diff --git a/sshfs/pools/base.py b/sshfs/pools/base.py
index 698f2e7..89ced8c 100644
--- a/sshfs/pools/base.py
+++ b/sshfs/pools/base.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 from contextlib import AsyncExitStack, suppress
+from typing import Optional
 
 from asyncssh.misc import ChannelOpenError
 
@@ -15,9 +16,10 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         client,
         *,
-        max_channels=None,
-        timeout=MAX_TIMEOUT,
-        unsafe_terminate=True,
+        max_channels: Optional[int] = None,
+        timeout: int = MAX_TIMEOUT,
+        unsafe_terminate: bool = True,
+        sftp_client_kwargs: Optional[dict] = None,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         self.client = client
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ def __init__(
         self.unsafe_terminate = unsafe_terminate
         self._stack = AsyncExitStack()
 
+        self.sftp_client_kwargs = sftp_client_kwargs or {}
+
     async def _maybe_new_channel(self):
         # If there is no hard limit or the limit is not hit yet
         # try to create a new channel
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ async def _maybe_new_channel(self):
         ):
             try:
                 return await self._stack.enter_async_context(
-                    self.client.start_sftp_client()
+                    self.client.start_sftp_client(**self.sftp_client_kwargs)
                 )
             except ChannelOpenError:
                 # If we can't create any more channels, then change
diff --git a/sshfs/spec.py b/sshfs/spec.py
index 6dba100..d5791a9 100644
--- a/sshfs/spec.py
+++ b/sshfs/spec.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import weakref
 from contextlib import AsyncExitStack, suppress
 from datetime import datetime
+from typing import Optional
 
 import asyncssh
 from asyncssh.sftp import SFTPOpUnsupported
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ def __init__(
         host,
         *,
         pool_type=SFTPSoftChannelPool,
+        sftp_client_kwargs: Optional[dict] = None,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         """
@@ -45,15 +47,20 @@ def __init__(
             SSH host to connect.
         **kwargs: Any
             Any option that will be passed to either the top level
-            `AsyncFileSystem` or the `asyncssh.connect`.
+            `AsyncFileSystem` (e.g. timeout)
+            or the `asyncssh.connect`.
         pool_type: sshfs.pools.base.BaseSFTPChannelPool
             Pool manager to use (when doing concurrent operations together,
             pool managers offer the flexibility of prioritizing channels
             and deciding which to use).
+        sftp_client_kwargs: Optional[dict]
+            Parameters to pass to asyncssh.SSHClientConnection.start_sftp_client method
+            (e.g. env, send_env, path_encoding, path_errors, sftp_version).
         """
 
         super().__init__(self, **kwargs)
 
+        _timeout = kwargs.pop("timeout", None)
         max_sessions = kwargs.pop("max_sessions", _DEFAULT_MAX_SESSIONS)
         if max_sessions <= _SHELL_CHANNELS:
             raise ValueError(
@@ -61,6 +68,7 @@ def __init__(
             )
         _client_args = kwargs.copy()
         _client_args.setdefault("known_hosts", None)
+        sftp_client_kwargs = sftp_client_kwargs or {}
 
         self._stack = AsyncExitStack()
         self.active_executors = 0
@@ -68,7 +76,9 @@ def __init__(
             host,
             pool_type,
             max_sftp_channels=max_sessions - _SHELL_CHANNELS,
-            **_client_args,
+            timeout=_timeout,  # goes to sync_wrapper
+            connect_args=_client_args,  # for asyncssh.connect
+            sftp_client_kwargs=sftp_client_kwargs,  # for asyncssh.SSHClientConnection.start_sftp_client
         )
         weakref.finalize(
             self, sync, self.loop, self._finalize, self._pool, self._stack
@@ -89,13 +99,22 @@ def _get_kwargs_from_urls(urlpath):
 
     @wrap_exceptions
     async def _connect(
-        self, host, pool_type, max_sftp_channels, **client_args
+        self,
+        host,
+        pool_type,
+        max_sftp_channels,
+        connect_args,
+        sftp_client_kwargs,
     ):
         self._client_lock = asyncio.Semaphore(_SHELL_CHANNELS)
 
-        _raw_client = asyncssh.connect(host, **client_args)
+        _raw_client = asyncssh.connect(host, **connect_args)
         client = await self._stack.enter_async_context(_raw_client)
-        pool = pool_type(client, max_channels=max_sftp_channels)
+        pool = pool_type(
+            client,
+            max_channels=max_sftp_channels,
+            sftp_client_kwargs=sftp_client_kwargs,
+        )
         return client, pool
 
     connect = sync_wrapper(_connect)