diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 316717e..2c8d12c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -734,6 +734,7 @@ gitea:
 | `gitea.additionalConfigSources`        | Additional configuration from secret or configmap                                                             | `[]`                 |
 | `gitea.additionalConfigFromEnvs`       | Additional configuration sources from environment variables                                                   | `[]`                 |
 | `gitea.podAnnotations`                 | Annotations for the Gitea pod                                                                                 | `{}`                 |
+| `gitea.ssh.logLevel`                   | Configure OpenSSH's log level. Only available for root-based Gitea image.                                     | `INFO`               |
 
 ### LivenessProbe
 
diff --git a/templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml b/templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
index 04cbdc5..6394e9a 100644
--- a/templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
+++ b/templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
@@ -243,6 +243,10 @@ spec:
               value: {{ .Values.gitea.config.server.SSH_LISTEN_PORT | quote }}
             - name: SSH_PORT
               value: {{ .Values.gitea.config.server.SSH_PORT | quote }}
+            {{- if not .Values.image.rootless }}
+            - name: SSH_LOG_LEVEL
+              value: {{ .Values.gitea.ssh.logLevel | quote }}
+            {{- end }}
             - name: GITEA_APP_INI
               value: /data/gitea/conf/app.ini
             - name: GITEA_CUSTOM
diff --git a/unittests/statefulset/ssh-configuration.yaml b/unittests/statefulset/ssh-configuration.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24ffc3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/statefulset/ssh-configuration.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+suite: Statefulset template (SSH configuration)
+release:
+  name: gitea-unittests
+  namespace: testing
+templates:
+  - templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
+  - templates/gitea/config.yaml
+tests:
+  - it: supports defining SSH log level for root based image
+    template: templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
+    set:
+      image.rootless: false
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: SSH_LOG_LEVEL
+            value: "INFO"
+  - it: supports overriding SSH log level
+    template: templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
+    set:
+      image.rootless: false
+      gitea.ssh.logLevel: "DEBUG"
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: SSH_LOG_LEVEL
+            value: "DEBUG"
+  - it: skips SSH_LOG_LEVEL for rootless image
+    template: templates/gitea/statefulset.yaml
+    set:
+      image.rootless: true
+      gitea.ssh.logLevel: "DEBUG" # explicitly defining a non-standard level here
+    asserts:
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          any: true
+          content:
+            name: SSH_LOG_LEVEL
diff --git a/values.yaml b/values.yaml
index 1d25a82..b67508d 100644
--- a/values.yaml
+++ b/values.yaml
@@ -348,6 +348,10 @@ gitea:
   ## @param gitea.podAnnotations Annotations for the Gitea pod
   podAnnotations: {}
 
+  ## @param gitea.ssh.logLevel Configure OpenSSH's log level. Only available for root-based Gitea image.
+  ssh:
+    logLevel: "INFO"
+
   ## @section LivenessProbe
   #
   ## @param gitea.livenessProbe.enabled Enable liveness probe