diff --git a/tests/v2/validation/Dockerfile.validation b/tests/v2/validation/Dockerfile.validation
index da0f1ed3a14..e035aff5fa2 100644
--- a/tests/v2/validation/Dockerfile.validation
+++ b/tests/v2/validation/Dockerfile.validation
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ ENV CORRAL_VERSION="v1.1.1"
 RUN go install github.com/rancherlabs/corral@${CORRAL_VERSION}
 
 RUN mkdir /root/.ssh && chmod 600 .ssh/jenkins-*
-RUN ssh-keygen -f .ssh/jenkins-* -y > /root/.ssh/public.pub
+RUN for pem_file in .ssh/jenkins-*; do \
+      ssh-keygen -f "$pem_file" -y > "/root/.ssh/$(basename "$pem_file").pub"; \
+    done
 
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0
 
diff --git a/tests/v2/validation/Jenkinsfile b/tests/v2/validation/Jenkinsfile
index 49621e9a6c5..91fd678501a 100644
--- a/tests/v2/validation/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/tests/v2/validation/Jenkinsfile
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ node {
                           string(credentialsId: 'AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY', variable: 'RANCHER_EKS_SECRET_KEY'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'DO_ACCESSKEY', variable: 'DO_ACCESSKEY'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'AWS_SSH_PEM_KEY', variable: 'AWS_SSH_PEM_KEY'),
+                          string(credentialsId: 'AWS_SSH_RSA_KEY', variable: 'AWS_SSH_RSA_KEY'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'RANCHER_SSH_KEY', variable: 'RANCHER_SSH_KEY'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID', variable: 'AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'AZURE_TENANT_ID', variable: 'AZURE_TENANT_ID'),
@@ -81,7 +82,6 @@ node {
                           string(credentialsId: 'QASE_AUTOMATION_TOKEN', variable: 'QASE_AUTOMATION_TOKEN'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'SLACK_WEBHOOK', variable: 'SLACK_WEBHOOK'),
                           string(credentialsId: 'RANCHER_LINODE_ACCESSKEY', variable: "RANCHER_LINODE_ACCESSKEY")]) {
-          
         withEnv(paramsMap) {
           stage('Checkout') {
             deleteDir()
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ node {
                   }
                 }
 
+                dir("./tests/v2/validation/.ssh") {
+                  def decodedRsa = new String(AWS_SSH_RSA_KEY.decodeBase64())
+                  writeFile file: JENKINS_RKE_VALIDATION, text: decodedRsa
+                }
+
                 dir("./tests/v2/validation") {
                   def filename = "config.yaml"
                   def configContents = env.CONFIG