diff --git a/apps/wolfsshd/configuration.c b/apps/wolfsshd/configuration.c
index c16c63b16..61c7a9b6a 100644
--- a/apps/wolfsshd/configuration.c
+++ b/apps/wolfsshd/configuration.c
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef WOLFSSH_SSHD
+
+/* Define POSIX feature-test macros before any system header (as auth.c does) so
+ * fdopen/ftruncate/lstat/S_ISLNK are declared under strict -std= builds. */
+#ifdef __linux__
+    #ifndef _XOPEN_SOURCE
+        #define _XOPEN_SOURCE
+    #endif
+    #ifndef _GNU_SOURCE
+        #define _GNU_SOURCE
+    #endif
+#endif
+
 /* functions for parsing out options from a config file and for handling loading
  * key/certs using the env. filesystem */
 
@@ -51,10 +63,13 @@
 
 #include "configuration.h"
 
-#ifndef WIN32
+#ifndef _WIN32
 #include <dirent.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef WIN32
+#ifdef _WIN32
 #include <process.h>
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_LIMITS_H
@@ -1779,18 +1794,105 @@ void wolfSSHD_ConfigSavePID(const WOLFSSHD_CONFIG* conf)
 {
     FILE* f;
     char buf[12]; /* large enough to hold 'int' type with null terminator */
+    word32 pidLen;
+    int writeOk;
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    int fd;
+    int ok = 1;
+    struct stat st;
+#endif
 
     if (conf->pidFile != NULL) {
         WMEMSET(buf, 0, sizeof(buf));
+        /* Reached only on real POSIX (wolfsshd requires fork/getpwnam), so raw
+         * open/fstat/ftruncate/fdopen are safe; the O_NOFOLLOW hardening needs
+         * a real fd that WFOPEN does not expose. */
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK) && WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW == 0
+        /* Symlinks are a concern here but O_NOFOLLOW is unavailable, so reject a
+         * symlinked leaf with a best-effort lstat pre-check (racy, the closest
+         * guard without the atomic primitive). */
+        if (lstat(conf->pidFile, &st) == 0 && S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
+            wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                "[SSHD] Refusing symlinked PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+            ok = 0;
+        }
+#endif
+        /* Open with O_NOFOLLOW and an explicit 0644 mode so a pre-positioned
+         * symlink at the PID file path cannot redirect the write to another
+         * file, and the result is never world-writable under a relaxed umask. */
+        if (ok) {
+            /* No O_TRUNC (truncate only after the fstat check below) and
+             * O_NONBLOCK so a planted FIFO fails fast instead of stalling the
+             * open before that check runs. */
+            fd = open(conf->pidFile,
+                      O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_NONBLOCK | WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW,
+                      0644);
+            if (fd < 0) {
+                /* covers a refused symlink leaf (O_NOFOLLOW) as well as any
+                 * other open failure. */
+                wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                    "[SSHD] Unable to open PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+            }
+            /* O_NOFOLLOW blocks a symlink but not a hard link onto a root-owned
+             * file; require a single-link regular file before truncating. */
+            else if (fstat(fd, &st) != 0 || !S_ISREG(st.st_mode) ||
+                     st.st_nlink != 1) {
+                wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                    "[SSHD] Refusing unsafe PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+                close(fd);
+            }
+            else if (ftruncate(fd, 0) != 0) {
+                wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                    "[SSHD] Unable to truncate PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+                close(fd);
+            }
+            else {
+                /* O_NONBLOCK left set is a no-op on a regular-file write. */
+                f = fdopen(fd, "wb");
+                if (f == NULL) {
+                    wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                        "[SSHD] Unable to open PID file stream %s",
+                        conf->pidFile);
+                    close(fd);
+                    /* the file was created or truncated above; remove the empty
+                     * leftover so no reader parses a zero-length PID. */
+                    unlink(conf->pidFile);
+                }
+                else {
+                    WSNPRINTF(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", getpid());
+                    pidLen = (word32)WSTRLEN(buf);
+                    writeOk = ((word32)WFWRITE(NULL, buf, 1, pidLen, f) == pidLen);
+                    /* always close, then drop a short-written or unflushed PID
+                     * file so no reader parses a truncated value. */
+                    if (WFCLOSE(NULL, f) != 0) {
+                        writeOk = 0;
+                    }
+                    if (!writeOk) {
+                        wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                            "[SSHD] Failed to write PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+                        unlink(conf->pidFile);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+#else
         if (WFOPEN(NULL, &f, conf->pidFile, "wb") == 0) {
-    #ifndef WIN32
-            WSNPRINTF(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", getpid());
-    #else
             WSNPRINTF(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", _getpid());
-    #endif
-            WFWRITE(NULL, buf, 1, WSTRLEN(buf), f);
-            WFCLOSE(NULL, f);
+            pidLen = (word32)WSTRLEN(buf);
+            writeOk = ((word32)WFWRITE(NULL, buf, 1, pidLen, f) == pidLen);
+            /* always close, then drop a short-written or unflushed PID file so
+             * no reader parses a truncated value. */
+            if (WFCLOSE(NULL, f) != 0) {
+                writeOk = 0;
+            }
+            if (!writeOk) {
+                wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR,
+                    "[SSHD] Failed to write PID file %s", conf->pidFile);
+                WREMOVE(NULL, conf->pidFile);
+            }
         }
+#endif
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/wolfsshd/test/test_configuration.c b/apps/wolfsshd/test/test_configuration.c
index aa5c410de..cc58f6b66 100644
--- a/apps/wolfsshd/test/test_configuration.c
+++ b/apps/wolfsshd/test/test_configuration.c
@@ -1898,6 +1898,196 @@ static int test_OpenSecureFile(void)
 
     return ret;
 }
+
+/* load a config whose PidFile is 'pidTarget' and run wolfSSHD_ConfigSavePID
+ * under umask(0), restoring the umask afterward so later tests are unaffected */
+static int pidSave(const char* confPath, const char* pidTarget)
+{
+    int ret;
+    mode_t old;
+    WOLFSSHD_CONFIG* cfg;
+    FILE* f;
+
+    f = fopen(confPath, "w");
+    if (f == NULL) {
+        return WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+    }
+    fprintf(f, "PidFile %s\n", pidTarget);
+    fclose(f);
+
+    cfg = wolfSSHD_ConfigNew(NULL);
+    if (cfg == NULL) {
+        return WS_MEMORY_E;
+    }
+    ret = wolfSSHD_ConfigLoad(cfg, confPath);
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        /* deliberate worst case: prove the explicit 0644 mode holds even when
+         * the umask would not mask any bits */
+        old = umask(0);
+        wolfSSHD_ConfigSavePID(cfg);
+        umask(old);
+    }
+    wolfSSHD_ConfigFree(cfg);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/* wolfSSHD_ConfigSavePID must refuse a symlink at the PID path so a planted
+ * link cannot truncate another file, and must create the PID file without
+ * group or world write even under a permissive umask. */
+static int test_ConfigSavePID(void)
+{
+    int ret = WS_SUCCESS;
+    int rd;
+    long pid = -1;
+    char base[] = "/tmp/wolfsshd_pidXXXXXX";
+    char conf[80] = "";
+    char pidPath[96] = "";
+    char victim[96] = "";
+    char linkPath[96] = "";
+    char hvictim[96] = "";
+    char hlink[96] = "";
+    char fifo[96] = "";
+    const char* secret = "VICTIM-CONTENTS\n";
+    FILE* f = NULL;
+    struct stat st;
+    char rbuf[64];
+
+    if (mkdtemp(base) == NULL) {
+        Log("    mkdtemp failed.\n");
+        ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        snprintf(conf, sizeof(conf), "%s/sshd_config", base);
+        snprintf(pidPath, sizeof(pidPath), "%s/wolfsshd.pid", base);
+        snprintf(victim, sizeof(victim), "%s/victim", base);
+        snprintf(linkPath, sizeof(linkPath), "%s/link.pid", base);
+        snprintf(hvictim, sizeof(hvictim), "%s/hvictim", base);
+        snprintf(hlink, sizeof(hlink), "%s/hlink.pid", base);
+        snprintf(fifo, sizeof(fifo), "%s/fifo.pid", base);
+    }
+
+    /* Scenario 1: a normal path is written with our PID and is not group or
+     * world writable despite umask(0). */
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = pidSave(conf, pidPath);
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        if (stat(pidPath, &st) != 0) {
+            ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+        }
+        else {
+            f = fopen(pidPath, "r");
+            rd = (f != NULL) ? fscanf(f, "%ld", &pid) : 0;
+            if (f != NULL) {
+                fclose(f);
+            }
+            ret = smExpect("normal PID file written with our PID",
+                (rd == 1 && pid == (long)getpid()) ? WS_SUCCESS
+                                                    : WS_FATAL_ERROR, 1);
+            if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+                ret = smExpect("PID file not group or world writable",
+                    (st.st_mode & (S_IWGRP | S_IWOTH)) ? WS_FATAL_ERROR
+                                                        : WS_SUCCESS, 1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Scenario 2: a symlink at the PID path is refused, link target untouched.
+     * The common build exercises the atomic O_NOFOLLOW path; the lstat fallback
+     * needs a symlink-capable platform without O_NOFOLLOW. */
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        f = fopen(victim, "w");
+        if (f == NULL) {
+            ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+        }
+        else {
+            fputs(secret, f);
+            fclose(f);
+        }
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS && symlink(victim, linkPath) != 0) {
+        ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = pidSave(conf, linkPath);
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        f = fopen(victim, "r");
+        WMEMSET(rbuf, 0, sizeof(rbuf));
+        rd = (f != NULL) ? (int)fread(rbuf, 1, sizeof(rbuf) - 1, f) : -1;
+        if (f != NULL) {
+            fclose(f);
+        }
+        (void)rd;
+        /* A WOLFSSH_NO_SYMLINK_CHECK build does no symlink check by design, so
+         * only assert the target survived when the check is compiled in. */
+#ifdef WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK
+        ret = smExpect("symlinked PID path not followed, target intact",
+            (WSTRCMP(rbuf, secret) == 0) ? WS_SUCCESS : WS_FATAL_ERROR, 1);
+#else
+        (void)rbuf;
+#endif
+    }
+
+    /* Scenario 3: a hard link at the PID path is refused (O_NOFOLLOW stops a
+     * symlink but not a hard link), leaving the link target untouched. The
+     * st_nlink check that enforces this is unconditional, so this always runs. */
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        f = fopen(hvictim, "w");
+        if (f == NULL) {
+            ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+        }
+        else {
+            fputs(secret, f);
+            fclose(f);
+        }
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS && link(hvictim, hlink) != 0) {
+        ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = pidSave(conf, hlink);
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        f = fopen(hvictim, "r");
+        WMEMSET(rbuf, 0, sizeof(rbuf));
+        rd = (f != NULL) ? (int)fread(rbuf, 1, sizeof(rbuf) - 1, f) : -1;
+        if (f != NULL) {
+            fclose(f);
+        }
+        (void)rd;
+        ret = smExpect("hard-linked PID path refused, target intact",
+            (WSTRCMP(rbuf, secret) == 0) ? WS_SUCCESS : WS_FATAL_ERROR, 1);
+    }
+
+    /* Scenario 4: a FIFO at the PID path is rejected (O_NONBLOCK fast-fails the
+     * open and the S_ISREG check refuses it), and the FIFO is left in place
+     * rather than replaced by a regular PID file. */
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS && mkfifo(fifo, 0600) != 0) {
+        ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = pidSave(conf, fifo);
+    }
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = smExpect("FIFO PID path refused, still a FIFO",
+            (lstat(fifo, &st) == 0 && S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode)) ? WS_SUCCESS
+                                                            : WS_FATAL_ERROR, 1);
+    }
+
+    /* cleanup */
+    unlink(fifo);
+    unlink(linkPath);
+    unlink(victim);
+    unlink(hlink);
+    unlink(hvictim);
+    unlink(pidPath);
+    unlink(conf);
+    rmdir(base);
+
+    return ret;
+}
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
 const TEST_CASE testCases[] = {
@@ -1920,6 +2110,7 @@ const TEST_CASE testCases[] = {
     TEST_DECL(test_ConfigFree),
 #ifndef _WIN32
     TEST_DECL(test_OpenSecureFile),
+    TEST_DECL(test_ConfigSavePID),
 #endif
 #ifdef WOLFSSL_BASE64_ENCODE
     TEST_DECL(test_CheckAuthKeysLine),
diff --git a/wolfssh/port.h b/wolfssh/port.h
index 983818378..377876dd0 100644
--- a/wolfssh/port.h
+++ b/wolfssh/port.h
@@ -1577,20 +1577,15 @@ extern "C" {
     #define WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK
 #endif
 
-/* wIsSymlink lives in the always-compiled port.c, but its filesystem
- * dependencies (WSTAT_T/WLSTAT/S_ISLNK on POSIX, WS_GetFileAttributesExA on
- * Windows) and its only callers exist solely in the SFTP and SCP code, so
- * gate it on those features in addition to the platform capability.  Shared by
- * the SFTP path-confinement guard and the SCP send guards. */
-#if defined(WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK) && \
-    (defined(WOLFSSH_SFTP) || defined(WOLFSSH_SCP))
-    WOLFSSH_LOCAL int wIsSymlink(const char* path);
-
-    /* Open flag that refuses to follow a final-component symbolic link, so the
-     * open is atomic against a swapped link.  Maps to the platform primitive
-     * where available (POSIX O_NOFOLLOW) and to 0 elsewhere (Windows and any
-     * filesystem lacking it), where wFopenNoFollow falls back to a wIsSymlink
-     * check before the open. */
+/* No-follow open flags, defined for every filesystem that can store a symlink
+ * (POSIX and Windows) so the SFTP, SCP, and SSHD code share one definition. */
+#ifdef WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK
+    #ifndef USE_WINDOWS_API
+        #include <fcntl.h> /* supplies O_NOFOLLOW/O_DIRECTORY on POSIX */
+    #endif
+    /* Open flag refusing to follow a final-component symlink, so the open is
+     * atomic against a swapped link.  0 where unavailable (Windows, link-less
+     * filesystems), where the caller falls back to a wIsSymlink check. */
     #ifdef O_NOFOLLOW
         #define WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW O_NOFOLLOW
     #else
@@ -1603,6 +1598,22 @@ extern "C" {
     #else
         #define WOLFSSH_O_DIRECTORY 0
     #endif
+#endif /* WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK */
+
+/* Catch-all so callers can use WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW unconditionally; resolves to
+ * 0 when symlinks are not a concern (no-symlink filesystems, opt-out builds). */
+#ifndef WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW
+    #define WOLFSSH_O_NOFOLLOW 0
+#endif
+
+/* wIsSymlink lives in the always-compiled port.c, but its filesystem
+ * dependencies (WSTAT_T/WLSTAT/S_ISLNK on POSIX, WS_GetFileAttributesExA on
+ * Windows) and its only callers exist solely in the SFTP and SCP code, so
+ * gate it on those features in addition to the platform capability.  Shared by
+ * the SFTP path-confinement guard and the SCP send guards. */
+#if defined(WOLFSSH_HAVE_SYMLINK) && \
+    (defined(WOLFSSH_SFTP) || defined(WOLFSSH_SCP))
+    WOLFSSH_LOCAL int wIsSymlink(const char* path);
 
     /* Open a file for reading without following a final-component symlink.
      * Returns 0 on success, non-zero on failure, matching the wfopen