diff --git a/ci-ssh_utils.py-ignore-when-sshd_config-options-are-not.patch b/ci-ssh_utils.py-ignore-when-sshd_config-options-are-not.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fe2bc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci-ssh_utils.py-ignore-when-sshd_config-options-are-not.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+From ce346f6057377c7bb9b89703fb8855ccf4947a61 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Emanuele Giuseppe Esposito <eesposit@redhat.com>
+Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2021 16:08:12 +0200
+Subject: [PATCH] ssh_utils.py: ignore when sshd_config options are not
+ key/value pairs
+
+RH-Author: Emanuele Giuseppe Esposito <eesposit@redhat.com>
+RH-MergeRequest: 10: ssh_utils.py: ignore when sshd_config options are not key/value pairs
+RH-Commit: [1/1] 546081571e8b6b1415aae1a04660137070532fae (eesposit/cloud-init-centos-)
+RH-Bugzilla: 2002302
+RH-Acked-by: Eduardo Otubo <otubo@redhat.com>
+RH-Acked-by: Vitaly Kuznetsov <vkuznets@redhat.com>
+RH-Acked-by: Mohamed Gamal Morsy <mmorsy@redhat.com>
+
+TESTED: by me
+BREW: 39622506
+
+commit 2ce857248162957a785af61c135ca8433fdbbcde
+Author: Emanuele Giuseppe Esposito <eesposit@redhat.com>
+Date:   Wed Sep 8 02:08:36 2021 +0200
+
+    ssh_utils.py: ignore when sshd_config options are not key/value pairs (#1007)
+
+    As specified in #LP 1845552,
+    In cloudinit/ssh_util.py, in parse_ssh_config_lines(), we attempt to
+    parse each line of sshd_config. This function expects each line to
+    be one of the following forms:
+
+        \# comment
+        key value
+        key=value
+
+    However, options like DenyGroups and DenyUsers are specified to
+    *optionally* accepts values in sshd_config.
+    Cloud-init should comply to this and skip the option if a value
+    is not provided.
+
+    Signed-off-by: Emanuele Giuseppe Esposito <eesposit@redhat.com>
+
+Signed-off-by: Emanuele Giuseppe Esposito <eesposit@redhat.com>
+---
+ cloudinit/ssh_util.py           | 8 +++++++-
+ tests/unittests/test_sshutil.py | 8 ++++++++
+ 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/cloudinit/ssh_util.py b/cloudinit/ssh_util.py
+index 9ccadf09..33679dcc 100644
+--- a/cloudinit/ssh_util.py
++++ b/cloudinit/ssh_util.py
+@@ -484,7 +484,13 @@ def parse_ssh_config_lines(lines):
+         try:
+             key, val = line.split(None, 1)
+         except ValueError:
+-            key, val = line.split('=', 1)
++            try:
++                key, val = line.split('=', 1)
++            except ValueError:
++                LOG.debug(
++                    "sshd_config: option \"%s\" has no key/value pair,"
++                    " skipping it", line)
++                continue
+         ret.append(SshdConfigLine(line, key, val))
+     return ret
+ 
+diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_sshutil.py b/tests/unittests/test_sshutil.py
+index a66788bf..08e20050 100644
+--- a/tests/unittests/test_sshutil.py
++++ b/tests/unittests/test_sshutil.py
+@@ -525,6 +525,14 @@ class TestUpdateSshConfigLines(test_helpers.CiTestCase):
+         self.assertEqual([self.pwauth], result)
+         self.check_line(lines[-1], self.pwauth, "no")
+ 
++    def test_option_without_value(self):
++        """Implementation only accepts key-value pairs."""
++        extended_exlines = self.exlines.copy()
++        denyusers_opt = "DenyUsers"
++        extended_exlines.append(denyusers_opt)
++        lines = ssh_util.parse_ssh_config_lines(list(extended_exlines))
++        self.assertNotIn(denyusers_opt, str(lines))
++
+     def test_single_option_updated(self):
+         """A single update should have change made and line updated."""
+         opt, val = ("UsePAM", "no")
+-- 
+2.27.0
+
diff --git a/cloud-init.spec b/cloud-init.spec
index bea3513..b1ff965 100644
--- a/cloud-init.spec
+++ b/cloud-init.spec
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Name:           cloud-init
 Version:        21.1
-Release:        8%{?dist}
+Release:        9%{?dist}
 Summary:        Cloud instance init scripts
 License:        ASL 2.0 or GPLv3
 URL:            http://launchpad.net/cloud-init
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ Patch7: ci-ssh-util-allow-cloudinit-to-merge-all-ssh-keys-into-.patch
 Patch8: ci-Stop-copying-ssh-system-keys-and-check-folder-permis.patch
 # For bz#1995843 - [cloudinit]  Fix home permissions modified by ssh module
 Patch9: ci-Fix-home-permissions-modified-by-ssh-module-SC-338-9.patch
+# For bz#2002302 - cloud-init fails with ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack[rhel-9]
+Patch10: ci-ssh_utils.py-ignore-when-sshd_config-options-are-not.patch
 
 # Source-git patches
 
@@ -219,6 +221,11 @@ fi
 %config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/rsyslog.d/21-cloudinit.conf
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Sep 10 2021 Miroslav Rezanina <mrezanin@redhat.com> - 21.1-9
+- ci-ssh_utils.py-ignore-when-sshd_config-options-are-not.patch [bz#2002302]
+- Resolves: bz#2002302
+  (cloud-init fails with ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack[rhel-9])
+
 * Fri Sep 03 2021 Miroslav Rezanina <mrezanin@redhat.com> - 21.1-8
 - ci-Fix-home-permissions-modified-by-ssh-module-SC-338-9.patch [bz#1995843]
 - Resolves: bz#1995843