diff --git a/src/backend/hosts/host-resolver.ts b/src/backend/hosts/host-resolver.ts
index 7c9befb0f..771553b38 100644
--- a/src/backend/hosts/host-resolver.ts
+++ b/src/backend/hosts/host-resolver.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ export async function resolveHostById(
     }
     host.terminalConfig = rest;
   }
+  // Stored as the text "true"/"false"; the string "false" is truthy and would
+  // make the password provider skip password auth.
+  host.forceKeyboardInteractive =
+    String(host.forceKeyboardInteractive) === "true";
   // A row the boot copy has not reached yet still has them in terminal_config.
   host.sshOptions = parseSshOptions(
     host.sshOptions != null ? host.sshOptions : host.terminalConfig,
diff --git a/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-resolver.test.ts b/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-resolver.test.ts
index 94d8ecff3..e1057d643 100644
--- a/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-resolver.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-resolver.test.ts
@@ -487,6 +487,16 @@ describe("resolveHostById", () => {
     expect(host.sshOptions).toEqual({ keepaliveCountMax: 3 });
   });
 
+  it("turns the stored force_keyboard_interactive text into a boolean", async () => {
+    state.host = baseHost({ forceKeyboardInteractive: "false" });
+    const off = (await resolveHostById(42, "owner")) as Record<string, unknown>;
+    expect(off.forceKeyboardInteractive).toBe(false);
+
+    state.host = baseHost({ forceKeyboardInteractive: "true" });
+    const on = (await resolveHostById(42, "owner")) as Record<string, unknown>;
+    expect(on.forceKeyboardInteractive).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("resolves an admin bypass like the owner, keeping owner-only secrets", async () => {
     state.isAdminBypass = true;
     state.host = baseHost({