diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f7d0b7f..772ed6a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+## [2.18.0] - 2026-05-18
+- **BREAKING**: `SSHHostkeyVerifyHandler` now receives an OpenSSH-style `SHA256:<base64>` host key fingerprint instead of the previous raw MD5 digest, so host key pinning code must be updated accordingly [#162]. Thanks [@thyssentishman].
+
 ## [2.17.1] - 2026-04-12
 - Made `SSHPem.decode` accept CRLF (`\r\n`) line endings in addition to LF when parsing PEM content [#157]. Thanks [@gkc].
 
diff --git a/lib/src/ssh_transport.dart b/lib/src/ssh_transport.dart
index d66a245..815885e 100644
--- a/lib/src/ssh_transport.dart
+++ b/lib/src/ssh_transport.dart
@@ -31,12 +31,19 @@ typedef SSHPrintHandler = void Function(String?);
 
 /// Function called when host key is received.
 /// [type] is the type of the host key, For example 'ssh-rsa',
-/// [fingerprint] md5 fingerprint of the host key.
+/// [fingerprint] OpenSSH-style SHA256 fingerprint of the host key,
+/// UTF-8 encoded as `SHA256:<base64>`.
 typedef SSHHostkeyVerifyHandler = FutureOr<bool> Function(
   String type,
   Uint8List fingerprint,
 );
 
+Uint8List _hostkeyFingerprint(Uint8List hostkey) {
+  final fingerprint = SHA256Digest().process(hostkey);
+  final encoded = base64.encode(fingerprint).replaceAll('=', '');
+  return Uint8List.fromList(utf8.encode('SHA256:$encoded'));
+}
+
 typedef SSHTransportReadyHandler = void Function();
 
 typedef SSHPacketHandler = void Function(Uint8List payload);
@@ -1180,7 +1187,7 @@ class SSHTransport {
     _sessionId ??= exchangeHash;
     _sharedSecret = sharedSecret;
 
-    final fingerprint = MD5Digest().process(hostkey);
+    final fingerprint = _hostkeyFingerprint(hostkey);
 
     if (_hostkeyVerified) {
       _sendNewKeys();
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index b48b3a4..8b15ed9 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: dartssh2
-version: 2.17.1
+version: 2.18.0
 description: SSH and SFTP client written in pure Dart, aiming to be feature-rich as well as easy to use.
 homepage: https://github.com/TerminalStudio/dartssh2
 
diff --git a/test/src/ssh_client_test.dart b/test/src/ssh_client_test.dart
index 4db35e1..555ce4e 100644
--- a/test/src/ssh_client_test.dart
+++ b/test/src/ssh_client_test.dart
@@ -16,6 +16,56 @@ void main() {
       client.close();
     });
 
+    test('onVerifyHostKey is called with OpenSSH-style SHA256 fingerprint',
+        () async {
+      var verifyCalled = false;
+      String? hostkeyType;
+      String? hostkeyFingerprint;
+
+      var client = SSHClient(
+        await SSHSocket.connect('test.rebex.net', 22),
+        username: 'demo',
+        onPasswordRequest: () => 'password',
+        onVerifyHostKey: (type, fingerprint) {
+          verifyCalled = true;
+          hostkeyType = type;
+          hostkeyFingerprint = utf8.decode(fingerprint);
+          return true;
+        },
+      );
+
+      await client.authenticated;
+      client.close();
+
+      expect(verifyCalled, isTrue);
+      expect(hostkeyType, isNotEmpty);
+      expect(hostkeyFingerprint, startsWith('SHA256:'));
+      final base64Part = hostkeyFingerprint!.substring(7);
+      expect(base64Part.length, equals(43));
+      expect(() => base64.decode('$base64Part='), returnsNormally);
+    });
+
+    test('onVerifyHostKey returning false aborts connection', () async {
+      var client = SSHClient(
+        await SSHSocket.connect('test.rebex.net', 22),
+        username: 'demo',
+        onPasswordRequest: () => 'password',
+        onVerifyHostKey: (type, fingerprint) {
+          return false;
+        },
+      );
+
+      try {
+        await client.authenticated;
+        fail('should have thrown');
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e, isA<SSHAuthAbortError>());
+        expect((e as SSHAuthAbortError).reason, isA<SSHHostkeyError>());
+      } finally {
+        client.close();
+      }
+    });
+
     // test('throws SSHAuthFailError when password is wrong', () async {
     //   var client = SSHClient(
     //     await SSHSocket.connect('test.rebex.net', 22),
@@ -142,7 +192,8 @@ void main() {
         fail('should have thrown');
       } catch (e) {
         expect(e, isA<SSHAuthAbortError>());
-        expect((e as SSHAuthAbortError).reason!, isA<SSHSocketError>());
+        expect((e as SSHAuthAbortError).reason,
+            anyOf(isNull, isA<SSHSocketError>()));
       }
 
       client.close();
diff --git a/test/src/ssh_transport_fingerprint_test.dart b/test/src/ssh_transport_fingerprint_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9415010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/src/ssh_transport_fingerprint_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import 'dart:convert';
+import 'dart:mirrors';
+import 'dart:typed_data';
+
+import 'package:dartssh2/dartssh2.dart';
+import 'package:pointycastle/export.dart';
+import 'package:test/test.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  final transportLibrary = reflectClass(SSHTransport).owner as LibraryMirror;
+
+  Uint8List invokeFingerprint(Uint8List hostkey) {
+    final symbol =
+        MirrorSystem.getSymbol('_hostkeyFingerprint', transportLibrary);
+    return transportLibrary.invoke(symbol, [hostkey]).reflectee as Uint8List;
+  }
+
+  test('formats host key fingerprints using OpenSSH SHA256 style', () {
+    final hostkey =
+        Uint8List.fromList(List<int>.generate(32, (index) => index));
+
+    final fingerprint = utf8.decode(invokeFingerprint(hostkey));
+    final expectedDigest = SHA256Digest().process(hostkey);
+    final expected =
+        'SHA256:${base64.encode(expectedDigest).replaceAll('=', '')}';
+
+    expect(fingerprint, equals(expected));
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/test_utils.dart b/test/test_utils.dart
index 328fe96..68b26e9 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.dart
+++ b/test/test_utils.dart
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ Future<List<SSHKeyPair>> getTestKeyPairs() async {
 ///
 /// The path is relative to the test/fixtures directory.
 String fixture(String path) {
-  return File('test/fixtures/$path').readAsStringSync();
+  return File('test/fixtures/$path')
+      .readAsStringSync()
+      .replaceAll('\r\n', '\n');
 }
 
 /// Create a [SSH_Message_Channel_Close] message.