diff --git a/libvirt/uri/ssh.go b/libvirt/uri/ssh.go
index 6c617ceff..54135589a 100644
--- a/libvirt/uri/ssh.go
+++ b/libvirt/uri/ssh.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"net"
 	"os"
-	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -39,19 +38,22 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) parseAuthMethods(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Confi
 	//  2. load override as specified in ssh config
 	//  3. load default ssh keyfile path
 	sshKeyPaths := []string{}
+
 	sshKeyPath := q.Get("keyfile")
 	if sshKeyPath != "" {
 		sshKeyPaths = append(sshKeyPaths, sshKeyPath)
 	}
 
-	keyPaths, err := sshcfg.GetAll(target, "IdentityFile")
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("[WARN] unable to get IdentityFile values - ignoring")
-	} else {
-		sshKeyPaths = append(sshKeyPaths, keyPaths...)
+	if sshcfg != nil {
+		keyPaths, err := sshcfg.GetAll(target, "IdentityFile")
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[WARN] unable to get IdentityFile values - ignoring")
+		} else {
+			sshKeyPaths = append(sshKeyPaths, keyPaths...)
+		}
 	}
 
-	if len(keyPaths) == 0 {
+	if len(sshKeyPaths) == 0 {
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] found no ssh keys, using default keypath")
 		sshKeyPaths = []string{defaultSSHKeyPath}
 	}
@@ -116,14 +118,17 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) parseAuthMethods(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Confi
 // construct the whole ssh connection, which can consist of multiple hops if using proxy jumps,
 // the ssh configuration file is loaded once and passed along to each host connection.
 func (u *ConnectionURI) dialSSH() (net.Conn, error) {
+	var sshcfg* ssh_config.Config = nil
+
 	sshConfigFile, err := os.Open(os.ExpandEnv(defaultSSHConfigFile))
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("[WARN] Failed to open ssh config file: %v", err)
-	}
+	} else {
+		sshcfg, err = ssh_config.Decode(sshConfigFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[WARN] Failed to parse ssh config file: '%v' - sshconfig will be ignored.", err)
+		}
 
-	sshcfg, err := ssh_config.Decode(sshConfigFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("[WARN] Failed to parse ssh config file: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	// configuration loaded, build tunnel
@@ -164,11 +169,11 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) dialHost(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Config, depth
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] ssh Port is overridden to: '%s'", port)
 	}
 
-	hostName, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "HostName")
-	if err == nil {
-		if hostName == "" {
-			hostName = target
-		} else {
+	hostName := target
+	if sshcfg != nil {
+		host, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "HostName")
+		if err == nil && host != "" {
+			hostName = host
 			log.Printf("[DEBUG] HostName is overridden to: '%s'", hostName)
 		}
 	}
@@ -182,18 +187,22 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) dialHost(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Config, depth
 	if knownHostsVerify == "ignore" {
 		skipVerify = true
 	} else {
-		strictCheck, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "StrictHostKeyChecking")
-		if err != nil && strictCheck == "yes" {
-			skipVerify = false
+		if sshcfg != nil {
+			strictCheck, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "StrictHostKeyChecking")
+			if err != nil && strictCheck == "yes" {
+				skipVerify = false
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if knownHostsPath == "" {
-		knownHosts, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "UserKnownHostsFile")
-		if err == nil && knownHosts != "" {
-			knownHostsPath = knownHosts
-		} else {
-			knownHostsPath = defaultSSHKnownHostsPath
+		knownHostsPath = defaultSSHKnownHostsPath
+
+		if sshcfg != nil {
+			knownHosts, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "UserKnownHostsFile")
+			if err == nil && knownHosts != "" {
+				knownHostsPath = knownHosts
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -226,10 +235,12 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) dialHost(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Config, depth
 			return err
 		}
 
-		keyAlgs, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "HostKeyAlgorithms")
-		if err == nil && keyAlgs != "" {
-			log.Printf("Got host key algorithms '%s'", keyAlgs)
-			hostKeyAlgorithms = strings.Split(keyAlgs, ",")
+		if sshcfg != nil {
+			keyAlgs, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "HostKeyAlgorithms")
+			if err == nil && keyAlgs != "" {
+				log.Printf("[DEBUG] HostKeyAlgorithms is overridden to '%s'", keyAlgs)
+				hostKeyAlgorithms = strings.Split(keyAlgs, ",")
+			}
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -240,38 +251,39 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) dialHost(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Config, depth
 		HostKeyAlgorithms: hostKeyAlgorithms,
 		Timeout:           dialTimeout,
 	}
+	var bastion *ssh.Client = nil
+	var bastion_proxy string = ""
 
-	proxy, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "ProxyCommand")
-	if err == nil && proxy != "" {
-		log.Printf("[WARNING] unsupported ssh ProxyCommand '%v'", proxy)
+	if sshcfg != nil {
+		command, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "ProxyCommand")
+		if err == nil && command != "" {
+			log.Printf("[WARNING] unsupported ssh ProxyCommand '%v' - ignoring", command)
+		}
 	}
 
-	proxy, err = sshcfg.Get(target, "ProxyJump")
-	var bastion *ssh.Client
-	if err == nil && proxy != "" {
-		log.Printf("[DEBUG] found ProxyJump '%v'", proxy)
-
-		// this is a proxy jump: we recurse into that proxy
-		bastion, err = u.dialHost(proxy, sshcfg, depth+1)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to bastion host '%v': %w", proxy, err)
+	if sshcfg != nil {
+		proxy, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "ProxyJump")
+		if err == nil && proxy != "" {
+			log.Printf("[DEBUG] found ProxyJump '%v'", proxy)
+			// this is a proxy jump: we recurse into that proxy
+			bastion, err = u.dialHost(proxy, sshcfg, depth+1)
+			bastion_proxy = proxy
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to bastion host '%v': %w", proxy, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if cfg.User == "" {
+	// cfg.User value defaults to u.User.Username()
+	if sshcfg != nil {
 		sshu, err := sshcfg.Get(target, "User")
-		log.Printf("[DEBUG] SSH User for target '%v' is '%v'", target, sshu)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("[DEBUG] ssh user: using current login")
-			u, err := user.Current()
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to get username: %w", err)
-			}
-			sshu = u.Username
+			log.Printf("[DEBUG] ssh user for target '%v' is overridden to '%v'", target, sshu)
+			cfg.User = sshu
 		}
-		cfg.User = sshu
 	}
 
+
 	cfg.Auth = u.parseAuthMethods(target, sshcfg)
 	if len(cfg.Auth) < 1 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not configure SSH authentication methods")
@@ -279,7 +291,7 @@ func (u *ConnectionURI) dialHost(target string, sshcfg *ssh_config.Config, depth
 
 	if bastion != nil {
 		// if this is a proxied connection, we want to dial through the bastion host
-		log.Printf("[INFO] SSH connecting to '%v' (%v) through bastion host '%v'", target, hostName, proxy)
+		log.Printf("[INFO] SSH connecting to '%v' (%v) through bastion host '%v'", target, hostName, bastion_proxy)
 		// Dial a connection to the service host, from the bastion
 		conn, err := bastion.Dial("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(hostName, port))
 		if err != nil {