diff --git a/test/integration/credentials.template b/test/integration/credentials.template
index 61d5d6e38fc..b183e469381 100644
--- a/test/integration/credentials.template
+++ b/test/integration/credentials.template
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ gce_project_id:
 azure_subscription_id: "{{ lookup('env', 'AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID') }}"
 azure_cert_path: "{{ lookup('env', 'AZURE_CERT_PATH') }}"
 
-# GITHUB SSH private key - a path to a SSH private key for use with github.com
-github_ssh_private_key: "{{ lookup('env','HOME') }}/.ssh/id_rsa"
-
 # Cloudflare Credentials
 cloudflare_api_token:
 cloudflare_email:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/git/tasks/missing_hostkey.yml b/test/integration/targets/git/tasks/missing_hostkey.yml
index c58b5834f08..1de79a6a185 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/git/tasks/missing_hostkey.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/git/tasks/missing_hostkey.yml
@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
 ---
 
-- name: remove known_host files
-  file:
-    state: absent
-    path: '{{ item }}'
-  with_items: "{{known_host_files}}"
-
 - name: checkout ssh://git@github.com repo without accept_hostkey (expected fail)
   git:
     repo: '{{ repo_format2 }}'
     dest: '{{ checkout_dir }}'
+    ssh_opts: '-o UserKnownHostsFile={{ output_dir }}/known_hosts'
   register: git_result
   ignore_errors: true
 
@@ -23,19 +18,20 @@
     dest: '{{ checkout_dir }}'
     accept_hostkey: true
     key_file: '{{ github_ssh_private_key }}'
+    ssh_opts: '-o UserKnownHostsFile={{ output_dir }}/known_hosts'
   register: git_result
   when: github_ssh_private_key is defined
 
 - assert:
     that:
       - 'git_result.changed'
-  when: not git_result|skipped
-
+  when: github_ssh_private_key is defined
 
 - name: clear checkout_dir
   file:
     state: absent
     path: '{{ checkout_dir }}'
+  when: github_ssh_private_key is defined
 
 - name: checkout ssh://git@github.com repo with accept_hostkey (expected pass)
   git:
@@ -44,10 +40,11 @@
     version: 'master'
     accept_hostkey: false # should already have been accepted
     key_file: '{{ github_ssh_private_key }}'
+    ssh_opts: '-o UserKnownHostsFile={{ output_dir }}/known_hosts'
   register: git_result
   when: github_ssh_private_key is defined
 
 - assert:
     that:
       - 'git_result.changed'
-  when: not git_result|skipped
+  when: github_ssh_private_key is defined
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/git/vars/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/git/vars/main.yml
index 1a3b6dbe04b..f4364bc4814 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/git/vars/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/git/vars/main.yml
@@ -18,3 +18,5 @@ known_host_files:
   - '/etc/ssh/ssh_known_hosts'
 git_version_supporting_depth: 1.9.1
 git_version_supporting_ls_remote: 1.7.5
+# path to a SSH private key for use with github.com (tests skipped if undefined)
+# github_ssh_private_key: "{{ lookup('env', 'HOME') }}/.ssh/id_rsa"