diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/util.go b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
index 2b8c4a52752..bb66594b4ad 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ func SkipIfProviderIs(unsupportedProviders ...string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func SkipUnlessSSHKeyPresent() {
+	if _, err := GetSigner(TestContext.Provider); err != nil {
+		Skipf("No SSH Key for provider %s: '%v'", TestContext.Provider, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func SkipUnlessProviderIs(supportedProviders ...string) {
 	if !ProviderIs(supportedProviders...) {
 		Skipf("Only supported for providers %v (not %s)", supportedProviders, TestContext.Provider)
diff --git a/test/e2e/service.go b/test/e2e/service.go
index 7e4300d618b..a68305d2690 100644
--- a/test/e2e/service.go
+++ b/test/e2e/service.go
@@ -279,6 +279,9 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Services", func() {
 		// TODO: use the ServiceTestJig here
 		// this test uses framework.NodeSSHHosts that does not work if a Node only reports LegacyHostIP
 		framework.SkipUnlessProviderIs(framework.ProvidersWithSSH...)
+		// this test does not work if the Node does not support SSH Key
+		framework.SkipUnlessSSHKeyPresent()
+
 		ns := f.Namespace.Name
 		numPods, servicePort := 3, 80
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/ssh.go b/test/e2e/ssh.go
index 802eed5c296..12750a63506 100644
--- a/test/e2e/ssh.go
+++ b/test/e2e/ssh.go
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("SSH", func() {
 	BeforeEach(func() {
 		// When adding more providers here, also implement their functionality in util.go's framework.GetSigner(...).
 		framework.SkipUnlessProviderIs(framework.ProvidersWithSSH...)
+
+		// This test SSH's into the node for which it needs the $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa key to be present. So
+		// we should skip if the environment does not have the key (not all CI systems support this use case)
+		framework.SkipUnlessSSHKeyPresent()
 	})
 
 	It("should SSH to all nodes and run commands", func() {