diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 3e393e50..0c880c82 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -1554,7 +1554,7 @@ class Client extends EventEmitter {
     return this;
   }
 
-  sftp(cb) {
+  sftp(cb, { command } = {}) {
     if (!this._sock || !isWritable(this._sock))
       throw new Error('Not connected');
 
@@ -1564,7 +1564,7 @@ class Client extends EventEmitter {
         return;
       }
 
-      reqSubsystem(sftp, 'sftp', (err, sftp_) => {
+      const sftpCb = (err, sftp_) => {
         if (err) {
           cb(err);
           return;
@@ -1610,7 +1610,13 @@ class Client extends EventEmitter {
             .on('close', onExit);
 
         sftp._init();
-      });
+      };
+
+      if (command) {
+        reqExec(sftp, command, {}, sftpCb);
+      } else {
+        reqSubsystem(sftp, 'sftp', sftpCb);
+      }
     });
 
     return this;