diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index fd0646e..94e63c9 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ sshd_sysconfig_override_crypto_policy: false
 # generator
 sshd_sysconfig_use_strong_rng: 0
 
-# Empty dicts to avoid errors
-sshd_config: {}
-
 # The path to sshd_config file. This is useful when creating an included
 # configuration file snippet or configuring second sshd service
 sshd_config_file: "{{ __sshd_config_file }}"
diff --git a/meta/10_top.j2 b/meta/10_top.j2
index 68ccf60..474e760 100644
--- a/meta/10_top.j2
+++ b/meta/10_top.j2
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 {%   set value = undefined %}
 {%   if override is defined %}
 {%     set value = override %}
-{%   elif sshd_config[key] is defined %}
-{%     set value = sshd_config[key] %}
+{%   elif __sshd_config[key] is defined %}
+{%     set value = __sshd_config[key] %}
 {%   elif sshd_main_config_file is not none
         and sshd_config_file | dirname == sshd_main_config_file ~ '.d' %}
 {#     Do not use the defaults from main file to avoid recursion #}
diff --git a/meta/30_bottom.j2 b/meta/30_bottom.j2
index 8739e13..3c2a43b 100644
--- a/meta/30_bottom.j2
+++ b/meta/30_bottom.j2
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-{% if sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
-{{   match_iterate_block(sshd_config['Match']) -}}
+{% if __sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
+{{   match_iterate_block(__sshd_config['Match']) -}}
 {% endif %}
 {% if sshd_match is defined %}
 {{   match_iterate_block(sshd_match) -}}
diff --git a/tasks/certificates.yml b/tasks/certificates.yml
index eb82454..c949350 100644
--- a/tasks/certificates.yml
+++ b/tasks/certificates.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       {% if sshd_TrustedUserCAKeys is defined %}
         {{ sshd_TrustedUserCAKeys | to_json }}
       {% else %}
-        {{ sshd_config['TrustedUserCAKeys'] | to_json }}
+        {{ __sshd_config['TrustedUserCAKeys'] | to_json }}
       {% endif %}
   block:
     - name: Create Trusted user CA Keys directory
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       {% if sshd_AuthorizedPrincipalsFile is defined %}
         {{ sshd_AuthorizedPrincipalsFile | to_json }}
       {% else %}
-        {{ sshd_config['AuthorizedPrincipalsFile'] | to_json }}
+        {{ __sshd_config['AuthorizedPrincipalsFile'] | to_json }}
       {% endif %}
   when: sshd_principals != {}
   block:
diff --git a/tasks/find_ports.yml b/tasks/find_ports.yml
index 34fdef5..ec4a874 100644
--- a/tasks/find_ports.yml
+++ b/tasks/find_ports.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
     __sshd_ports_from_config_tmp: >-
       {% if sshd_Port is defined %}
         {{ sshd_Port | to_json }}
-      {% elif sshd_config['Port'] is defined %}
-        {{ sshd_config['Port'] | to_json }}
+      {% elif __sshd_config['Port'] is defined %}
+        {{ __sshd_config['Port'] | to_json }}
       {% elif __sshd_defaults['Port'] is defined and not sshd_skip_defaults %}
         {{ __sshd_defaults['Port'] | to_json }}
       {% else %}
diff --git a/tasks/install.yml b/tasks/install.yml
index e7742f4..9e868fe 100644
--- a/tasks/install.yml
+++ b/tasks/install.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
     - __sshd_hostkeys_nofips | d([])
 
 - name: Make sure hostkeys are available and have expected permissions
-  vars: &share_vars # 'MAo=' evaluates to '0\n' in base 64 encoding, which is default
+  vars:
+    &share_vars # 'MAo=' evaluates to '0\n' in base 64 encoding, which is default
     __sshd_fips_mode: >-
       {{ __sshd_hostkeys_nofips | d([]) and
          (__sshd_kernel_fips_mode.content | d('MAo=') | b64decode | trim == '1' or
@@ -43,8 +44,8 @@
     __sshd_hostkeys_from_config: >-
       {% if sshd_HostKey is defined %}
         {{ sshd_HostKey | to_json }}
-      {% elif sshd_config['HostKey'] is defined %}
-        {{ sshd_config['HostKey'] | to_json }}
+      {% elif __sshd_config['HostKey'] is defined %}
+        {{ __sshd_config['HostKey'] | to_json }}
       {% elif __sshd_defaults['HostKey'] is defined and not sshd_skip_defaults %}
         {% if __sshd_fips_mode %}
           {{ __sshd_defaults['HostKey'] | difference(__sshd_hostkeys_nofips) | to_json }}
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 8098812..74b6598 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 ---
-- name: Link the deprecated sshd fact
+- name: Print that the sshd variable is deprecated
   when: sshd is defined
-  block:
-    - name: Print that the sshd variable is deprecated
-      ansible.builtin.debug:
-        msg: >-
-          The sshd variable is deprecated and will be removed
-          in a future version. Edit your playbook to use
-          the sshd_config variable instead.
-
-    - name: Link the deprecated sshd fact
-      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        sshd_config: "{{ sshd }}"
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >-
+      The sshd variable is deprecated and will be removed
+      in a future version. Edit your playbook to use
+      the sshd_config variable instead.
 
 - name: Invoke the role, if enabled
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: sshd.yml
diff --git a/templates/sshd_config.j2 b/templates/sshd_config.j2
index af0a02f..adcfeb7 100644
--- a/templates/sshd_config.j2
+++ b/templates/sshd_config.j2
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 {%   set value = undefined %}
 {%   if override is defined %}
 {%     set value = override %}
-{%   elif sshd_config[key] is defined %}
-{%     set value = sshd_config[key] %}
+{%   elif __sshd_config[key] is defined %}
+{%     set value = __sshd_config[key] %}
 {%   elif sshd_main_config_file is not none
         and sshd_config_file | dirname == sshd_main_config_file ~ '.d' %}
 {#     Do not use the defaults from main file to avoid recursion #}
@@ -250,8 +250,8 @@ Match {{ match["Condition"] }}
 {{ body_option("X11Forwarding",sshd_X11Forwarding) -}}
 {{ body_option("X11UseLocalhost",sshd_X11UseLocalhost) -}}
 {{ body_option("XAuthLocation",sshd_XAuthLocation) -}}
-{% if sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
-{{   match_iterate_block(sshd_config['Match']) -}}
+{% if __sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
+{{   match_iterate_block(__sshd_config['Match']) -}}
 {% endif %}
 {% if sshd_match is defined %}
 {{   match_iterate_block(sshd_match) -}}
diff --git a/templates/sshd_config_snippet.j2 b/templates/sshd_config_snippet.j2
index f89a29f..07d4c9c 100644
--- a/templates/sshd_config_snippet.j2
+++ b/templates/sshd_config_snippet.j2
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 {%   set value = undefined %}
 {%   if override is defined %}
 {%     set value = override %}
-{%   elif sshd_config[key] is defined %}
-{%     set value = sshd_config[key] %}
+{%   elif __sshd_config[key] is defined %}
+{%     set value = __sshd_config[key] %}
 {%   elif sshd_main_config_file is not none
         and sshd_config_file | dirname == sshd_main_config_file ~ '.d' %}
 {#     Do not use the defaults from main file to avoid recursion #}
@@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ Match {{ match["Condition"] }}
 {{ body_option("X11Forwarding",sshd_X11Forwarding) -}}
 {{ body_option("X11UseLocalhost",sshd_X11UseLocalhost) -}}
 {{ body_option("XAuthLocation",sshd_XAuthLocation) -}}
-{% if sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
-{{   match_iterate_block(sshd_config['Match']) -}}
+{% if __sshd_config['Match'] is defined %}
+{{   match_iterate_block(__sshd_config['Match']) -}}
 {% endif %}
 {% if sshd_match is defined %}
 {{   match_iterate_block(sshd_match) -}}
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index eeeb5c7..bc38b5e 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ---
+__sshd_config: "{{ sshd_config | default({}) or sshd | default({}) }}"
 __sshd_config_file: "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
 __sshd_config_owner: "root"
 __sshd_config_group: "root"