diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
index 4e169551..d9b74970 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
@@ -20,16 +20,24 @@ class Exec(Base):
         super().__init__(uri = uri, caps = self.Caps.ModEnv, **kwargs)
 
     def __del__(self) -> None:
+        # -- This method may be called more than once, so it must be
+        # idempotent and must never raise
         for key, val in self.__askpass_orig.items():
             if val is None:
-                del os.environ[key]
+                os.environ.pop(key, None)
             else:
                 os.environ[key] = val
+        self.__askpass_orig = dict()
         if self.__askpass is not None:
-            os.remove(self.__askpass)
+            try:
+                os.remove(self.__askpass)
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+            self.__askpass = None
 
     def __init_askpass(self) -> None:
         if self.__askpass is None and self.password is not None:
+            import base64
             import sys
             import tempfile
 
@@ -39,7 +47,11 @@ class Exec(Base):
             )
             os.chmod(f.name, 0o0700)
             self.__askpass = f.name
-            f.write(f'#!/bin/bash\n\necho -n "{self.password}\n"')
+            # -- Embed the password as base64, so that quotes and shell
+            # metacharacters cannot break the script or inject commands
+            # into it, and no trailing newline is appended
+            b64 = base64.b64encode(self.password.encode()).decode()
+            f.write(f'#!/bin/bash\n\nprintf %s {b64} | base64 -d\n')
             f.close()
             for key, val in {
                 'SSH_ASKPASS': self.__askpass,
diff --git a/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Makefile b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c87020cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+TOPDIR = ../../../../../../..
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/dirs.mk
diff --git a/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/Makefile b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d949ac97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+TOPDIR = ../../../../../../../../..
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-run.mk
+
+all:
+test: run
diff --git a/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/test.py b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4594b002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec/test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import subprocess
+
+from jw.pkg.lib.ec.ssh.Exec import Exec
+from jw.pkg.lib.Uri import Uri
+
+def askpass_output(password: str) -> bytes:
+    uri = Uri('ssh://host')
+    uri.set_password(password)
+    ec = Exec(uri = uri)
+    try:
+        ec._Exec__init_askpass()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        script = ec._Exec__askpass  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        assert script is not None
+        out = subprocess.run(['bash', script], capture_output = True)
+        assert out.returncode == 0, out.stderr
+        return out.stdout
+    finally:
+        # -- Restore the environment and remove the script file
+        ec.__del__()
+
+# A plain password comes out byte-exact, without a trailing newline
+assert askpass_output('secret') == b'secret'
+
+# Quotes, dollar signs, and backticks cannot break the script or
+# inject commands into it
+tricky = 'pa"ss$word `tick` $(dollar-paren) \'single\' \\backslash\\'
+assert askpass_output(tricky) == tricky.encode()
+
+# A newline inside the password is preserved, and no extra one is added
+assert askpass_output('line1\nline2') == b'line1\nline2'
+
+print('All ssh Exec askpass tests passed')
diff --git a/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Makefile b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b96da8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+TOPDIR = ../../../../../../../..
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/dirs.mk