diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/gcc.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/gcc.py
index d01a791cb5..efae5bedf4 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/gcc.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/gcc.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 #
+import hashlib
+import subprocess
 import os
 import time
 from oeqa.core.decorator import OETestTag
@@ -84,10 +86,24 @@ class GccSelfTestBase(OESelftestTestCase, OEPTestResultTestCase):
             # validate that SSH is working
             status, _ = qemu.run("uname")
             self.assertEqual(status, 0)
-            qemu.run('echo "MaxStartups 75:30:100" >> /etc/ssh/sshd_config')
-            qemu.run('service sshd restart')
 
-            return self.run_check(*args, ssh=qemu.ip, **kwargs)
+            # Increase MaxSessions to accommodate concurrent GCC test shards sharing
+            # the SSH master connection.
+            qemu.run('echo "MaxSessions 200" >> /etc/ssh/sshd_config')
+            status, output = qemu.run('[ ! -f /var/run/sshd.pid ] || kill -HUP $(cat /var/run/sshd.pid)')
+            if status != 0:
+                raise Exception(f"sshd reload failed (rc={status}): {output}")
+
+            # With ControlPersist=yes, never times out on its own, so close it
+            # explicitly once all test shards have finished.
+            controlpath = "/tmp/oe-gcc-ssh-" + hashlib.sha1(get_bb_var("B", "gcc-runtime").encode()).hexdigest()[:12]
+            try:
+                return self.run_check(*args, ssh=qemu.ip, **kwargs)
+            finally:
+                subprocess.run(["ssh", "-O", "exit",
+                                "-o", "ControlPath={0}".format(controlpath),
+                                "root@{0}".format(qemu.ip)],
+                               stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
 
 @OETestTag("toolchain-user")
 class GccCrossSelfTest(GccSelfTestBase):
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-testsuite.inc b/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-testsuite.inc
index 4859d6d84c..db08a01f3d 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-testsuite.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-testsuite.inc
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ python check_prepare() {
         return "\n".join(content)
 
     def generate_remote_ssh_linux_config(d):
+        import hashlib, os
         content = []
         content.append('load_generic_config "unix"')
         content.append('process_multilib_options ""')
@@ -87,8 +88,19 @@ python check_prepare() {
         content.append("set_board_info username {0}".format(d.getVar("TOOLCHAIN_TEST_HOST_USER")))
 
         port = d.getVar("TOOLCHAIN_TEST_HOST_PORT")
-        content.append("set_board_info rsh_prog \"/usr/bin/ssh -p {0} -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o LogLevel=ERROR \"".format(port))
-        content.append("set_board_info rcp_prog \"/usr/bin/scp -P {0} -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o LogLevel=ERROR \"".format(port))
+
+        # Use SSH multiplexing to share one master connection across GCC tests.
+        # Keep the master alive until the selftest explicitly closes it.
+        # Use a per-build ControlPath to avoid conflicts between builds.
+        controlpath = "/tmp/oe-gcc-ssh-" + hashlib.sha1(d.getVar("B").encode()).hexdigest()[:12]
+        # remove stale socket left by a previous stopped run of this build
+        if os.path.exists(controlpath):
+            os.remove(controlpath)
+        rsh_mux = " -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPath={0} -o ControlPersist=yes".format(controlpath)
+        rcp_mux = " -o ControlMaster=no -o ControlPath={0}".format(controlpath)
+
+        content.append("set_board_info rsh_prog \"/usr/bin/ssh -p {0} -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o LogLevel=ERROR{1} \"".format(port, rsh_mux))
+        content.append("set_board_info rcp_prog \"/usr/bin/scp -P {0} -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o LogLevel=ERROR{1} \"".format(port, rcp_mux))
 
         return "\n".join(content)