diff --git a/modules/git/auth_test.go b/modules/git/auth_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..03038c2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/git/auth_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package git
+
+import (
+	"crypto/ed25519"
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+)
+
+func TestGetAuthForURLSupportsEd25519PrivateKey(t *testing.T) {
+	_, privateKey, err := ed25519.GenerateKey(rand.Reader)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	block, err := ssh.MarshalPrivateKey(privateKey, "")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	keyFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "id_ed25519")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(keyFile, pem.EncodeToMemory(block), 0o600))
+
+	remoteURL, err := url.Parse("ssh://git@example.com/owner/repo")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	auth, err := GetAuthForURL(remoteURL, "", keyFile, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "ssh", auth.Scheme)
+	require.Equal(t, keyFile, auth.KeyFile)
+}
diff --git a/modules/git/cli_backend.go b/modules/git/cli_backend.go
index d458de2c..885b3d41 100644
--- a/modules/git/cli_backend.go
+++ b/modules/git/cli_backend.go
@@ -306,6 +306,13 @@ func prepareCLIAuth(auth *AuthMethod) ([]string, []string, func(), error) {
 			configs = append(configs, "http.extraHeader="+header)
 		}
 	case "ssh":
+		// Let git use its default SSH command when tea does not need to inject
+		// an identity or passphrase. Overriding it unconditionally would bypass
+		// the user's core.sshCommand and GIT_SSH_COMMAND settings, including any
+		// host-key/known_hosts handling configured there.
+		if auth.KeyFile == "" && auth.KeyPassphrase == "" {
+			break
+		}
 		sshCommand := "ssh"
 		if auth.KeyFile != "" {
 			sshCommand += " -i " + shellQuote(auth.KeyFile) + " -o IdentitiesOnly=yes"
diff --git a/modules/git/cli_backend_test.go b/modules/git/cli_backend_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3299822c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/git/cli_backend_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package git
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPrepareCLIAuthSSHUsesGitDefaultCommandWithoutKey(t *testing.T) {
+	configs, env, cleanup, err := prepareCLIAuth(&AuthMethod{Scheme: "ssh", Username: "git"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, configs)
+	require.Empty(t, env)
+	require.NotNil(t, cleanup)
+	cleanup()
+}
+
+func TestPrepareCLIAuthSSHInjectsConfiguredKey(t *testing.T) {
+	keyFile := "/tmp/tea test key"
+	configs, env, cleanup, err := prepareCLIAuth(&AuthMethod{Scheme: "ssh", KeyFile: keyFile})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, configs)
+	require.NotNil(t, cleanup)
+	cleanup()
+
+	require.Len(t, env, 1)
+	require.Contains(t, env[0], "GIT_SSH_COMMAND=ssh ")
+	require.Contains(t, env[0], "IdentitiesOnly=yes")
+	require.Contains(t, env[0], shellQuote(keyFile))
+}