diff --git a/datalad_next/runners/tests/test_data_processors.py b/datalad_next/runners/tests/test_data_processors.py
index 7d987b843..ebdb972fb 100644
--- a/datalad_next/runners/tests/test_data_processors.py
+++ b/datalad_next/runners/tests/test_data_processors.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def perform_test(data_chunks: list[str | bytes],
         copied_data_chunks = data_chunks[:]
         for final, result in ((True, expected_final), (False, expected_non_final)):
             r = pattern_border_processor(pattern)(data_chunks, final=final)
-            assert tuple(r) == result
+            assert tuple(r) == result, f'failed with final {final}'
             # Check that the original list was not modified
             assert copied_data_chunks == data_chunks
 
@@ -143,3 +143,11 @@ def perform_test(data_chunks: list[str | bytes],
         expected_non_final=(['abc', 'dddbbb'], ['a']),
         expected_final=(['abc', 'dddbbb', 'a'], [])
     )
+
+
+    perform_test(
+        data_chunks=['a', 'b', 'c', '9', 'a'],
+        pattern='abc',
+        expected_non_final=(['abc'], ['9a']),
+        expected_final=(['abc', '9a'], [])
+    )
diff --git a/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py b/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
index 4858d79f3..b4d254cc7 100644
--- a/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
+++ b/datalad_next/url_operations/ssh.py
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
     CommandError,
 )
 
+from datalad_next.runners.data_processors import (
+    pattern_border_processor,
+    process_from,
+)
 from datalad_next.runners.run import run
 from datalad_next.utils.consts import COPY_BUFSIZE
 
@@ -101,37 +105,37 @@ def _stat(self, url: str, cmd: str) -> Dict:
         ssh_cat = _SshCat(url)
         cmd = ssh_cat.get_cmd(cmd)
         with run(cmd, protocol_class=StdOutCaptureGeneratorProtocol) as stream:
-            for chunk in stream:
-                if need_magic:
-                    expected_magic = need_magic[:min(len(need_magic),
-                                                     len(chunk))]
-                    incoming_magic = chunk[:len(need_magic)]
-                    # does the incoming data have the remaining magic bytes?
-                    if incoming_magic != expected_magic:
-                        raise RuntimeError(
-                            "Protocol error: report header not received")
-                    # reduce (still missing) magic, if any
-                    need_magic = need_magic[len(expected_magic):]
-                    # strip magic from input
-                    chunk = chunk[len(expected_magic):]
-                if chunk and expected_size is None:
-                    # we have incoming data left and
-                    # we have not yet consumed the size info
-                    size_data = chunk.split(b'\1', maxsplit=1)
-                    expected_size_str += size_data[0]
-                    if len(size_data) > 1:
-                        # this is not only size info, but we found the start of
-                        # the data
-                        expected_size = int(expected_size_str)
-                        chunk = size_data[1]
-                if expected_size:
-                    props = {
-                        'content-length': expected_size,
-                        '_stream': chain([chunk], stream) if chunk else stream,
-                    }
-                    return props
-                # there should be no data left to process, or something went wrong
-                assert not chunk
+
+            # The try clause enables us to execute the code after the context
+            # handler if the iterator stops unexpectedly. That would, for
+            # example be the case, if the ssh-subprocess terminates prematurely.
+            try:
+                filtered_stream =  process_from(
+                    stream,
+                    [pattern_border_processor(need_magic)]
+                )
+
+                # The first chunk should start with the magic
+                chunk = next(filtered_stream)
+                if chunk[:len(need_magic)] != need_magic:
+                    raise RuntimeError("Protocol error: report header not received")
+                chunk = chunk[len(need_magic):]
+
+                # The length is transferred now and terminated by b'\x01'.
+                while b'\x01' not in chunk:
+                    chunk += next(filtered_stream)
+
+                marker_index = chunk.index(b'\x01')
+                expected_size = int(chunk[:marker_index])
+
+                props = {
+                    'content-length': expected_size,
+                    '_stream': chain([chunk[marker_index + 1:]], filtered_stream),
+                }
+                return props
+
+            except StopIteration:
+                pass
 
         # At this point the subprocess has either exited, was terminated, or
         # was killed.