diff --git a/nucleus/cluster/ssh/src/main/java/org/glassfish/cluster/ssh/launcher/SSHLauncher.java b/nucleus/cluster/ssh/src/main/java/org/glassfish/cluster/ssh/launcher/SSHLauncher.java
index 6f16daffa14..e966bd905e9 100644
--- a/nucleus/cluster/ssh/src/main/java/org/glassfish/cluster/ssh/launcher/SSHLauncher.java
+++ b/nucleus/cluster/ssh/src/main/java/org/glassfish/cluster/ssh/launcher/SSHLauncher.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2022, 2023 Contributors to the Eclipse Foundation
+ * Copyright (c) 2022, 2024 Contributors to the Eclipse Foundation
  * Copyright (c) 1997, 2018 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public void init(Node node, Logger logger) {
         String userName = null;
         if (sshAuth != null) {
             userName = sshAuth.getUserName();
-            this.keyFile = new File(sshAuth.getKeyfile());
+            this.keyFile = sshAuth.getKeyfile() == null ? null : new File(sshAuth.getKeyfile());
             this.rawPassword = sshAuth.getPassword();
             this.rawKeyPassPhrase = sshAuth.getKeyPassphrase();
         }