diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 810abe7de..2e1215c07 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -313,8 +313,6 @@ class my_rpm(distutils.core.Command):
 class configure(distutils.core.Command):
     user_options = [
         ("prefix=", None, "installation prefix"),
-        ("askpass-package-names=", None,
-         "name of your distro's askpass package(s) (default=none)"),
         ("default-graphics=", None,
          "Default graphics type (spice or vnc) (default=spice)"),
         ("default-hvs=", None,
@@ -329,7 +327,6 @@ class configure(distutils.core.Command):
 
     def initialize_options(self):
         self.prefix = sysprefix
-        self.askpass_package_names = None
         self.default_graphics = None
         self.default_hvs = None
 
@@ -338,8 +335,6 @@ class configure(distutils.core.Command):
         template = ""
         template += "[config]\n"
         template += "prefix = %s\n" % self.prefix
-        if self.askpass_package_names is not None:
-            template += "askpass_packages = %s\n" % self.askpass_package_names
         if self.default_graphics is not None:
             template += "default_graphics = %s\n" % self.default_graphics
         if self.default_hvs is not None:
diff --git a/virt-manager.spec.in b/virt-manager.spec.in
index 57055b386..514c6f518 100644
--- a/virt-manager.spec.in
+++ b/virt-manager.spec.in
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 
 %global with_guestfs               0
-%global askpass_package            "openssh-askpass"
 %global default_hvs                "qemu,xen,lxc"
 
 
@@ -104,16 +103,11 @@ machine).
 
 
 %build
-%if %{askpass_package}
-%global _askpass_package --askpass-package-names=%{askpass_package}
-%endif
-
 %if %{default_hvs}
 %global _default_hvs --default-hvs %{default_hvs}
 %endif
 
 ./setup.py configure \
-    %{?_askpass_package} \
     %{?_default_hvs}
 
 
diff --git a/virtManager/config.py b/virtManager/config.py
index c880b7c37..73783f335 100644
--- a/virtManager/config.py
+++ b/virtManager/config.py
@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ class vmmConfig(object):
         # the keyring
         self.keyring = None
 
-        self.askpass_package = CLIConfig.askpass_package
         self.default_graphics_from_config = CLIConfig.default_graphics
         self.default_hvs = CLIConfig.default_hvs
 
diff --git a/virtManager/connectauth.py b/virtManager/connectauth.py
index b117f1f8f..07a5f01a8 100644
--- a/virtManager/connectauth.py
+++ b/virtManager/connectauth.py
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ def connect_error(conn, errmsg, tb, warnconsole):
     tb = tb.strip(" \n")
     hint = ""
     show_errmsg = True
-    config = conn.config
 
     if conn.is_remote():
         logging.debug("connect_error: conn transport=%s",
@@ -157,13 +156,10 @@ def connect_error(conn, errmsg, tb, warnconsole):
                       "which supports the -U option.")
             show_errmsg = False
         elif (conn.get_uri_transport() == "ssh" and
-              re.search(r"ssh-askpass", tb)):
+              re.search(r"askpass", tb)):
 
-            askpass = (config.askpass_package and
-                       config.askpass_package[0] or
-                       "openssh-askpass")
-            hint += _("You need to install %s or "
-                      "similar to connect to this host.") % askpass
+            hint += _("Configure SSH key access for the remote host, "
+                      "or install an SSH askpass package locally.")
             show_errmsg = False
         else:
             hint += _("Verify that the 'libvirtd' daemon is running "
diff --git a/virtcli/cliconfig.py b/virtcli/cliconfig.py
index c5f8c1952..3d4dab561 100644
--- a/virtcli/cliconfig.py
+++ b/virtcli/cliconfig.py
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ class _CLIConfig(object):
         self.cfgpath = _cfgpath
         self.version = __version__
 
-        self.askpass_package = _split_list(_get_param("askpass_packages", ""))
         self.default_graphics = _get_param("default_graphics", "spice")
         self.default_hvs = _split_list(_get_param("default_hvs", ""))