diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 307a35ea..895bad6b 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/kr/fs"
-	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/sftp/internal/encoding/ssh/filexfer/openssh"
 )
@@ -192,34 +191,6 @@ type Client struct {
 	disableConcurrentReads bool
 }
 
-// NewClient creates a new SFTP client on conn, using zero or more option
-// functions.
-func NewClient(conn *ssh.Client, opts ...ClientOption) (*Client, error) {
-	s, err := conn.NewSession()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	pw, err := s.StdinPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	pr, err := s.StdoutPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	perr, err := s.StderrPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	if err := s.RequestSubsystem("sftp"); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return newClientPipe(pr, perr, pw, s.Wait, opts...)
-}
-
 // NewClientPipe creates a new SFTP client given a Reader and a WriteCloser.
 // This can be used for connecting to an SFTP server over TCP/TLS or by using
 // the system's ssh client program (e.g. via exec.Command).
diff --git a/client_ssh.go b/client_ssh.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c49a8d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client_ssh.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+//go:build !pkg_sftp.omit_ssh
+
+package sftp
+
+import "golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+
+// NewClient creates a new SFTP client on conn, using zero or more option
+// functions.
+func NewClient(conn *ssh.Client, opts ...ClientOption) (*Client, error) {
+	s, err := conn.NewSession()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pw, err := s.StdinPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	pr, err := s.StdoutPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	perr, err := s.StderrPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if err := s.RequestSubsystem("sftp"); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return newClientPipe(pr, perr, pw, s.Wait, opts...)
+}