diff --git a/roles/base/defaults/main.yml b/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
index 681f0c2..6073a1a 100644
--- a/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ base__fail2ban_findtime: 10m
 # base__ssh_authorised_keys lives in group_vars/all/vars.yml (per-person control keys).
 base__ssh_authorised_keys: []
 
+# SSH listen-on-mesh (mesh-hardening 1/3, ADR-016/021). Opt-in: when true, sshd binds
+# ListenAddress to this host's mesh IP only (not the WAN). The IP comes from the live wt0
+# fact (ansible_facts.wt0.ipv4.address); base__ssh_listen_addr overrides it. ip_nonlocal_bind
+# lets sshd bind the mesh IP before wt0 exists at boot. Fails closed: the play asserts a
+# non-empty address rather than silently listening on all interfaces.
+base__ssh_listen_mesh_only: false
+base__ssh_listen_addr: ""
+
 # NetBird mesh agent enrollment (ADR-016). Opt-in: default off so applying `base` to a
 # host not on the mesh is a no-op for this concern. The live actions (apt install over
 # the network, `netbird up` against the coordinator) are additionally gated by
diff --git a/roles/base/molecule/default/converge.yml b/roles/base/molecule/default/converge.yml
index 59a1284..61d44c9 100644
--- a/roles/base/molecule/default/converge.yml
+++ b/roles/base/molecule/default/converge.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
     base__mesh_enabled: true
     base__mesh_manage: false
     base__mesh_setup_key: "dummy-molecule-key"
+    base__ssh_listen_mesh_only: true
+    base__ssh_listen_addr: "100.99.0.1"   # fixture mesh IP (no wt0 in the container)
     firewall_zones:
       lan: 10.30.0.0/24
       srv: 10.20.0.0/24
diff --git a/roles/base/molecule/default/molecule.yml b/roles/base/molecule/default/molecule.yml
index b23d8da..4c17329 100644
--- a/roles/base/molecule/default/molecule.yml
+++ b/roles/base/molecule/default/molecule.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ platforms:
     volumes:
       - /sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:rw
     command: /lib/systemd/systemd
+    # Pre-create the namespaced sysctl so ansible.posix.sysctl can set it (mesh-hardening 1/3).
+    # The container image lacks procps so the sysctl binary is absent; we also install it in
+    # prepare.yml. This entry ensures the value exists in the container's netns at startup.
+    sysctls:
+      net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind: "0"
 
 provisioner:
   name: ansible
diff --git a/roles/base/molecule/default/prepare.yml b/roles/base/molecule/default/prepare.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3690940
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/base/molecule/default/prepare.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+- name: Prepare
+  hosts: all
+  become: true
+  gather_facts: false
+  tasks:
+    - name: Install procps so ansible.posix.sysctl can find the sysctl binary
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        name: procps
+        state: present
+        update_cache: true
diff --git a/roles/base/molecule/default/verify.yml b/roles/base/molecule/default/verify.yml
index d1e0551..ae20e37 100644
--- a/roles/base/molecule/default/verify.yml
+++ b/roles/base/molecule/default/verify.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,18 @@
       ansible.builtin.command: grep -q '^\[sshd\]' /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/sshd.local
       changed_when: false
 
+    - name: ListenAddress bound to the fixture mesh IP (mesh-only mode)
+      ansible.builtin.command: grep -q '^ListenAddress 100.99.0.1$' /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/10-boma.conf
+      changed_when: false
+    - name: Sysctl drop-in for ip_nonlocal_bind is present
+      ansible.builtin.command: grep -q '^net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind=1' /etc/sysctl.d/60-boma-nonlocal-bind.conf
+      changed_when: false
+    - name: Kernel ip_nonlocal_bind is live in this netns
+      ansible.builtin.command: sysctl -n net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind
+      register: _nonlocal
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: _nonlocal.stdout | trim != '1'
+
     # mesh concern: enabled but manage=false must be a clean no-op (no install/enrol)
     - name: Check whether netbird got installed
       ansible.builtin.command: which netbird
diff --git a/roles/base/tasks/ssh.yml b/roles/base/tasks/ssh.yml
index 82aecee..2985b77 100644
--- a/roles/base/tasks/ssh.yml
+++ b/roles/base/tasks/ssh.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,31 @@
 ---
+- name: Resolve the sshd mesh listen address (override, else live wt0 fact)
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    base__ssh_listen_addr_resolved: >-
+      {{ base__ssh_listen_addr
+         or ansible_facts.get('wt0', {}).get('ipv4', {}).get('address', '') }}
+  when: base__ssh_listen_mesh_only | bool
+
+- name: Fail closed — refuse to render sshd without a known mesh address
+  ansible.builtin.assert:
+    that:
+      - base__ssh_listen_addr_resolved | length > 0
+    fail_msg: >-
+      base__ssh_listen_mesh_only is true but no mesh address resolved (set
+      base__ssh_listen_addr or ensure wt0 is up so its fact is gathered). Refusing to
+      render sshd ListenAddress empty (which would listen on ALL interfaces).
+  when: base__ssh_listen_mesh_only | bool
+
+- name: Allow sshd to bind the mesh IP before wt0 exists at boot
+  ansible.posix.sysctl:
+    name: net.ipv4.ip_nonlocal_bind
+    value: "1"
+    sysctl_set: true
+    state: present
+    reload: true
+    sysctl_file: /etc/sysctl.d/60-boma-nonlocal-bind.conf
+  when: base__ssh_listen_mesh_only | bool
+
 - name: Ensure openssh-server is installed
   ansible.builtin.apt:
     name: openssh-server
diff --git a/roles/base/templates/sshd_hardening.conf.j2 b/roles/base/templates/sshd_hardening.conf.j2
index d0a845e..53f07fe 100644
--- a/roles/base/templates/sshd_hardening.conf.j2
+++ b/roles/base/templates/sshd_hardening.conf.j2
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@ PasswordAuthentication {{ base__ssh_password_authentication }}
 PermitRootLogin {{ base__ssh_permit_root_login }}
 PubkeyAuthentication yes
 KbdInteractiveAuthentication no
+{% if base__ssh_listen_mesh_only | bool %}
+ListenAddress {{ base__ssh_listen_addr_resolved }}
+{% endif %}