diff --git a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-kubeapiserver.sh b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-kubeapiserver.sh
index f9ce60a161d..2fc9461aad9 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-kubeapiserver.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-kubeapiserver.sh
@@ -276,22 +276,11 @@ function start-kube-apiserver {
   fi
   if [[ -n "${MASTER_ADVERTISE_ADDRESS:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --advertise-address=${MASTER_ADVERTISE_ADDRESS}"
-    if [[ -n "${PROXY_SSH_USER:-}" ]]; then
-      if [[ -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER:-}" && -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP:-}" ]]; then
-        chown -R "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER}":"${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP}" /etc/srv/sshproxy/
-      fi
-      params+=" --ssh-user=${PROXY_SSH_USER}"
-      params+=" --ssh-keyfile=/etc/srv/sshproxy/.sshkeyfile"
-    fi
   elif [[ -n "${PROJECT_ID:-}" && -n "${TOKEN_URL:-}" && -n "${TOKEN_BODY:-}" && -n "${NODE_NETWORK:-}" ]]; then
     local -r vm_external_ip=$(get-metadata-value "instance/network-interfaces/0/access-configs/0/external-ip")
-    if [[ -n "${PROXY_SSH_USER:-}" ]]; then
-      if [[ -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER:-}" && -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP:-}" ]]; then
-        chown -R "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER}":"${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP}" /etc/srv/sshproxy/
-      fi
-      params+=" --advertise-address=${vm_external_ip}"
-      params+=" --ssh-user=${PROXY_SSH_USER}"
-      params+=" --ssh-keyfile=/etc/srv/sshproxy/.sshkeyfile"
+    params+=" --advertise-address=${vm_external_ip}"
+    if [[ -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER:-}" && -n "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP:-}" ]]; then
+      chown -R "${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASUSER}":"${KUBE_API_SERVER_RUNASGROUP}" /etc/srv/sshproxy/
     fi
   fi