What causes "The agent has no identities"?

SSH keys have not been added to the agent after system restart No SSH keys have been generated on this machine SSH keys are stored in a non-default location and agent can't find them

Is the "The agent has no identities" error serious?

It is a low-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

How to fix The agent has no identities in Git

GitBEGINNERLOWUpdated Dec 6, 2025· 274 views

This error appears when running ssh-add -l and indicates that no SSH keys are loaded in the SSH agent. You need to either generate new SSH keys or add existing keys to the agent using ssh-add.

Quick fix

Fixes The agent has no identities

# Check if agent is running
echo $SSH_AUTH_SOCK

# Should output something like: /tmp/ssh-XXXXXX/agent.XXXXX

Verify the SSH agent is running
Check for existing SSH keys
Add your SSH key to the agent
Configure automatic key loading on macOS

git — error

$# Check if agent is running
echo $SSH_AUTH_SOCK
# Should output something like: /tmp/ssh-XXXXXX/agent.XXXXX
The agent has no identities

What this error means

The "agent has no identities" message indicates that your SSH authentication agent is running but has no SSH keys loaded into it. The SSH agent is a background program that holds your private keys in memory and handles authentication requests from SSH clients like Git. When you run `ssh-add -l` to list loaded keys and see "The agent has no identities," it means: 1. The SSH agent is running (otherwise you'd see "Could not open a connection to your authentication agent") 2. No private keys have been added to the agent yet 3. Any SSH authentication attempts will fail because there are no keys to present to remote servers This is normal behavior after a system restart or new terminal session, as the SSH agent doesn't automatically load keys from disk. Keys must be explicitly added using `ssh-add` each time the agent starts, unless you configure automatic loading.

Typical symptoms

Running 'ssh-add -l' returns 'The agent has no identities'
Git clone/push/pull fails with 'Permission denied (publickey)'
SSH connection to git@github.com or similar hosts fails
Error appears after system restart or new terminal session
SSH keys exist in ~/.ssh but are not being used
Authentication works after manually running ssh-add but stops after reboot
CI/CD pipelines fail at git operations after agent restart
'ssh -vT git@github.com' shows 'No identities found' in debug output

Common causes

SSH keys have not been added to the agent after system restart
No SSH keys have been generated on this machine
SSH keys are stored in a non-default location and agent can't find them
macOS 10.12.2+ no longer automatically loads keys into ssh-agent
SSH key file permissions are incorrect (too open/world-readable)
SSH agent was restarted and lost all loaded keys from memory
Using a new terminal session without agent forwarding
The AddKeysToAgent option is not configured in ~/.ssh/config
SSH keys were generated but never added to the agent initially
Zsh or other shell not configured to start/use ssh-agent properly

How to fix "The agent has no identities"

1Verify the SSH agent is running

First, confirm the SSH agent is actually running:

bash

# Check if agent is running
echo $SSH_AUTH_SOCK

# Should output something like: /tmp/ssh-XXXXXX/agent.XXXXX

If the variable is empty or you get "Could not open a connection to your authentication agent," start the agent:

bash

# Start the SSH agent and set environment variables
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# Expected output:
# Agent pid 12345

After starting the agent, verify it's running:

bash

ssh-add -l
# Should now show "The agent has no identities" (not a connection error)

2Check for existing SSH keys

Look for existing SSH key files in the default location:

bash

# List SSH directory contents
ls -la ~/.ssh/

# Look for key pairs like:
# id_ed25519 / id_ed25519.pub  (Ed25519 - recommended)
# id_rsa / id_rsa.pub          (RSA - older but common)
# id_ecdsa / id_ecdsa.pub      (ECDSA)

If you see key files, proceed to add them to the agent (next step).

If no keys exist or the .ssh directory doesn't exist, you need to generate new keys:

bash

# Generate a new Ed25519 key (recommended)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"

# Or RSA for older systems
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"

Accept the default file location and optionally set a passphrase.

3Add your SSH key to the agent

Add your private key to the running SSH agent:

bash

# Add the default Ed25519 key
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Or RSA key
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

# Or add all default keys at once
ssh-add

If your key has a passphrase, you'll be prompted to enter it.

Verify the key is now loaded:

bash

ssh-add -l

# Should now show something like:
# 256 SHA256:xxxxx your_email@example.com (ED25519)

For keys in non-standard locations:

bash

# Specify the full path
ssh-add /path/to/your/custom_key

4Configure automatic key loading on macOS

Starting with macOS 10.12.2 (Sierra), Apple no longer automatically loads SSH keys into the agent. Configure automatic loading:

bash

# Add key to macOS Keychain
ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Or the older flag (still works)
ssh-add -K ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Create or edit ~/.ssh/config to persist settings:

bash

# Create the config file if it doesn't exist
touch ~/.ssh/config
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config

Add these lines to ~/.ssh/config:

bash

Host *
  AddKeysToAgent yes
  UseKeychain yes
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

This ensures:
- Keys are automatically added to the agent when first used
- Passphrases are stored in macOS Keychain
- The specified key file is used by default

5Configure automatic agent startup in your shell

Add SSH agent initialization to your shell profile so keys persist across terminal sessions:

For Bash (~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile):

bash

# Start SSH agent if not running
if [ -z "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ]; then
  eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
  ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 2>/dev/null
fi

For Zsh (~/.zshrc), add ssh-agent plugin:

bash

# In ~/.zshrc, add ssh-agent to plugins
plugins=(git ssh-agent)

# Optionally specify identities
zstyle :omz:plugins:ssh-agent identities id_ed25519

Then reload your shell:

bash

# Reload shell configuration
exec "$SHELL"

# Or source the config file
source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc

For systemd-based Linux (persistent agent):

bash

# Enable SSH agent socket (runs automatically)
systemctl --user enable ssh-agent
systemctl --user start ssh-agent

# Add to your shell profile
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK="$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/ssh-agent.socket"

6Fix SSH key file permissions

SSH requires strict permissions on key files. If permissions are wrong, the agent may refuse to add keys:

bash

# Set correct permissions
chmod 700 ~/.ssh                 # Directory: owner only
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519      # Private key: owner read/write
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub  # Public key: world readable is OK
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config          # Config file: owner only

# Verify permissions
ls -la ~/.ssh/

# Expected output:
# drwx------  .ssh/
# -rw-------  id_ed25519
# -rw-r--r--  id_ed25519.pub

Common error if permissions are wrong:

bash

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@         WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE!          @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Important: When using ssh-add, always use the absolute path to the key file:

bash

# Correct - absolute path
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# May fail - relative path without ~/
ssh-add id_ed25519

7Test your SSH connection

After adding keys, verify the connection works:

bash

# List loaded identities
ssh-add -l -E sha256

# Test connection to GitHub
ssh -T git@github.com

# Test connection to GitLab
ssh -T git@gitlab.com

Expected successful output from GitHub:

bash

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

For debugging, use verbose mode:

bash

ssh -vT git@github.com

Look for:
- "Offering public key" - agent is presenting keys
- "Server accepts key" - authentication successful

If you still see errors, ensure your public key is added to your GitHub/GitLab account settings.

Advanced notes

### Why Keys Don't Persist Across Reboots

The SSH agent is an in-memory process that holds decrypted private keys. When the system shuts down or the agent process terminates, all loaded keys are lost. This is by design - writing decrypted keys to disk would defeat the purpose of having a passphrase.

### SSH Agent Forwarding

When connecting to remote servers, you can forward your local agent to use your keys on the remote machine without copying them:

bash

# Connect with agent forwarding
ssh -A user@remote-server

# On the remote server, your local keys are available
ssh-add -l  # Should show your local keys

Security warning: Only use agent forwarding with servers you fully trust, as a compromised server could potentially use your forwarded keys.

### Using ssh-agent with Keychain on Linux

The keychain utility (from funtoo) can manage ssh-agent across sessions:

bash

# Install keychain
sudo apt install keychain  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum install keychain  # CentOS/RHEL

# Add to ~/.bashrc
eval "$(keychain --eval --quiet id_ed25519)"

### Multiple SSH Keys for Different Services

If you have separate keys for different services:

bash

# ~/.ssh/config
Host github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github_key
  AddKeysToAgent yes

Host gitlab.com
  HostName gitlab.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/gitlab_key
  AddKeysToAgent yes

Host bitbucket.org
  HostName bitbucket.org
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/bitbucket_key
  AddKeysToAgent yes

With AddKeysToAgent yes, each key is automatically added when first used.

### Troubleshooting Agent Connection Issues

If you see "Could not open a connection to your authentication agent":

bash

# Check if agent is running
ps aux | grep ssh-agent

# If running but connection fails, the socket may be wrong
# Find the correct socket
find /tmp -name "agent.*" -user $USER 2>/dev/null

# Set the socket manually
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-xxx/agent.xxx

### WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) Considerations

On WSL, the SSH agent may need special handling:

bash

# Add to ~/.bashrc for WSL
if [ -z "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ]; then
  export SSH_AUTH_SOCK="$HOME/.ssh/agent.sock"
  if ! pgrep -u "$USER" ssh-agent > /dev/null; then
    rm -f "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK"
    ssh-agent -a "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" > /dev/null
  fi
fi

This creates a persistent socket file that survives WSL restarts.

### Ed25519 vs RSA Keys

For new key generation, Ed25519 is recommended:

| Aspect | Ed25519 | RSA 4096 |
|--------|---------|----------|
| Security | Excellent | Good |
| Key size | 256 bits | 4096 bits |
| Signature speed | Faster | Slower |
| Compatibility | Modern systems | Universal |

Ed25519 keys are smaller and faster while providing equivalent security to RSA 4096.

Frequently asked questions

What does "The agent has no identities" mean?: The "agent has no identities" message indicates that your SSH authentication agent is running but has no SSH keys loaded into it. The SSH agent is a background program that holds your private keys in memory and handles authentication requests from SSH clients like Git. When you run ssh-add -l to list loaded keys and see "The agent has no identities," it means: 1.
How do I fix "The agent has no identities"?: This error appears when running ssh-add -l and indicates that no SSH keys are loaded in the SSH agent. You need to either generate new SSH keys or add existing keys to the agent using ssh-add.
What causes "The agent has no identities"?: SSH keys have not been added to the agent after system restart No SSH keys have been generated on this machine SSH keys are stored in a non-default location and agent can't find them
Is the "The agent has no identities" error serious?: It is a low-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading

📚Git Official Documentation
💬
Stack Overflow - Github permission denied: ssh add agent has no identities(Stack Overflow)
💬
Ask Ubuntu - ssh-add command does not add my identity to ssh-agent(Stack Overflow)
💬
GitHub Community Discussion - The agent has no identities(Stack Overflow)
💬
Super User - SSH Agent loses identity while restart machine(Stack Overflow)
📖
Position Is Everything - The Agent Has No Identities Solutions(Official Docs)

How to fix The agent has no identities in Git

Quick fix

What this error means

Typical symptoms

Common causes

How to fix "The agent has no identities"

Advanced notes

Frequently asked questions

Related errors

Official resources & further reading