diff --git a/pkg/bindings/connection.go b/pkg/bindings/connection.go
index 762e77d810..abf7ab496e 100644
--- a/pkg/bindings/connection.go
+++ b/pkg/bindings/connection.go
@@ -162,68 +162,73 @@ func sshClient(_url *url.URL, uri string, identity string, machine bool) (Connec
 			return connection, err
 		}
 	}
-	// ssh_config
-	alias := _url.Hostname()
-	cfg := ssh_config.DefaultUserSettings
-	cfg.IgnoreErrors = true
-	found := false
-
-	if userinfo == nil {
-		if val := cfg.Get(alias, "User"); val != "" {
-			userinfo = url.User(val)
-			found = true
+
+	// only parse ssh_config when we are not connecting to a machine
+	// For machine connections we always have the full URL in the
+	// system connection so reading the file is just unnecessary.
+	if !machine {
+		alias := _url.Hostname()
+		cfg := ssh_config.DefaultUserSettings
+		cfg.IgnoreErrors = true
+		found := false
+
+		if userinfo == nil {
+			if val := cfg.Get(alias, "User"); val != "" {
+				userinfo = url.User(val)
+				found = true
+			}
 		}
-	}
-	// not in url or ssh_config so default to current user
-	if userinfo == nil {
-		u, err := user.Current()
-		if err != nil {
-			return connection, fmt.Errorf("current user could not be determined: %w", err)
+		// not in url or ssh_config so default to current user
+		if userinfo == nil {
+			u, err := user.Current()
+			if err != nil {
+				return connection, fmt.Errorf("current user could not be determined: %w", err)
+			}
+			userinfo = url.User(u.Username)
 		}
-		userinfo = url.User(u.Username)
-	}
 
-	if val := cfg.Get(alias, "Hostname"); val != "" {
-		uri = val
-		found = true
-	}
+		if val := cfg.Get(alias, "Hostname"); val != "" {
+			uri = val
+			found = true
+		}
 
-	if port == 0 {
-		if val := cfg.Get(alias, "Port"); val != "" {
-			if val != ssh_config.Default("Port") {
-				port, err = strconv.Atoi(val)
-				if err != nil {
-					return connection, fmt.Errorf("port is not an int: %s: %w", val, err)
+		if port == 0 {
+			if val := cfg.Get(alias, "Port"); val != "" {
+				if val != ssh_config.Default("Port") {
+					port, err = strconv.Atoi(val)
+					if err != nil {
+						return connection, fmt.Errorf("port is not an int: %s: %w", val, err)
+					}
+					found = true
 				}
-				found = true
 			}
 		}
-	}
-	// not in ssh config or url so use default 22 port
-	if port == 0 {
-		port = 22
-	}
+		// not in ssh config or url so use default 22 port
+		if port == 0 {
+			port = 22
+		}
 
-	if identity == "" {
-		if val := cfg.Get(alias, "IdentityFile"); val != "" {
-			identity = strings.Trim(val, "\"")
-			if strings.HasPrefix(identity, "~/") {
-				homedir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-				if err != nil {
-					return connection, fmt.Errorf("failed to find home dir: %w", err)
+		if identity == "" {
+			if val := cfg.Get(alias, "IdentityFile"); val != "" {
+				identity = strings.Trim(val, "\"")
+				if strings.HasPrefix(identity, "~/") {
+					homedir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+					if err != nil {
+						return connection, fmt.Errorf("failed to find home dir: %w", err)
+					}
+					identity = filepath.Join(homedir, identity[2:])
 				}
-				identity = filepath.Join(homedir, identity[2:])
+				found = true
 			}
-			found = true
 		}
-	}
 
-	if found {
-		logrus.Debugf("ssh_config alias found: %s", alias)
-		logrus.Debugf("  User: %s", userinfo.Username())
-		logrus.Debugf("  Hostname: %s", uri)
-		logrus.Debugf("  Port: %d", port)
-		logrus.Debugf("  IdentityFile: %q", identity)
+		if found {
+			logrus.Debugf("ssh_config alias found: %s", alias)
+			logrus.Debugf("  User: %s", userinfo.Username())
+			logrus.Debugf("  Hostname: %s", uri)
+			logrus.Debugf("  Port: %d", port)
+			logrus.Debugf("  IdentityFile: %q", identity)
+		}
 	}
 	conn, err := ssh.Dial(&ssh.ConnectionDialOptions{
 		Host:                        uri,