diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.17.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.17.1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7eaccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.17.1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Shared-port tenant SSH can now exempt a VPN or NAT gateway from the failed-login ban, so one user's typos no longer lock out everyone behind it.
+
+### New
+- `modules.tenant.sshpiper.failtoban_ignore` lists addresses or CIDRs that are never banned after failed logins on the shared port. (#82)
+
+### Action needed
+- On hosts where many users reach the shared port through one gateway address, add it to `failtoban_ignore` and run `sudo rootfiles apply --module tenant` (or `rootfiles fleet apply`). The apply restarts sshpiper, which clears current bans and drops sessions open through it. (#82)
+
+**Full changelog**: https://github.com/STAIxBWLB/rootfiles/compare/v0.17.0...v0.17.1
diff --git a/docs/tenant.md b/docs/tenant.md
index 0b01acc..2aef6ce 100644
--- a/docs/tenant.md
+++ b/docs/tenant.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ modules:
       enabled: true
       port: 2222       # default; must not be the host's SSH port
       # address: 0.0.0.0, version: v1.6.1 (pinned; the archive SHA-256 is checked)
+      # failtoban_ignore: [172.16.229.33/32]   # shared VPN gateway, never banned
 ```
 
 `sudo rootfiles apply --module tenant` installs sshpiperd with its yaml and failtoban plugins under `/usr/local/lib/rootfiles/sshpiper/<version>` and runs `rootfiles-sshpiper.service`. Users then reach any tenant through one port by naming the tenant in the user name:
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ ssh -p 2222 est.dev@dgx02      # user dev of tenant est
 - Passwords go to the tenant's own sshd, which checks them and enforces the change of a temporary password.
 - Keys: sshpiper checks the client key against the user's `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` inside the container (copied by the 2-minute sync; only plain key lines, options are dropped), then logs in to the container with a host-only key. A tenant created before sshpiper was enabled needs `rootfiles tenant apply <t>` and `rootfiles tenant restart <t>` once before key logins work.
 - sshpiper checks each container's host key against the keys rootfiles stores. Clients see sshpiper's own host key on port 2222.
-- failtoban bans an address for an hour after 5 failed logins.
+- failtoban bans an address for an hour after 5 failed logins. Users behind one VPN or NAT gateway share its address, so one user's typos would lock out all of them: list such gateways in `failtoban_ignore` (addresses or CIDRs). Applying a changed list restarts sshpiper, which also clears current bans and drops sessions open through it.
 - Firewall: with `modules.network.ufw`, the network module admits the port. If UFW is active without that, or its state cannot be read, `check` reports the port as blocked and `apply` stops before starting sshpiper. A port held by another process is refused the same way, also when changing the port of a running sshpiper.
 - The direct per-tenant ports keep working. Disabling sshpiper removes the service and the route files.
 - `rootfiles tenant status` and `create` print the routed command for each account.
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 48881f4..2e1f25f 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ type SSHPiperConfig struct {
 	Port    int    `yaml:"port,omitempty"`    // default 2222
 	Address string `yaml:"address,omitempty"` // default all addresses
 	Version string `yaml:"version,omitempty"` // default DefaultSSHPiperVersion
+	// FailtobanIgnore lists addresses or CIDRs never banned after failed
+	// logins, such as a VPN gateway that many users share.
+	FailtobanIgnore []string `yaml:"failtoban_ignore,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // DefaultSSHPiperVersion is the sshpiper release rootfiles installs.
diff --git a/internal/config/validate.go b/internal/config/validate.go
index 00a1c82..83b103c 100644
--- a/internal/config/validate.go
+++ b/internal/config/validate.go
@@ -143,6 +143,14 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 				add("modules.tenant.sshpiper.address: %q is not an IP address", sp.Address)
 			}
 		}
+		for _, ip := range sp.FailtobanIgnore {
+			_, perr := netip.ParsePrefix(ip)
+			_, aerr := netip.ParseAddr(ip)
+			// A zone ("%eth0") would read as a systemd specifier in ExecStart.
+			if perr != nil && aerr != nil || strings.Contains(ip, "%") {
+				add("modules.tenant.sshpiper.failtoban_ignore: %q is not an address or CIDR without a zone", ip)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	if g := c.Modules.Tenant.OpsGroup; g != "" && (!validAccountName.MatchString(g) || len(g) > 32) {
 		add("modules.tenant.ops_group: invalid group name %q", g)
diff --git a/internal/module/tenant_piper.go b/internal/module/tenant_piper.go
index 278c8f3..b33d4ae 100644
--- a/internal/module/tenant_piper.go
+++ b/internal/module/tenant_piper.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ func piperUnitContent(rc *RunContext) string {
 	if addr == "" {
 		addr = "0.0.0.0"
 	}
+	ignore := ""
+	for _, ip := range sp.FailtobanIgnore {
+		ignore += " --ignore-ip " + ip
+	}
 	return `# Managed by rootfiles
 [Unit]
 Description=rootfiles sshpiper: one SSH port for tenant containers
@@ -91,7 +95,7 @@ Wants=network-online.target
 [Service]
 ExecStart=` + d + `/sshpiperd --address ` + addr + ` --port ` + strconv.Itoa(sp.ListenPort()) +
 		` --server-key ` + piperConfDir + `/ssh_host_ed25519_key --server-key-generate-mode notexist ` +
-		d + `/plugins/yaml --config ` + piperConfDir + `/tenants/*.yaml -- ` + d + `/plugins/failtoban
+		d + `/plugins/yaml --config ` + piperConfDir + `/tenants/*.yaml -- ` + d + `/plugins/failtoban` + ignore + `
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 
diff --git a/internal/module/tenant_test.go b/internal/module/tenant_test.go
index 96c6cab..c3a640a 100644
--- a/internal/module/tenant_test.go
+++ b/internal/module/tenant_test.go
@@ -180,3 +180,17 @@ func TestPiperBlock(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unknown firewall state not blocked: %q", b)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPiperUnitFailtobanIgnore(t *testing.T) {
+	rc := newDryRunRC(t)
+	rc.Config.Modules.Tenant.SSHPiper = config.SSHPiperConfig{Enabled: true, FailtobanIgnore: []string{"172.16.229.33/32", "10.0.0.1"}}
+	if u := piperUnitContent(rc); !strings.Contains(u, "/plugins/failtoban --ignore-ip 172.16.229.33/32 --ignore-ip 10.0.0.1\n") {
+		t.Errorf("unit lacks ignore list:\n%s", u)
+	}
+	for _, bad := range []string{"not-an-ip", "fe80::1%eth0"} {
+		rc.Config.Modules.Tenant.SSHPiper.FailtobanIgnore = []string{bad}
+		if err := rc.Config.Validate(); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failtoban_ignore") {
+			t.Errorf("bad entry %q accepted: %v", bad, err)
+		}
+	}
+}