diff --git a/meta-phosphor/recipes-core/dropbear/dropbear_%.bbappend b/meta-phosphor/recipes-core/dropbear/dropbear_%.bbappend
index 731f201..5113c66 100644
--- a/meta-phosphor/recipes-core/dropbear/dropbear_%.bbappend
+++ b/meta-phosphor/recipes-core/dropbear/dropbear_%.bbappend
@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@
             file://localoptions.h \
             file://dropbear.default \
            "
+
+# pull in OpenSSH's /usr/libexec/sftp-server so we don't have to rely
+# on the crufty old scp protocol for file transfer
+RDEPENDS:${PN} += "openssh-sftp-server"