diff --git a/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local.rb b/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8ffe16e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+require "sshkit/backends/abstract"
+
+# Monkey patch older versions of SSHKit to make the currently-executing Backend
+# available via a thread local value.
+#
+# TODO: Remove this code once capistrano.gemspec requires newer SSHKit version.
+
+unless SSHKit::Backend.respond_to?(:current)
+  module SSHKit
+    module Backend
+      def self.current
+        Thread.current["sshkit_backend"]
+      end
+
+      class Abstract
+        def run
+          Thread.current["sshkit_backend"] = self
+          instance_exec(@host, &@block)
+        ensure
+          Thread.current["sshkit_backend"] = nil
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local_spec.rb b/spec/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..90d679db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+require "spec_helper"
+require "capistrano/ext/sshkit/backend/thread_local"
+
+module SSHKit
+  module Backend
+    describe "#current" do
+      require "sshkit/dsl"
+
+      it "refers to the currently executing backend" do
+        backend = nil
+        current = nil
+
+        on(:local) do
+          backend = self
+          current = SSHKit::Backend.current
+        end
+
+        expect(current).to eq(backend)
+      end
+
+      it "is nil outside of an on block" do
+        on(:local) do
+          # nothing
+        end
+
+        expect(SSHKit::Backend.current).to be_nil
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end