diff --git a/renku/command/session.py b/renku/command/session.py
index 824ad9be58..12bd063c9a 100644
--- a/renku/command/session.py
+++ b/renku/command/session.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def search_session_providers_command():
 
 def session_list_command():
     """List all the running interactive sessions."""
-    return Command().command(session_list)
+    return Command().command(session_list).with_database(write=False)
 
 
 def session_start_command():
diff --git a/renku/core/session/renkulab.py b/renku/core/session/renkulab.py
index 4693c0d9ac..32ed5a5364 100644
--- a/renku/core/session/renkulab.py
+++ b/renku/core/session/renkulab.py
@@ -299,8 +299,6 @@ def session_list(self, project_name: str, ssh_garbage_collection: bool = True) -
             params=self._get_renku_project_name_parts(),
         )
         if sessions_res.status_code == 200:
-            system_config = SystemSSHConfig()
-            name = self._project_name_from_full_project_name(project_name)
             sessions = [
                 Session(
                     id=session["name"],
@@ -310,7 +308,8 @@ def session_list(self, project_name: str, ssh_garbage_collection: bool = True) -
                     commit=session.get("annotations", {}).get("renku.io/commit-sha"),
                     branch=session.get("annotations", {}).get("renku.io/branch"),
                     provider="renkulab",
-                    ssh_enabled=system_config.session_config_path(name, session["name"]).exists(),
+                    ssh_enabled=get_value("renku", "ssh_supported") == "true"
+                    or project_context.project.template_metadata.ssh_supported,
                 )
                 for session in sessions_res.json().get("servers", {}).values()
             ]
diff --git a/renku/core/session/session.py b/renku/core/session/session.py
index 0ca42e32ef..ce1fa67f6c 100644
--- a/renku/core/session/session.py
+++ b/renku/core/session/session.py
@@ -353,3 +353,8 @@ def ssh_setup(existing_key: Optional[Path] = None, force: bool = False):
             """
         )
         f.write(content)
+
+    communication.warn(
+        "This command does not add any public SSH keys to your project. "
+        "Keys have to be added manually or by using the 'renku session start' command with the '--ssh' flag."
+    )
diff --git a/renku/core/util/ssh.py b/renku/core/util/ssh.py
index 0f787a7ec9..e55f6e92aa 100644
--- a/renku/core/util/ssh.py
+++ b/renku/core/util/ssh.py
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ def setup_session_config(self, project_name: str, session_name: str) -> str:
                 ServerAliveCountMax 3
                 ProxyJump  jumphost-{self.renku_host}
                 IdentityFile {self.keyfile}
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk
+                IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_dsa
                 User jovyan
                 StrictHostKeyChecking no
             """
diff --git a/renku/ui/cli/session.py b/renku/ui/cli/session.py
index 3db7642479..ba40aa8f7a 100644
--- a/renku/ui/cli/session.py
+++ b/renku/ui/cli/session.py
@@ -379,7 +379,11 @@ def open(session_name, provider, **kwargs):
 )
 @click.option("--force", is_flag=True, help="Overwrite existing keys/config.")
 def ssh_setup(existing_key, force):
-    """Setup keys for SSH connections into sessions."""
+    """Generate keys and configuration for SSH connections into sessions.
+
+    Note that this will not add any keys to a specific project, adding keys to a project
+    has to be done manually or through the renku session start command by using the --ssh flag.
+    """
     from renku.command.session import ssh_setup_command
 
     communicator = ClickCallback()