diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-console.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-console.yaml
index 4ccead6181762..12754ae9573f9 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-console.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-console.yaml
@@ -145,11 +145,8 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -160,7 +157,6 @@ objects:
           export PROVIDER_ARGS="-provider=aws -gce-zone=us-east-1"
           # TODO: make openshift-tests auto-discover this from cluster config
           export TEST_PROVIDER='{"type":"aws","region":"us-east-1","zone":"us-east-1a","multizone":true,"multimaster":true}'
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=core
         elif [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "openstack" ]]; then
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/kube_openstack_rsa || true
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-e2e.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-e2e.yaml
index 33e91fd4b80a1..1c6c260a60711 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-e2e.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-e2e.yaml
@@ -138,11 +138,8 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -153,7 +150,6 @@ objects:
           export PROVIDER_ARGS="-provider=aws -gce-zone=us-east-1"
           # TODO: make openshift-tests auto-discover this from cluster config
           export TEST_PROVIDER='{"type":"aws","region":"us-east-1","zone":"us-east-1a","multizone":true,"multimaster":true}'
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=core
         fi
 
         mkdir -p /tmp/output
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-metal-e2e.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-metal-e2e.yaml
index f6e73d205a1cd..7ed9466bfb556 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-metal-e2e.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-metal-e2e.yaml
@@ -145,8 +145,6 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/kube_metal_rsa || true
 
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-openstack-e2e.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-openstack-e2e.yaml
index 6fdf37ca560c3..a27ea526c342b 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-openstack-e2e.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-openstack-e2e.yaml
@@ -142,9 +142,6 @@ objects:
           sleep 10 & wait
         done
 
-        # set up env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/kube_openstack_rsa || true
 
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-src.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-src.yaml
index 00d46d09847d0..e206f339033cb 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-src.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-src.yaml
@@ -141,11 +141,8 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -156,7 +153,6 @@ objects:
           export PROVIDER_ARGS="-provider=aws -gce-zone=us-east-1"
           # TODO: make openshift-tests auto-discover this from cluster config
           export TEST_PROVIDER='{"type":"aws","region":"us-east-1","zone":"us-east-1a","multizone":true,"multimaster":true}'
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=core
         elif [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "openstack" ]]; then
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/kube_openstack_rsa || true
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-upi-e2e.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-upi-e2e.yaml
index 3a947623e6666..99330de42c6a9 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-upi-e2e.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/installer/cluster-launch-installer-upi-e2e.yaml
@@ -210,11 +210,8 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -225,7 +222,6 @@ objects:
           export PROVIDER_ARGS="-provider=aws -gce-zone=us-east-1"
           # TODO: make openshift-tests auto-discover this from cluster config
           export TEST_PROVIDER='{"type":"aws","region":"us-east-1","zone":"us-east-1a","multizone":true,"multimaster":true}'
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=core
         fi
 
         mkdir -p /tmp/output
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-40.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-40.yaml
index 0a289fb0ac087..35fc64beac885 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-40.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-40.yaml
@@ -126,11 +126,8 @@ objects:
         done
 
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc --insecure-skip-tls-verify get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-ansible.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-ansible.yaml
index 1b035ad3f32e9..75fa7cf706f72 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-ansible.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-ansible.yaml
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-jenkins.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-jenkins.yaml
index a46f18e0f4be3..096f1e4b26e7f 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-jenkins.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-openshift-jenkins.yaml
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud provider specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -210,7 +209,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-upgrade.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-upgrade.yaml
index 332fadfee53fd..f066c6e2f11e7 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-upgrade.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e-upgrade.yaml
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e.yaml
index 86f8063bed045..b70f1f9320174 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-e2e.yaml
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-src.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-src.yaml
index 020055c755082..196aba102c0f8 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-src.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-launch-src.yaml
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ objects:
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
diff --git a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-scaleup-e2e-40.yaml b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-scaleup-e2e-40.yaml
index 3df4e382a346d..beeb20d7e1e32 100644
--- a/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-scaleup-e2e-40.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/templates/openshift/openshift-ansible/cluster-scaleup-e2e-40.yaml
@@ -202,13 +202,9 @@ objects:
         # oh god the blood
         sleep 180
 
-        export KUBE_SSH_BASTION="$( oc get node -l node-role.kubernetes.io/master -o 'jsonpath={.items[0].status.addresses[?(@.type=="ExternalIP")].address}' ):22"
-        export KUBE_SSH_KEY_PATH=/tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey
-
         # set up cloud-provider-specific env vars
         if [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "gcp" ]]; then
           export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/tmp/cluster/gce.json"
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=cloud-user
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/google_compute_engine || true
           export PROVIDER_ARGS='-provider=gce -gce-zone=us-east1-c -gce-project=openshift-gce-devel-ci'
@@ -219,7 +215,6 @@ objects:
           export PROVIDER_ARGS="-provider=aws -gce-zone=us-east-1"
           # TODO: make openshift-tests auto-discover this from cluster config
           export TEST_PROVIDER='{"type":"aws","region":"us-east-1","zone":"us-east-1a","multizone":true,"multimaster":true}'
-          export KUBE_SSH_USER=core
         elif [[ "${CLUSTER_TYPE}" == "openstack" ]]; then
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           cp /tmp/cluster/ssh-privatekey ~/.ssh/kube_openstack_rsa || true