diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
index d47d51ae8e2e..4056008726a3 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ type DockerShellConfig struct {
 var (
 	noProxy              bool
 	sshHost              bool
-	sshAdd               bool
 	dockerUnset          bool
 	defaultNoProxyGetter NoProxyGetter
 )
@@ -324,9 +323,10 @@ docker-cli install instructions: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/tutorials/doc
 			// docker-env on containerd depends on nerdctld (https://github.com/afbjorklund/nerdctld) as "docker" daeomn
 			// and nerdctld daemon must be used with ssh connection (it is set in kicbase image's Dockerfile)
 			// so directly set --ssh-host --ssh-add to true, even user didn't specify them
-			sshAdd = true
 			sshHost = true
+		}
 
+		if sshHost {
 			// start the ssh-agent
 			if err := sshagent.Start(cname); err != nil {
 				exit.Message(reason.SSHAgentStart, err.Error())
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ docker-cli install instructions: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/tutorials/doc
 			exit.Error(reason.InternalDockerScript, "Error generating set output", err)
 		}
 
-		if sshAdd {
+		if sshHost {
 			klog.Infof("Adding %v", d.GetSSHKeyPath())
 
 			path, err := exec.LookPath("ssh-add")
@@ -420,10 +420,9 @@ docker-cli install instructions: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/tutorials/doc
 			if err != nil {
 				exit.Error(reason.IfSSHClient, "Error with ssh-add", err)
 			}
+			// eventually, run something similar to ssh --append-known
+			appendKnownHelper(nodeName, true)
 		}
-
-		// eventually, run something similar to ssh --append-known
-		appendKnownHelper(nodeName, true)
 	},
 }
 
@@ -685,7 +684,6 @@ func init() {
 	defaultNoProxyGetter = &EnvNoProxyGetter{}
 	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&noProxy, "no-proxy", false, "Add machine IP to NO_PROXY environment variable")
 	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&sshHost, "ssh-host", false, "Use SSH connection instead of HTTPS (port 2376)")
-	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&sshAdd, "ssh-add", false, "Add SSH identity key to SSH authentication agent")
 	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().StringVar(&shell.ForceShell, "shell", "", "Force environment to be configured for a specified shell: [fish, cmd, powershell, tcsh, bash, zsh], default is auto-detect")
 	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&outputFormat, "output", "o", "", "One of 'text', 'yaml' or 'json'.")
 	dockerEnvCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&dockerUnset, "unset", "u", false, "Unset variables instead of setting them")
diff --git a/site/content/en/docs/commands/docker-env.md b/site/content/en/docs/commands/docker-env.md
index 2c14f674765b..85eee96df82e 100644
--- a/site/content/en/docs/commands/docker-env.md
+++ b/site/content/en/docs/commands/docker-env.md
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ minikube docker-env [flags]
       --no-proxy        Add machine IP to NO_PROXY environment variable
   -o, --output string   One of 'text', 'yaml' or 'json'.
       --shell string    Force environment to be configured for a specified shell: [fish, cmd, powershell, tcsh, bash, zsh], default is auto-detect
-      --ssh-add         Add SSH identity key to SSH authentication agent
       --ssh-host        Use SSH connection instead of HTTPS (port 2376)
   -u, --unset           Unset variables instead of setting them
 ```
diff --git a/translations/pl.json b/translations/pl.json
index 2c690f87b22a..5fc5c814b279 100644
--- a/translations/pl.json
+++ b/translations/pl.json
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 	"A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.": "",
 	"Access the Kubernetes dashboard running within the minikube cluster": "Dostęp do dashboardu uruchomionego w klastrze kubernetesa w minikube",
 	"Access to ports below 1024 may fail on Windows with OpenSSH clients older than v8.1. For more information, see: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/handbook/accessing/#access-to-ports-1024-on-windows-requires-root-permission": "",
-	"Add SSH identity key to SSH authentication agent": "",
 	"Add an image into minikube as a local cache, or delete, reload the cached images": "",
 	"Add an image to local cache.": "Dodaj obraz do lokalnego cache",
 	"Add host key to SSH known_hosts file": "Dodaj klucz hosta do pliku known_hosts",
diff --git a/translations/ru.json b/translations/ru.json
index 48665e6ea3e0..2056e187a607 100644
--- a/translations/ru.json
+++ b/translations/ru.json
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 	"A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.": "",
 	"Access the Kubernetes dashboard running within the minikube cluster": "",
 	"Access to ports below 1024 may fail on Windows with OpenSSH clients older than v8.1. For more information, see: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/handbook/accessing/#access-to-ports-1024-on-windows-requires-root-permission": "",
-	"Add SSH identity key to SSH authentication agent": "",
 	"Add an image into minikube as a local cache, or delete, reload the cached images": "",
 	"Add an image to local cache.": "",
 	"Add host key to SSH known_hosts file": "",
diff --git a/translations/strings.txt b/translations/strings.txt
index 530e831570ce..10b33109c2ab 100644
--- a/translations/strings.txt
+++ b/translations/strings.txt
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 	"A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.": "",
 	"Access the Kubernetes dashboard running within the minikube cluster": "",
 	"Access to ports below 1024 may fail on Windows with OpenSSH clients older than v8.1. For more information, see: https://minikube.sigs.k8s.io/docs/handbook/accessing/#access-to-ports-1024-on-windows-requires-root-permission": "",
-	"Add SSH identity key to SSH authentication agent": "",
 	"Add an image into minikube as a local cache, or delete, reload the cached images": "",
 	"Add an image to local cache.": "",
 	"Add host key to SSH known_hosts file": "",