diff -up openssh-5.8p1/configure.ac.vendor openssh-5.8p1/configure.ac
--- openssh-5.8p1/configure.ac.vendor	2011-02-04 01:42:14.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/configure.ac	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -4097,6 +4097,12 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(lastlog,
 		fi
 	]
 )
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(vendor-patchlevel,
+  [  --enable-vendor-patchlevel=TAG  specify a vendor patch level],
+  [AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL,[SSH_RELEASE "-" "$enableval"],[Define to your vendor patch level, if it has been modified from the upstream source release.])
+   SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL="$enableval"],
+  [AC_DEFINE(SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL,SSH_RELEASE,[Define to your vendor patch level, if it has been modified from the upstream source release.])
+   SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL=none])
 
 dnl lastlog, [uw]tmpx? detection
 dnl  NOTE: set the paths in the platform section to avoid the
@@ -4327,6 +4333,7 @@ echo "       IP address in \$DISPLAY hac
 echo "           Translate v4 in v6 hack: $IPV4_IN6_HACK_MSG"
 echo "                  BSD Auth support: $BSD_AUTH_MSG"
 echo "              Random number source: $RAND_MSG"
+echo "                Vendor patch level: $SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL"
 if test ! -z "$USE_RAND_HELPER" ; then
 echo "     ssh-rand-helper collects from: $RAND_HELPER_MSG"
 fi
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/servconf.c.vendor openssh-5.8p1/servconf.c
--- openssh-5.8p1/servconf.c.vendor	2010-11-20 05:19:38.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/servconf.c	2011-02-09 22:41:32.000000000 +0100
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ initialize_server_options(ServerOptions 
 	options->max_authtries = -1;
 	options->max_sessions = -1;
 	options->banner = NULL;
+	options->show_patchlevel = -1;
 	options->use_dns = -1;
 	options->client_alive_interval = -1;
 	options->client_alive_count_max = -1;
@@ -281,7 +282,9 @@ fill_default_server_options(ServerOption
 		options->ip_qos_interactive = IPTOS_LOWDELAY;
 	if (options->ip_qos_bulk == -1)
 		options->ip_qos_bulk = IPTOS_THROUGHPUT;
-
+	if (options->show_patchlevel == -1)
+ 		options->show_patchlevel = 0;
+ 
 	/* Turn privilege separation on by default */
 	if (use_privsep == -1)
 		use_privsep = 1;
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	sIgnoreUserKnownHosts, sCiphers, sMacs, sProtocol, sPidFile,
 	sGatewayPorts, sPubkeyAuthentication, sXAuthLocation, sSubsystem,
 	sMaxStartups, sMaxAuthTries, sMaxSessions,
-	sBanner, sUseDNS, sHostbasedAuthentication,
+	sBanner, sShowPatchLevel, sUseDNS, sHostbasedAuthentication,
 	sHostbasedUsesNameFromPacketOnly, sClientAliveInterval,
 	sClientAliveCountMax, sAuthorizedKeysFile, sAuthorizedKeysFile2,
 	sGssAuthentication, sGssCleanupCreds, sAcceptEnv, sPermitTunnel,
@@ -432,6 +435,7 @@ static struct {
 	{ "maxauthtries", sMaxAuthTries, SSHCFG_ALL },
 	{ "maxsessions", sMaxSessions, SSHCFG_ALL },
 	{ "banner", sBanner, SSHCFG_ALL },
+	{ "showpatchlevel", sShowPatchLevel, SSHCFG_GLOBAL },
 	{ "usedns", sUseDNS, SSHCFG_GLOBAL },
 	{ "verifyreversemapping", sDeprecated, SSHCFG_GLOBAL },
 	{ "reversemappingcheck", sDeprecated, SSHCFG_GLOBAL },
@@ -1086,6 +1090,10 @@ process_server_config_line(ServerOptions
 		intptr = &use_privsep;
 		goto parse_flag;
 
+	case sShowPatchLevel:
+		intptr = &options->show_patchlevel;
+		goto parse_flag;
+
 	case sAllowUsers:
 		while ((arg = strdelim(&cp)) && *arg != '\0') {
 			if (options->num_allow_users >= MAX_ALLOW_USERS)
@@ -1726,6 +1734,7 @@ dump_config(ServerOptions *o)
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sUseLogin, o->use_login);
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sCompression, o->compression);
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sGatewayPorts, o->gateway_ports);
+	dump_cfg_fmtint(sShowPatchLevel, o->show_patchlevel);
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sUseDNS, o->use_dns);
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sAllowTcpForwarding, o->allow_tcp_forwarding);
 	dump_cfg_fmtint(sUsePrivilegeSeparation, use_privsep);
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/servconf.h.vendor openssh-5.8p1/servconf.h
--- openssh-5.8p1/servconf.h.vendor	2010-11-20 05:19:38.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/servconf.h	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int	max_authtries;
 	int	max_sessions;
 	char   *banner;			/* SSH-2 banner message */
+	int	show_patchlevel;	/* Show vendor patch level to clients */
 	int	use_dns;
 	int	client_alive_interval;	/*
 					 * poke the client this often to
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.0.vendor openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.0
--- openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.0.vendor	2011-02-09 22:39:54.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.0	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -535,6 +535,11 @@ DESCRIPTION
              Defines the number of bits in the ephemeral protocol version 1
              server key.  The minimum value is 512, and the default is 1024.
 
+     ShowPatchLevel
+	     Specifies whether sshd will display the specific patch level of
+	     the binary in the server identification string.  The patch level
+	     is set at compile-time.  The default is M-bM-^@M-^\noM-bM-^@M-^].
+
      StrictModes
              Specifies whether sshd(8) should check file modes and ownership
              of the user's files and home directory before accepting login.
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.5.vendor openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.5
--- openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.5.vendor	2011-02-09 22:39:54.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.5	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -931,6 +931,14 @@ This option applies to protocol version 
 .It Cm ServerKeyBits
 Defines the number of bits in the ephemeral protocol version 1 server key.
 The minimum value is 512, and the default is 1024.
+.It Cm ShowPatchLevel 
+Specifies whether 
+.Nm sshd 
+will display the patch level of the binary in the identification string. 
+The patch level is set at compile-time. 
+The default is 
+.Dq no . 
+This option applies to protocol version 1 only. 
 .It Cm StrictModes
 Specifies whether
 .Xr sshd 8
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.vendor openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config
--- openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config.vendor	2011-02-09 22:39:54.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/sshd_config	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ X11Forwarding yes
 #Compression delayed
 #ClientAliveInterval 0
 #ClientAliveCountMax 3
+#ShowPatchLevel no
 #UseDNS yes
 #PidFile /var/run/sshd.pid
 #MaxStartups 10
diff -up openssh-5.8p1/sshd.c.vendor openssh-5.8p1/sshd.c
--- openssh-5.8p1/sshd.c.vendor	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
+++ openssh-5.8p1/sshd.c	2011-02-09 22:39:55.000000000 +0100
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ sshd_exchange_identification(int sock_in
 		minor = PROTOCOL_MINOR_1;
 	}
 	snprintf(buf, sizeof buf, "SSH-%d.%d-%.100s%s", major, minor,
-	    SSH_VERSION, newline);
+	   (options.show_patchlevel == 1) ? SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL : SSH_VERSION, newline);
 	server_version_string = xstrdup(buf);
 
 	/* Send our protocol version identification. */
@@ -1550,7 +1550,8 @@ main(int ac, char **av)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	debug("sshd version %.100s", SSH_RELEASE);
+	debug("sshd version %.100s",
+	      (options.show_patchlevel == 1) ? SSH_VENDOR_PATCHLEVEL : SSH_RELEASE);
 
 	/* Store privilege separation user for later use if required. */
 	if ((privsep_pw = getpwnam(SSH_PRIVSEP_USER)) == NULL) {