diff --git a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh.go b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh.go
index 91da77cf0..fb37b5922 100644
--- a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh.go
+++ b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh.go
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ func Handle(logf logger.Logf, lb *ipnlocal.LocalBackend, c net.Conn) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	srv := &server{lb, logf, tsd}
+	srv := &server{
+		lb:             lb,
+		logf:           logf,
+		tailscaledPath: tsd,
+	}
 	ss, err := srv.newSSHServer()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -55,7 +59,13 @@ func (srv *server) newSSHServer() (*ssh.Server, error) {
 		Handler:           srv.handleSSH,
 		RequestHandlers:   map[string]ssh.RequestHandler{},
 		SubsystemHandlers: map[string]ssh.SubsystemHandler{},
-		ChannelHandlers:   map[string]ssh.ChannelHandler{},
+		// Note: the direct-tcpip channel handler and LocalPortForwardingCallback
+		// only adds support for forwarding ports from the local machine.
+		// TODO(maisem/bradfitz): add remote port forwarding support.
+		ChannelHandlers: map[string]ssh.ChannelHandler{
+			"direct-tcpip": ssh.DirectTCPIPHandler,
+		},
+		LocalPortForwardingCallback: srv.portForward,
 	}
 	for k, v := range ssh.DefaultRequestHandlers {
 		ss.RequestHandlers[k] = v
@@ -80,10 +90,21 @@ type server struct {
 	lb             *ipnlocal.LocalBackend
 	logf           logger.Logf
 	tailscaledPath string
+
+	// mu protects activeSessions.
+	mu             sync.Mutex
+	activeSessions map[string]bool
 }
 
 var debugPolicyFile = envknob.String("TS_DEBUG_SSH_POLICY_FILE")
 
+// portForward reports whether the ctx should be allowed to port forward
+// to the specified host and port.
+// TODO(bradfitz/maisem): should we have more checks on host/port?
+func (srv *server) portForward(ctx ssh.Context, destinationHost string, destinationPort uint32) bool {
+	return srv.isActiveSession(ctx)
+}
+
 // sshPolicy returns the SSHPolicy for current node.
 // If there is no SSHPolicy in the netmap, it returns a debugPolicy
 // if one is defined.
@@ -231,6 +252,31 @@ func (srv *server) handleSessionTermination(ctx context.Context, s ssh.Session,
 	})
 }
 
+// isActiveSession reports whether the ssh.Context corresponds
+// to an active session.
+func (srv *server) isActiveSession(sctx ssh.Context) bool {
+	srv.mu.Lock()
+	defer srv.mu.Unlock()
+	return srv.activeSessions[sctx.SessionID()]
+}
+
+// startSession registers s as an active session.
+func (srv *server) startSession(s ssh.Session) {
+	srv.mu.Lock()
+	defer srv.mu.Unlock()
+	if srv.activeSessions == nil {
+		srv.activeSessions = make(map[string]bool)
+	}
+	srv.activeSessions[s.Context().(ssh.Context).SessionID()] = true
+}
+
+// endSession unregisters s from the list of active sessions.
+func (srv *server) endSession(s ssh.Session) {
+	srv.mu.Lock()
+	defer srv.mu.Unlock()
+	delete(srv.activeSessions, s.Context().(ssh.Context).SessionID())
+}
+
 // handleAcceptedSSH handles s once it's been accepted and determined
 // that it should run as local system user lu.
 //
@@ -238,6 +284,8 @@ func (srv *server) handleSessionTermination(ctx context.Context, s ssh.Session,
 // is an SSHTerminationError, its SSHTerminationMessage is sent to the
 // user.
 func (srv *server) handleAcceptedSSH(ctx context.Context, s ssh.Session, ci *sshConnInfo, lu *user.User) {
+	srv.startSession(s)
+	defer srv.endSession(s)
 	logf := srv.logf
 	localUser := lu.Username
 
diff --git a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
index ad86fc57d..4c569c9b9 100644
--- a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
+++ b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
@@ -189,7 +189,10 @@ func TestSSH(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	lb.SetVarRoot(dir)
 
-	srv := &server{lb, logf, ""}
+	srv := &server{
+		lb:   lb,
+		logf: logf,
+	}
 	ss, err := srv.newSSHServer()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)