diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8a83ca5..6d1ac8b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -239,3 +239,4 @@ Troubleshooting  (Ubuntu12.04LTS or higher version)
 
  - [Ganesh Nalawade](https://github.com/ganeshnalawade)
  - [Priyal Jain](https://github.com/Jainpriyal)
+ - [Ruairi Carroll](https://github.com/rucarrol)
diff --git a/lib/Net/Netconf/Access/ssh.pm b/lib/Net/Netconf/Access/ssh.pm
index f9ae399..41c8b8b 100644
--- a/lib/Net/Netconf/Access/ssh.pm
+++ b/lib/Net/Netconf/Access/ssh.pm
@@ -43,11 +43,23 @@ sub start
     }
 
     # This implementation assumes OpenSSH.
-    my $command = $echostate . $sshprog . ' -l ' . 
-                  $self->{'login'} . ' -p ' . $rport . 
-                  ' -s ' . $self->{'hostname'} . 
+
+    ## Lets try get some ssh key auth going 
+    our $command;
+	if ( defined( $self->{'keyfile'} ) )  {
+          $command = $echostate . $sshprog . ' -l ' .
+                  $self->{'login'} . ' -p ' . $rport .
+		  ' -i ' . $self->{'keyfile'} . 
+                  ' -s ' . $self->{'hostname'} .
                   ' ' . $self->{'server'};
 
+        } 
+       else  {
+        $command = $echostate . $sshprog . ' -l ' . 
+                      $self->{'login'} . ' -p ' . $rport . 
+                      ' -s ' . $self->{'hostname'} . 
+                      ' ' . $self->{'server'};
+      } 
     
     # take expect object from user ow build your own
     if (defined $self->{'exp_obj'}){
diff --git a/lib/Net/Netconf/Device.pm b/lib/Net/Netconf/Device.pm
index e908572..ee5c623 100755
--- a/lib/Net/Netconf/Device.pm
+++ b/lib/Net/Netconf/Device.pm
@@ -116,10 +116,19 @@ sub new
     my ($class, %args) = @_;
     my $self = { %args };
 
-    # Make sure we have 'login', 'hostname' and 'password'
+    # Make sure we have 'login', 'hostname' and 'password'. Dont need password if keyfile is set. 
     croak 'missing information <hostname>' unless exists $args{'hostname'};
     croak 'missing information <login>' unless exists $args{'login'};
-    croak 'missing information <password>' unless exists $args{'password'};
+    
+    ## Only die if password is unset and keyfile is unset... 
+    if (!defined($args{'keyfile'})) { croak 'missing information <password>' unless exists $args{'password'} ; } 
+
+    ## Only die if keyfile is unset and password is unset...
+    if (!defined($args{'password'})) { croak 'missing information <keyfile>' unless exists $args{'keyfile'} ; }
+
+    ## check to see if the keyfile actually exists 
+    if (!defined($args{'password'})) { croak '<keyfile> not found in specified location' unless (-e $args{'keyfile'}); }
+
 
     # SAX Parser
     my $handler = new Net::Netconf::SAXHandler('ErrorContext' => 5);
diff --git a/lib/Net/Netconf/Manager.pm b/lib/Net/Netconf/Manager.pm
index e5970ab..ca5bfc1 100644
--- a/lib/Net/Netconf/Manager.pm
+++ b/lib/Net/Netconf/Manager.pm
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ It also does error handling.
       'hostname' => 'routername',
       'login' => 'loginname',
       'password' => 'secret',
+      'keyfile' => 'keyfile',
       'access' => 'ssh',
       'server' => 'netconf',
       'command' => 'junoscript netconf',