diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/sshcontrol.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/sshcontrol.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00f5051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/utils/sshcontrol.py
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2013 Intel Corporation
+#
+# Released under the MIT license (see COPYING.MIT)
+
+# Provides a class for setting up ssh connections,
+# running commands and copying files to/from a target.
+# It's used by testimage.bbclass and tests in lib/oeqa/runtime.
+
+import subprocess
+import time
+import os
+import select
+
+
+class SSHProcess(object):
+    def __init__(self, **options):
+
+        self.defaultopts = {
+            "stdout": subprocess.PIPE,
+            "stderr": subprocess.STDOUT,
+            "stdin": None,
+            "shell": False,
+            "bufsize": -1,
+            "preexec_fn": os.setsid,
+        }
+        self.options = dict(self.defaultopts)
+        self.options.update(options)
+        self.status = None
+        self.output = None
+        self.process = None
+        self.starttime = None
+        self.logfile = None
+
+        # Unset DISPLAY which means we won't trigger SSH_ASKPASS
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        if "DISPLAY" in env:
+            del env['DISPLAY']
+        self.options['env'] = env
+
+    def log(self, msg):
+        if self.logfile:
+            with open(self.logfile, "a") as f:
+               f.write("%s" % msg)
+
+    def _run(self, command, timeout=None, logfile=None):
+        self.logfile = logfile
+        self.starttime = time.time()
+        output = ''
+        self.process = subprocess.Popen(command, **self.options)
+        if timeout:
+            endtime = self.starttime + timeout
+            eof = False
+            while time.time() < endtime and not eof:
+                if select.select([self.process.stdout], [], [], 5)[0] != []:
+                    data = os.read(self.process.stdout.fileno(), 1024)
+                    if not data:
+                        self.process.stdout.close()
+                        eof = True
+                    else:
+                        output += data
+                        self.log(data)
+                        endtime = time.time() + timeout
+
+
+            # process hasn't returned yet
+            if not eof:
+                self.process.terminate()
+                time.sleep(5)
+                try:
+                    self.process.kill()
+                except OSError:
+                    pass
+                lastline = "\nProcess killed - no output for %d seconds. Total running time: %d seconds." % (timeout, time.time() - self.starttime)
+                self.log(lastline)
+                output += lastline
+        else:
+            output = self.process.communicate()[0]
+            self.log(output.rstrip())
+
+        self.status = self.process.wait()
+        self.output = output.rstrip()
+
+    def run(self, command, timeout=None, logfile=None):
+        try:
+            self._run(command, timeout, logfile)
+        except:
+            # Need to guard against a SystemExit or other exception occuring whilst running
+            # and ensure we don't leave a process behind.
+            if self.process.poll() is None:
+                self.process.kill()
+                self.status = self.process.wait()
+            raise
+        return (self.status, self.output)
+
+class SSHControl(object):
+    def __init__(self, ip, logfile=None, timeout=300, user='root', port=None):
+        self.ip = ip
+        self.defaulttimeout = timeout
+        self.ignore_status = True
+        self.logfile = logfile
+        self.user = user
+        self.ssh_options = [
+                '-o', 'UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null',
+                '-o', 'StrictHostKeyChecking=no',
+                '-o', 'LogLevel=ERROR'
+                ]
+        self.ssh = ['ssh', '-l', self.user ] + self.ssh_options
+        self.scp = ['scp'] + self.ssh_options
+        if port:
+            self.ssh = self.ssh + [ '-p', port ]
+            self.scp = self.scp + [ '-P', port ]
+
+    def log(self, msg):
+        if self.logfile:
+            with open(self.logfile, "a") as f:
+                f.write("%s\n" % msg)
+
+    def _internal_run(self, command, timeout=None, ignore_status = True):
+        self.log("[Running]$ %s" % " ".join(command))
+
+        proc = SSHProcess()
+        status, output = proc.run(command, timeout, logfile=self.logfile)
+
+        self.log("[Command returned '%d' after %.2f seconds]" % (status, time.time() - proc.starttime))
+
+        if status and not ignore_status:
+            raise AssertionError("Command '%s' returned non-zero exit status %d:\n%s" % (command, status, output))
+
+        return (status, output)
+
+    def run(self, command, timeout=None):
+        """
+        command - ssh command to run
+        timeout=<val> - kill command if there is no output after <val> seconds
+        timeout=None - kill command if there is no output after a default value seconds
+        timeout=0 - no timeout, let command run until it returns
+        """
+
+        # We need to source /etc/profile for a proper PATH on the target
+        command = self.ssh + [self.ip, ' . /etc/profile; ' + command]
+
+        if timeout is None:
+            return self._internal_run(command, self.defaulttimeout, self.ignore_status)
+        if timeout == 0:
+            return self._internal_run(command, None, self.ignore_status)
+        return self._internal_run(command, timeout, self.ignore_status)
+
+    def copy_to(self, localpath, remotepath):
+        command = self.scp + [localpath, '%s@%s:%s' % (self.user, self.ip, remotepath)]
+        return self._internal_run(command, ignore_status=False)
+
+    def copy_from(self, remotepath, localpath):
+        command = self.scp + ['%s@%s:%s' % (self.user, self.ip, remotepath), localpath]
+        return self._internal_run(command, ignore_status=False)