diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index fd2ecb121b..3a765364a3 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ from awx.main.queue import CallbackQueueDispatcher
 from awx.main.isolated import manager as isolated_manager
 from awx.main.dispatch.publish import task
 from awx.main.dispatch import get_local_queuename, reaper
-from awx.main.utils import (get_ssh_version, update_scm_url,
+from awx.main.utils import (update_scm_url,
                             ignore_inventory_computed_fields,
                             ignore_inventory_group_removal, extract_ansible_vars, schedule_task_manager,
                             get_awx_version)
@@ -897,21 +897,14 @@ class BaseTask(object):
         private_data = self.build_private_data(instance, private_data_dir)
         private_data_files = {'credentials': {}}
         if private_data is not None:
-            ssh_ver = get_ssh_version()
-            ssh_too_old = True if ssh_ver == "unknown" else Version(ssh_ver) < Version("6.0")
-            openssh_keys_supported = ssh_ver != "unknown" and Version(ssh_ver) >= Version("6.5")
             for credential, data in private_data.get('credentials', {}).items():
-                # Bail out now if a private key was provided in OpenSSH format
-                # and we're running an earlier version (<6.5).
-                if 'OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY' in data and not openssh_keys_supported:
-                    raise RuntimeError(OPENSSH_KEY_ERROR)
                 # OpenSSH formatted keys must have a trailing newline to be
                 # accepted by ssh-add.
                 if 'OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY' in data and not data.endswith('\n'):
                     data += '\n'
                 # For credentials used with ssh-add, write to a named pipe which
                 # will be read then closed, instead of leaving the SSH key on disk.
-                if credential and credential.credential_type.namespace in ('ssh', 'scm') and not ssh_too_old:
+                if credential and credential.credential_type.namespace in ('ssh', 'scm'):
                     try:
                         os.mkdir(os.path.join(private_data_dir, 'env'))
                     except OSError as e:
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/conftest.py b/awx/main/tests/conftest.py
index 5b660b29ca..f79c3a7b39 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/conftest.py
@@ -107,11 +107,6 @@ def workflow_job_template_factory():
     return create_workflow_job_template
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
-def get_ssh_version(mocker):
-    return mocker.patch('awx.main.tasks.get_ssh_version', return_value='OpenSSH_6.9p1, LibreSSL 2.1.8')
-
-
 @pytest.fixture
 def job_template_with_survey_passwords_unit(job_template_with_survey_passwords_factory):
     return job_template_with_survey_passwords_factory(persisted=False)
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/common.py b/awx/main/utils/common.py
index a5e8bccff2..0eb8741d9a 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/common.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/common.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger('awx.main.utils')
 
 __all__ = [
     'get_object_or_400', 'camelcase_to_underscore', 'underscore_to_camelcase', 'memoize',
-    'memoize_delete', 'get_ansible_version', 'get_ssh_version', 'get_licenser', 'get_awx_http_client_headers',
+    'memoize_delete', 'get_ansible_version', 'get_licenser', 'get_awx_http_client_headers',
     'get_awx_version', 'update_scm_url', 'get_type_for_model', 'get_model_for_type',
     'copy_model_by_class', 'region_sorting', 'copy_m2m_relationships',
     'prefetch_page_capabilities', 'to_python_boolean', 'ignore_inventory_computed_fields',
@@ -190,20 +190,6 @@ def get_ansible_version():
     return _get_ansible_version('ansible')
 
 
-@memoize()
-def get_ssh_version():
-    '''
-    Return SSH version installed.
-    '''
-    try:
-        proc = subprocess.Popen(['ssh', '-V'],
-                                stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-        result = smart_str(proc.communicate()[1])
-        return result.split(" ")[0].split("_")[1]
-    except Exception:
-        return 'unknown'
-
-
 def get_awx_version():
     '''
     Return AWX version as reported by setuptools.