#sso.}}"
+echo "  Jump host (web):    https://${JUMP_HOST:-jump.${SSO_HOST#sso.}}   (audit + metrics)"
+fi
 echo
 echo "  First admin login credentials are in ./config/sso-secrets.js:"
 echo "    user: ${ADMIN_UID}"