diff --git a/modules/gitea/cmd/forge/templates_test.go b/modules/gitea/cmd/forge/templates_test.go
index 7d0718b5..3b516c5c 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/cmd/forge/templates_test.go
+++ b/modules/gitea/cmd/forge/templates_test.go
@@ -62,3 +62,29 @@ func TestEveryFileTakesItsTextFromATemplate(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("the build packs files/ into %d archives, not one", packs)
 	}
 }
+
+// The forge's sshd takes a burst of the mesh's machines fetching at once: the image's MaxStartups raised from OpenSSH's
+// default 10:30:100 to 100:30:200 through SSH_MAX_STARTUPS, which dropped ace's thirteen connections at once.
+func TestTheForgesSshdTakesABurstOfTheMeshsMachines(t *testing.T) {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(moduleDir, "module.json"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var m struct {
+		Resources []map[string]any `json:"resources"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, r := range m.Resources {
+		if r["id"] != "server" {
+			continue
+		}
+		env, _ := r["env"].(map[string]any)
+		if env["SSH_MAX_STARTUPS"] != "100:30:200" {
+			t.Errorf("SSH_MAX_STARTUPS is %v, not 100:30:200", env["SSH_MAX_STARTUPS"])
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	t.Error("the manifest has no server container")
+}
diff --git a/modules/gitea/module.json b/modules/gitea/module.json
index 69b88adb..2b197288 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/module.json
+++ b/modules/gitea/module.json
@@ -266,7 +266,8 @@
       "env": {
         "DB_TYPE": "postgres",
         "USER_UID": "1000",
-        "USER_GID": "1000"
+        "USER_GID": "1000",
+        "SSH_MAX_STARTUPS": "100:30:200"
       },
       "env-file": [
         "${dir:state}/server.env"