diff --git a/buildlet/buildletclient.go b/buildlet/buildletclient.go
index d23984c..6bc643d 100644
--- a/buildlet/buildletclient.go
+++ b/buildlet/buildletclient.go
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@
 }
 
 // SetDialer sets the function that creates a new connection to the buildlet.
-// By default, net.Dialer.DialContext is used.
+// By default, net.Dialer.DialContext is used. SetDialer has effect only when
+// TLS isn't used.
 //
 // TODO(bradfitz): this is only used for ssh connections to buildlets,
 // which previously required the client to do its own net.Dial +
@@ -845,6 +846,11 @@
 }
 
 func (c *Client) getDialer() func(context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+	if !c.tls.IsZero() {
+		return func(_ context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+			return c.tls.tlsDialer()("tcp", c.ipPort)
+		}
+	}
 	if c.dialer != nil {
 		return c.dialer
 	}
@@ -875,6 +881,9 @@
 	}
 	req.Header.Add("X-Go-Ssh-User", user)
 	req.Header.Add("X-Go-Authorized-Key", authorizedPubKey)
+	if !c.tls.IsZero() {
+		req.SetBasicAuth(c.authUsername(), c.password)
+	}
 	if err := req.Write(conn); err != nil {
 		conn.Close()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("writing /connect-ssh HTTP request failed: %v", err)
diff --git a/buildlet/buildletclient_test.go b/buildlet/buildletclient_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36b5e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildlet/buildletclient_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package buildlet
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
+	"errors"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestConnectSSHTLS(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		desc         string
+		authUser     string
+		dialer       func(context.Context) (net.Conn, error)
+		key          string
+		keyPair      KeyPair
+		password     string
+		user         string
+		wantAuthUser string
+	}{
+		{
+			desc:         "tls-without-authuser",
+			authUser:     "",
+			key:          "key-foo",
+			keyPair:      createKeyPair(t),
+			password:     "foo",
+			user:         "kate",
+			wantAuthUser: "gomote",
+		},
+		{
+			desc:         "tls-with-authuser",
+			authUser:     "george",
+			key:          "key-foo",
+			keyPair:      createKeyPair(t),
+			password:     "foo",
+			user:         "kate",
+			wantAuthUser: "george",
+		},
+		{
+			desc:         "tls-with-configured-dialer",
+			authUser:     "",
+			dialer:       func(_ context.Context) (net.Conn, error) { return nil, errors.New("test error") },
+			key:          "key-foo",
+			keyPair:      createKeyPair(t),
+			password:     "foo",
+			user:         "kate",
+			wantAuthUser: "gomote",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ts := httptest.NewUnstartedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				if gotUser := r.Header.Get("X-Go-Ssh-User"); gotUser != tc.user {
+					t.Errorf("r.Header.Get(X-Go-Ssh-User) = %q; want %q", gotUser, tc.user)
+				}
+				if gotKey := r.Header.Get("X-Go-Authorized-Key"); gotKey != tc.key {
+					t.Errorf("r.Header.Get(X-Go-Authorized-Key) = %q; want %q", gotKey, tc.key)
+				}
+				if gotAuthUser, gotAuthPass, gotOk := r.BasicAuth(); !gotOk || gotAuthUser != tc.wantAuthUser || gotAuthPass != tc.password {
+					t.Errorf("Request.BasicAuth() = %q, %q, %t; want %q, %q, true", gotAuthUser, gotAuthPass, gotOk, tc.wantAuthUser, tc.password)
+				}
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusSwitchingProtocols)
+			}))
+			cert, err := tls.X509KeyPair([]byte(tc.keyPair.CertPEM), []byte(tc.keyPair.KeyPEM))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("tls.X509KeyPair([]byte(%q), []byte(%q)) = %v, %q; want no error", tc.keyPair.CertPEM, tc.keyPair.KeyPEM, cert, err)
+			}
+			ts.TLS = &tls.Config{
+				Certificates: []tls.Certificate{cert},
+			}
+			ts.StartTLS()
+			defer ts.Close()
+			c := Client{
+				ipPort:   strings.TrimPrefix(ts.URL, "https://"),
+				tls:      tc.keyPair,
+				password: tc.password,
+				authUser: tc.authUser,
+				dialer:   tc.dialer,
+			}
+			gotConn, gotErr := c.ConnectSSH(tc.user, tc.key)
+			if gotErr != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Client.ConnectSSH(%s, %s) = %v, %v; want no error", tc.user, tc.key, gotConn, gotErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestConnectSSHNonTLS(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		desc      string
+		authUser  string
+		basicAuth bool
+		dialer    func(context.Context) (net.Conn, error)
+		key       string
+		password  string
+		user      string
+		wantErr   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			desc:      "non-tls-without-authuser",
+			authUser:  "gomote",
+			basicAuth: false,
+			key:       "key-foo",
+			password:  "foo",
+			user:      "kate",
+			wantErr:   false,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:      "non-tls--with-authuser",
+			authUser:  "gomote",
+			basicAuth: true,
+			key:       "key-foo",
+			password:  "foo",
+			user:      "kate",
+			wantErr:   false,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:      "non-tls-with-configured-dialer",
+			authUser:  "gomote",
+			basicAuth: true,
+			dialer: func(context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+				return nil, errors.New("test error")
+			},
+			key:      "key-foo",
+			password: "foo",
+			user:     "kate",
+			wantErr:  true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				if gotUser := r.Header.Get("X-Go-Ssh-User"); gotUser != tc.user {
+					t.Errorf("r.Header.Get(X-Go-Ssh-User) = %q; want %q", gotUser, tc.user)
+				}
+				if gotKey := r.Header.Get("X-Go-Authorized-Key"); gotKey != tc.key {
+					t.Errorf("r.Header.Get(X-Go-Authorized-Key) = %q; want %q", gotKey, tc.key)
+				}
+				if gotAuthUser, gotAuthPass, gotOk := r.BasicAuth(); gotOk || gotAuthUser != "" || gotAuthPass != "" {
+					t.Errorf("Request.BasicAuth() = %q, %q, %t; want %q, %q, %t", gotAuthUser, gotAuthPass, gotOk, tc.user, tc.password, tc.basicAuth)
+				}
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusSwitchingProtocols)
+			}))
+			defer ts.Close()
+			c := Client{
+				ipPort:   strings.TrimPrefix(ts.URL, "http://"),
+				password: tc.password,
+				authUser: tc.authUser,
+				dialer:   tc.dialer,
+			}
+			gotConn, gotErr := c.ConnectSSH(tc.user, tc.key)
+			if (gotErr != nil) != tc.wantErr {
+				t.Fatalf("Client.ConnectSSH(%q, %q) = %v, %v; want net.Conn, error=%t", tc.user, tc.key, gotConn, gotErr, tc.wantErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func createKeyPair(t *testing.T) KeyPair {
+	kp, err := NewKeyPair()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewKeyPair() = %v, %s; want no error", kp, err)
+	}
+	return kp
+}
diff --git a/dashboard/builders.go b/dashboard/builders.go
index 5365d4c..7528569 100644
--- a/dashboard/builders.go
+++ b/dashboard/builders.go
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@
 		isEC2:           true,
 		env:             []string{"GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP=/usr/local/go-bootstrap"},
 		buildletURLTmpl: "http://storage.googleapis.com/$BUCKET/buildlet.linux-amd64",
-		SSHUsername:     "admin",
+		SSHUsername:     "root",
 	},
 	"host-illumos-amd64-jclulow": &HostConfig{
 		Notes:       "SmartOS base64@19.1.0 zone",