diff --git a/py/execnet/register.py b/py/execnet/register.py
index ceca07113..e8577d544 100644
--- a/py/execnet/register.py
+++ b/py/execnet/register.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import os, inspect, socket
 import sys
 from py.magic import autopath ; mypath = autopath()
+from py.__.misc.warn import APIWARN
+
 import py
 if sys.platform == "win32":
     win32 = True
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ class InstallableGateway(gateway.Gateway):
 class PopenCmdGateway(InstallableGateway):
     def __init__(self, cmd):
         infile, outfile = os.popen2(cmd)
+        self._cmd = cmd
         io = inputoutput.Popen2IO(infile, outfile)
         super(PopenCmdGateway, self).__init__(io=io)
 
@@ -130,14 +133,16 @@ class SocketGateway(InstallableGateway):
 
     
 class SshGateway(PopenCmdGateway):
-    """ This Gateway provides interaction with a remote process,
+    """ This Gateway provides interaction with a remote Python process,
         established via the 'ssh' command line binary.  
         The remote side needs to have a Python interpreter executable. 
     """
-    def __init__(self, sshaddress, remotepython='python', identity=None): 
+    def __init__(self, sshaddress, remotepython='python', 
+        identity=None, ssh_config=None): 
         """ instantiate a remote ssh process with the 
             given 'sshaddress' and remotepython version.
-            you may specify an 'identity' filepath. 
+            you may specify an ssh_config file. 
+            DEPRECATED: you may specify an 'identity' filepath. 
         """
         self.remoteaddress = sshaddress
         remotecmd = '%s -u -c "exec input()"' % (remotepython,)
@@ -147,9 +152,13 @@ class SshGateway(PopenCmdGateway):
             cmdline[i] = "'" + cmdline[i].replace("'", "'\\''") + "'"
         cmd = 'ssh -C'
         if identity is not None: 
+            APIWARN("1.0", "pass in 'ssh_config' file instead of identity")
             cmd += ' -i %s' % (identity,)
+        if ssh_config is not None:
+            cmd += ' -F %s' % (ssh_config)
         cmdline.insert(0, cmd) 
-        super(SshGateway, self).__init__(' '.join(cmdline))
+        cmd = ' '.join(cmdline)
+        super(SshGateway, self).__init__(cmd)
        
     def _remote_bootstrap_gateway(self, io, s=""): 
         extra = "\n".join([
diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
index d5948b596..d65fb5db2 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
@@ -439,6 +439,9 @@ class BasicRemoteExecution:
         text = c1.receive()
         assert text.find("execution disallowed") != -1 
 
+class BasicCmdbasedRemoteExecution(BasicRemoteExecution):
+    def test_cmdattr(self):
+        assert hasattr(self.gw, '_cmd')
 
 def test_channel_endmarker_remote_killterm():
     gw = py.execnet.PopenGateway()
@@ -571,20 +574,31 @@ class TestSshGateway(BasicRemoteExecution):
             py.test.skip("no known ssh target, use -S to set one")
         cls.gw = py.execnet.SshGateway(option.sshtarget) 
 
+    def test_sshconfig_functional(self):
+        tmpdir = py.test.ensuretemp("test_sshconfig")
+        ssh_config = tmpdir.join("ssh_config") 
+        ssh_config.write(
+            "Host alias123\n"
+            "   HostName %s\n" % (option.sshtarget,))
+        gw = py.execnet.SshGateway("alias123", ssh_config=ssh_config)
+        assert gw._cmd.find("-F") != -1
+        assert gw._cmd.find(str(ssh_config)) != -1
+        pid = gw.remote_exec("import os ; channel.send(os.getpid())").receive()
+        gw.exit()
+
     def test_sshaddress(self):
         assert self.gw.remoteaddress == option.sshtarget
 
-    def test_failed_connexion(self):
-        gw = py.execnet.SshGateway('nowhere.codespeak.net')
-        try:
-            channel = gw.remote_exec("...")
-        except IOError:
-            pass      # connexion failed already
-        else:
-            # connexion did not fail yet
-            py.test.raises(EOFError, channel.receive)
-            # now it did
-            py.test.raises(IOError, gw.remote_exec, "...")
+    def test_connexion_failes_on_non_existing_hosts(self):
+        py.test.raises(IOError, 
+            "py.execnet.SshGateway('nowhere.codespeak.net')")
+
+    def test_deprecated_identity(self):
+        py.test.deprecated_call(
+            py.test.raises, IOError, 
+                py.execnet.SshGateway,
+                    'nowhere.codespeak.net', identity='qwe')
+
 
 def test_threads():
     gw = py.execnet.PopenGateway()