diff --git a/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Amain_3A_3Afiles.html b/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Amain_3A_3Afiles.html
index 8460181..008c095 100644
--- a/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Amain_3A_3Afiles.html
+++ b/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Amain_3A_3Afiles.html
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class confdroid_ssh::main::files (
 
   if $ssh_manage_config {
     file { $sshd_custom_conf:
-      ensure   => file,
+      ensure   => $ssh_custom_ensure,
       path     => $sshd_custom_conf,
       owner    => $sshd_user,
       group    => $sshd_user,
diff --git a/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Aparams.html b/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Aparams.html
index 5290b75..9c3ea31 100644
--- a/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Aparams.html
+++ b/doc/puppet_classes/confdroid_ssh_3A_3Aparams.html
@@ -1186,6 +1186,24 @@
         —
         <div class='inline'>
 <p>setting for sshd_config. Default is ‘2m’, which means that users have 2 minutes to successfully authenticate before the server disconnects them, but can be set to a different time interval if desired. This setting can be used to limit the amount of time that attackers have to attempt to brute-force authentication, but should be set to a reasonable value to avoid disconnecting legitimate users who may need more time to log</p>
+</div>
+      
+    </li>
+  
+    <li>
+      
+        <span class='name'>ssh_custom_ensure</span>
+      
+      
+        <span class='type'>(<tt>String</tt>)</span>
+      
+      
+        <em class="default">(defaults to: <tt>&#39;file&#39;</tt>)</em>
+      
+      
+        &mdash;
+        <div class='inline'>
+<p>whether the custom configuration file should be file or absent.</p>
 </div>
       
     </li>
@@ -1201,8 +1219,6 @@
         <pre class="lines">
 
 
-200
-201
 202
 203
 204
@@ -1288,10 +1304,13 @@
 284
 285
 286
-287</pre>
+287
+288
+289
+290</pre>
       </td>
       <td>
-        <pre class="code"><span class="info file"># File 'manifests/params.pp', line 200</span>
+        <pre class="code"><span class="info file"># File 'manifests/params.pp', line 202</span>
 
 class confdroid_ssh::params (
 
@@ -1305,6 +1324,7 @@ class confdroid_ssh::params (
   String $ssh_source_range                  = &#39;0.0.0.0/0&#39;,
 
   # sshd configuration 
+  String  $ssh_custom_ensure                = &#39;file&#39;,
   Boolean $ssh_manage_config                = true,
   String  $ssh_address_family               = &#39;any&#39;,
   String  $ssh_listen_address               = &#39;0.0.0.0&#39;,
diff --git a/manifests/main/files.pp b/manifests/main/files.pp
index 118cf09..6543586 100644
--- a/manifests/main/files.pp
+++ b/manifests/main/files.pp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class confdroid_ssh::main::files (
 
   if $ssh_manage_config {
     file { $sshd_custom_conf:
-      ensure   => file,
+      ensure   => $ssh_custom_ensure,
       path     => $sshd_custom_conf,
       owner    => $sshd_user,
       group    => $sshd_user,
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 6040012..fa28b2d 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@
 #   time interval if desired. This setting can be used to limit the amount of time
 #   that attackers have to attempt to brute-force authentication, but should be set
 #   to a reasonable value to avoid disconnecting legitimate users who may need more time to log
+# @param [String] ssh_custom_ensure whether the custom configuration file 
+#   should be file or absent.
 ##############################################################################
 class confdroid_ssh::params (
 
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ class confdroid_ssh::params (
   String $ssh_source_range                  = '0.0.0.0/0',
 
   # sshd configuration 
+  String  $ssh_custom_ensure                = 'file',
   Boolean $ssh_manage_config                = true,
   String  $ssh_address_family               = 'any',
   String  $ssh_listen_address               = '0.0.0.0',