diff --git a/src/app/common/modals/createremoteconn.tsx b/src/app/common/modals/createremoteconn.tsx
index d8016f73..55872df5 100644
--- a/src/app/common/modals/createremoteconn.tsx
+++ b/src/app/common/modals/createremoteconn.tsx
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ class CreateRemoteConnModal extends React.Component<{}, {}> {
                                 endDecoration: (
                                     <InputDecoration>
                                         <Tooltip
-                                            message={`(Required) The path to your ssh key file.`}
+                                            message={`(Required) The path to your ssh private key file.`}
                                             icon={<i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-circle-question" />}
                                         >
                                             <i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-circle-question" />
diff --git a/src/app/common/modals/editremoteconn.tsx b/src/app/common/modals/editremoteconn.tsx
index e63008ca..d8d18136 100644
--- a/src/app/common/modals/editremoteconn.tsx
+++ b/src/app/common/modals/editremoteconn.tsx
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ class EditRemoteConnModal extends React.Component<{}, {}> {
                             endDecoration: (
                                 <InputDecoration>
                                     <Tooltip
-                                        message={`(Required) The path to your ssh key file.`}
+                                        message={`(Required) The path to your ssh private key file.`}
                                         icon={<i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-circle-question" />}
                                     >
                                         <i className="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-circle-question" />
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/sshclient.go b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/sshclient.go
index 8da49ed5..ee56aba1 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/sshclient.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/sshclient.go
@@ -412,6 +412,12 @@ func createHostKeyCallback(opts *sstore.SSHOpts) (ssh.HostKeyCallback, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if basicCallback == nil {
+		basicCallback = func(hostname string, remote net.Addr, key ssh.PublicKey) error {
+			return &knownhosts.KeyError{}
+		}
+	}
+
 	waveHostKeyCallback := func(hostname string, remote net.Addr, key ssh.PublicKey) error {
 		err := basicCallback(hostname, remote, key)
 		if err == nil {