diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 72f6f324f62..13027b1a30a 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -85,11 +85,14 @@ Detailed list of changes
 -------------------------------------
 
 0.38.2 [future]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 - When mapping a custom kitten allow using shell escaping for the kitten path (:iss:`8178`)
 
 - Fix border colors not being changed by auto light/dark themes at startup (:iss:`8180`)
 
+- ssh kitten: Fix kitten not being on PATH when sshing into Debian systems (:iss:`7160`)
+
 0.38.1 [2024-12-26]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash b/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
index 52755fd68dd..9b2072ee2b9 100644
--- a/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
+++ b/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ _ksi_main() {
     IFS="$ifs"
 
     builtin unset KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION
+    if [[ -n "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR" ]]; then
+        if [[ ! "$PATH" =~ (^|:)${SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR}(:|$) ]] && [[ -z "$(builtin command -v kitten)" ]]; then
+            builtin export PATH="${PATH}:${SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR}"
+        fi
+        builtin unset SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR
+    fi
 
     _ksi_debug_print() {
         # print a line to STDERR of parent kitty process
diff --git a/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
index e052e0cfe4b..b0116ad24b4 100644
--- a/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
+++ b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ function __ksi_schedule --on-event fish_prompt -d "Setup kitty integration after
     test -n "$KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION" || return 0
     set --local _ksi (string split " " -- "$KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION")
     set --erase KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION
+    if test -n "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR"
+        if not contains -- "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR" "$PATH"
+            if not type kitten 2> /dev/null > /dev/null
+                set -gx PATH "$PATH" "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR"
+            end
+        end
+        set --erase SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR
+    end
 
     # Enable cursor shape changes for default mode and vi mode
     if not contains "no-cursor" $_ksi
diff --git a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh
index a842ed96269..adf19f0068c 100644
--- a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh
+++ b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap-utils.sh
@@ -177,10 +177,11 @@ fi' > "$sh_script"
 }
 
 install_kitty_bootstrap() {
+    kitty_dir="$data_dir/kitty/bin"
+    export SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR="$kitty_dir"
     kitty_exists="n"
     command -v kitty 2> /dev/null > /dev/null && kitty_exists="y"
     if [ "$kitty_remote" = "yes" -o "$kitty_remote-$kitty_exists" = "if-needed-n" ]; then
-        kitty_dir="$data_dir/kitty/bin"
         if [ "$kitty_exists" = "y" ]; then
             export PATH="$kitty_dir:$PATH"
         else
diff --git a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py
index fa876f89a15..58ba3df5461 100644
--- a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py
+++ b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.py
@@ -284,8 +284,9 @@ def exec_with_shell_integration():
 def install_kitty_bootstrap():
     kitty_remote = os.environ.pop('KITTY_REMOTE', '')
     kitty_exists = shutil.which('kitty')
+    kitty_dir = os.path.join(data_dir, 'kitty', 'bin')
+    os.environ['SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR'] = kitty_dir
     if kitty_remote == 'yes' or (kitty_remote == 'if-needed' and not kitty_exists):
-        kitty_dir = os.path.join(data_dir, 'kitty', 'bin')
         if kitty_exists:
             os.environ['PATH'] = kitty_dir + os.pathsep + os.environ['PATH']
         else:
diff --git a/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration b/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
index 76459d47828..a9dbb7f8542 100644
--- a/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
+++ b/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ _ksi_deferred_init() {
     opt=(${(s: :)KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION})
     builtin unset KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION
 
+    if [[ -n "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR" ]]; then
+        if [[ ! "$PATH" =~ (^|:)${SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR}(:|$) ]] && [[ -z "$(builtin command -v kitten)" ]]; then
+            builtin export PATH="${PATH}:${SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR}"
+        fi
+        builtin unset SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR
+    fi
+
     # The directory where kitty-integration is located: /.../shell-integration/zsh.
     builtin local self_dir="${functions_source[_ksi_deferred_init]:A:h}"
     # The directory with _kitty. We store it in a directory of its own rather than