diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ssh2.php b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ssh2.php
index e446656ec1..2b16796591 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ssh2.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ssh2.php
@@ -383,8 +383,8 @@ class WP_Filesystem_SSH2 extends WP_Filesystem_Base {
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
 	public function is_writable($file) {
-		$file = ltrim($file, '/');
-		return is_writable('ssh2.sftp://' . $this->sftp_link . '/' . $file);
+		// PHP will base it's writable checks on system_user === file_owner, not ssh_user === file_owner
+		return true;
 	}
 	/**
 	 * @param string $file
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 82918d0592..3f8b619174 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-33687';
+$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-33688';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.