diff --git a/ssh/connection.go b/ssh/connection.go
index 445af425..9b499d31 100644
--- a/ssh/connection.go
+++ b/ssh/connection.go
@@ -1,16 +1,38 @@
 package ssh
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+
 	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/config"
 	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/subprocess"
 	"github.com/git-lfs/pktline"
 )
 
 type SSHTransfer struct {
-	conn *PktlineConnection
+	lock      *sync.RWMutex
+	conn      []*PktlineConnection
+	osEnv     config.Environment
+	gitEnv    config.Environment
+	meta      *SSHMetadata
+	operation string
 }
 
 func NewSSHTransfer(osEnv config.Environment, gitEnv config.Environment, meta *SSHMetadata, operation string) (*SSHTransfer, error) {
+	conn, err := startConnection(osEnv, gitEnv, meta, operation)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &SSHTransfer{
+		lock:      &sync.RWMutex{},
+		osEnv:     osEnv,
+		gitEnv:    gitEnv,
+		meta:      meta,
+		operation: operation,
+		conn:      []*PktlineConnection{conn},
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func startConnection(osEnv config.Environment, gitEnv config.Environment, meta *SSHMetadata, operation string) (*PktlineConnection, error) {
 	exe, args := GetLFSExeAndArgs(osEnv, gitEnv, meta, "git-lfs-transfer", operation)
 	cmd := subprocess.ExecCommand(exe, args...)
 	r, err := cmd.StdoutPipe()
@@ -37,14 +59,63 @@ func NewSSHTransfer(osEnv config.Environment, gitEnv config.Environment, meta *S
 		pl:  pl,
 	}
 	err = conn.Start()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return &SSHTransfer{
-		conn: conn,
-	}, nil
+	return conn, err
 }
 
-func (tr *SSHTransfer) Connection() *PktlineConnection {
-	return tr.conn
+// Connection returns the nth connection (starting from 0) in this transfer
+// instance or nil if there is no such item.
+func (tr *SSHTransfer) Connection(n int) *PktlineConnection {
+	tr.lock.RLock()
+	defer tr.lock.RUnlock()
+	if n >= len(tr.conn) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return tr.conn[n]
+}
+
+// ConnectionCount returns the number of connections this object has.
+func (tr *SSHTransfer) ConnectionCount() int {
+	tr.lock.RLock()
+	defer tr.lock.RUnlock()
+	return len(tr.conn)
+}
+
+// SetConnectionCount sets the number of connections to the specified number.
+func (tr *SSHTransfer) SetConnectionCount(n int) error {
+	tr.lock.Lock()
+	defer tr.lock.Unlock()
+	return tr.setConnectionCount(n)
+}
+
+// SetConnectionCountAtLeast sets the number of connections to be not less than
+// the specified number.
+func (tr *SSHTransfer) SetConnectionCountAtLeast(n int) error {
+	tr.lock.Lock()
+	defer tr.lock.Unlock()
+	count := len(tr.conn)
+	if n <= count {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return tr.setConnectionCount(n)
+}
+
+func (tr *SSHTransfer) setConnectionCount(n int) error {
+	count := len(tr.conn)
+	if n < count {
+		for _, item := range tr.conn[n:count] {
+			if err := item.End(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		tr.conn = tr.conn[0:n]
+	} else if n > count {
+		for i := count; i < n; i++ {
+			conn, err := startConnection(tr.osEnv, tr.gitEnv, tr.meta, tr.operation)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			tr.conn = append(tr.conn, conn)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/tq/ssh.go b/tq/ssh.go
index 41b8b0a3..bbf9512d 100644
--- a/tq/ssh.go
+++ b/tq/ssh.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type SSHBatchClient struct {
 }
 
 func (a *SSHBatchClient) batchInternal(args []string, batchLines []string) (int, []string, error) {
-	conn := a.transfer.Connection()
+	conn := a.transfer.Connection(0)
 	conn.Lock()
 	defer conn.Unlock()
 	err := conn.SendMessageWithLines("batch", args, batchLines)
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func (a *SSHAdapter) download(t *Transfer, cb ProgressCallback) error {
 
 // doDownload starts a download. f is expected to be an existing file open in RW mode
 func (a *SSHAdapter) doDownload(t *Transfer, f *os.File, cb ProgressCallback) error {
-	conn := a.transfer.Connection()
+	conn := a.transfer.Connection(0)
 	args := a.argumentsForTransfer(t, "download")
 	conn.Lock()
 	defer conn.Unlock()
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func (a *SSHAdapter) doDownload(t *Transfer, f *os.File, cb ProgressCallback) er
 }
 
 func (a *SSHAdapter) verifyUpload(t *Transfer) error {
-	conn := a.transfer.Connection()
+	conn := a.transfer.Connection(0)
 	args := a.argumentsForTransfer(t, "upload")
 	conn.Lock()
 	defer conn.Unlock()
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ func (a *SSHAdapter) verifyUpload(t *Transfer) error {
 }
 
 func (a *SSHAdapter) doUpload(t *Transfer, f *os.File, cb ProgressCallback) (int, []string, []string, error) {
-	conn := a.transfer.Connection()
+	conn := a.transfer.Connection(0)
 	args := a.argumentsForTransfer(t, "upload")
 
 	// Ensure progress callbacks made while uploading