diff --git a/internal/configure/hosts/hc_get.go b/internal/configure/hosts/hc_get.go
index 1f857875e..a8ab33faf 100644
--- a/internal/configure/hosts/hc_get.go
+++ b/internal/configure/hosts/hc_get.go
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ func (hc *HostConfig) GetConnectConfig() *module.ConnectConfig {
 		BecomeUser:        hc.GetBecomeUser(),
 		ConnectTimeoutSec: curveadm.GlobalCurveAdmConfig.GetSSHTimeout(),
 		ConnectRetries:    curveadm.GlobalCurveAdmConfig.GetSSHRetries(),
+		Protocol:          hc.GetProtocol(),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/configure/hosts/hosts.go b/internal/configure/hosts/hosts.go
index c8fa86011..e9ffcfe30 100644
--- a/internal/configure/hosts/hosts.go
+++ b/internal/configure/hosts/hosts.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/configure/os"
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/errno"
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/utils"
+	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/pkg/module"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ func (hc *HostConfig) Build() error {
 			F("hosts[%d].private_key_file = %s", hc.sequence, privateKeyFile)
 	}
 
-	if hc.GetForwardAgent() == false {
+	if hc.GetForwardAgent() == false && hc.GetProtocol() == module.SSH_PROTOCOL {
 		if !utils.PathExist(privateKeyFile) {
 			return errno.ERR_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE_NOT_EXIST.
 				F("%s: no such file", privateKeyFile)
diff --git a/internal/task/task/checker/ssh.go b/internal/task/task/checker/ssh.go
index e3d4f05e0..37ac818c2 100644
--- a/internal/task/task/checker/ssh.go
+++ b/internal/task/task/checker/ssh.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/task/step"
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/task/task"
 	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/internal/utils"
+	"github.com/opencurve/curveadm/pkg/module"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ func doNothing() step.LambdaType {
 func checkHost(hc *hosts.HostConfig) step.LambdaType {
 	return func(ctx *context.Context) error {
 		privateKeyFile := hc.GetPrivateKeyFile()
-		if hc.GetForwardAgent() == false {
+		if hc.GetForwardAgent() == false && hc.GetProtocol() == module.SSH_PROTOCOL {
 			if !utils.PathExist(privateKeyFile) {
 				return errno.ERR_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE_NOT_EXIST.
 					F("%s: no such file", privateKeyFile)
diff --git a/pkg/module/remote_client.go b/pkg/module/remote_client.go
index 81516994c..aad2577eb 100644
--- a/pkg/module/remote_client.go
+++ b/pkg/module/remote_client.go
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ type RemoteClient interface {
 }
 
 func NewRemoteClient(cfg *ConnectConfig) (client RemoteClient, err error) {
+	if cfg == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if cfg.Protocol == SSH_PROTOCOL {
 		client, err = NewSSHClient(*cfg.GetSSHConfig())
 		if err != nil {