diff --git a/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/__init__.py b/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/__init__.py
index 26d8391017e8..ff6922e5b90e 100755
--- a/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/__init__.py
+++ b/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/__init__.py
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@ def main() -> None:
         help="the test script to run",
         type=Path,
     )
+    arg_parser.add_argument(
+        "--dump-vsocks",
+        help="indicates that the interactive SSH backdoor is active and dumps information about it on start",
+        action="store_true",
+    )
 
     args = arg_parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -136,6 +141,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         if args.interactive:
             history_dir = os.getcwd()
             history_path = os.path.join(history_dir, ".nixos-test-history")
+            if args.dump_vsocks:
+                driver.dump_machine_ssh()
             ptpython.ipython.embed(
                 user_ns=driver.test_symbols(),
                 history_filename=history_path,
diff --git a/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/driver.py b/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/driver.py
index 49b6692bf422..e65c6c5ba511 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/driver.py
+++ b/nixos/lib/test-driver/src/test_driver/driver.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 from unittest import TestCase
 
+from colorama import Style
+
 from test_driver.errors import MachineError, RequestedAssertionFailed
 from test_driver.logger import AbstractLogger
 from test_driver.machine import Machine, NixStartScript, retry
@@ -176,6 +178,19 @@ class Driver:
         )
         return {**general_symbols, **machine_symbols, **vlan_symbols}
 
+    def dump_machine_ssh(self) -> None:
+        print("SSH backdoor enabled, the machines can be accessed like this:")
+        print(
+            f"{Style.BRIGHT}Note:{Style.RESET_ALL} this requires {Style.BRIGHT}systemd-ssh-proxy(1){Style.RESET_ALL} to be enabled (default on NixOS 25.05 and newer)."
+        )
+        names = [machine.name for machine in self.machines]
+        longest_name = len(max(names, key=len))
+        for num, name in enumerate(names, start=3):
+            spaces = " " * (longest_name - len(name) + 2)
+            print(
+                f"    {name}:{spaces}{Style.BRIGHT}ssh -o User=root vsock/{num}{Style.RESET_ALL}"
+            )
+
     def test_script(self) -> None:
         """Run the test script"""
         with self.logger.nested("run the VM test script"):
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
index d01c1d9b5e09..878f9669321a 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing-python.nix
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ pkgs.lib.throwIf (args ? specialArgs)
           ),
         extraPythonPackages ? (_: [ ]),
         interactive ? { },
+        sshBackdoor ? { },
       }@t:
       let
         testConfig =
diff --git a/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix b/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
index 7e01e507d2e8..38b32dbb6701 100644
--- a/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
+++ b/nixos/lib/testing/nodes.nix
@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@ in
 
     passthru.nodes = config.nodesCompat;
 
+    extraDriverArgs = mkIf config.sshBackdoor.enable [
+      "--dump-vsocks"
+    ];
+
     defaults = mkMerge [
       (mkIf config.node.pkgsReadOnly {
         nixpkgs.pkgs = config.node.pkgs;