diff --git a/skylark/cli/cli.py b/skylark/cli/cli.py
index 8b4439ddd..98a5e9013 100644
--- a/skylark/cli/cli.py
+++ b/skylark/cli/cli.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import skylark.cli.cli_aws
 import skylark.cli.cli_azure
+import skylark.cli.cli_gcp
 import skylark.cli.cli_solver
 import skylark.cli.experiments
 import typer
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@
 app.add_typer(skylark.cli.experiments.app, name="experiments")
 app.add_typer(skylark.cli.cli_aws.app, name="aws")
 app.add_typer(skylark.cli.cli_azure.app, name="azure")
+app.add_typer(skylark.cli.cli_gcp.app, name="gcp")
 app.add_typer(skylark.cli.cli_solver.app, name="solver")
 
 
diff --git a/skylark/cli/cli_aws.py b/skylark/cli/cli_aws.py
index 2b658e675..155bbc871 100644
--- a/skylark/cli/cli_aws.py
+++ b/skylark/cli/cli_aws.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def ssh(region: Optional[str] = None):
     typer.secho("Querying AWS for instances", fg="green")
     instances = aws.get_matching_instances(region=region)
     if len(instances) == 0:
-        typer.secho(f"No instancess found", fg="red")
+        typer.secho(f"No instances found", fg="red")
         typer.Abort()
 
     instance_map = {f"{i.region()}, {i.public_ip()} ({i.instance_state()})": i for i in instances}
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ def ssh(region: Optional[str] = None):
     instance_name: AWSServer = questionary.select("Select an instance", choices=choices).ask()
     if instance_name is not None and instance_name in instance_map:
         instance = instance_map[instance_name]
-        proc = subprocess.Popen(split(f"ssh -i {str(instance.local_keyfile)} ec2-user@{instance.public_ip()}"))
+        cmd = instance.get_ssh_cmd()
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(split(cmd))
         proc.wait()
     else:
         typer.secho(f"No instance selected", fg="red")
diff --git a/skylark/cli/cli_gcp.py b/skylark/cli/cli_gcp.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c3f3b692
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skylark/cli/cli_gcp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+from shlex import split
+from typing import Optional
+
+import questionary
+import typer
+from skylark.config import load_config
+
+from skylark.utils import logger
+from skylark.compute.gcp.gcp_cloud_provider import GCPCloudProvider
+from skylark.compute.gcp.gcp_server import GCPServer
+
+app = typer.Typer(name="skylark-gcp")
+
+
+@app.command()
+def ssh(
+    region: Optional[str] = None,
+    gcp_project: str = typer.Option("", "--gcp-project", help="GCP project ID"),
+):
+    config = load_config()
+    gcp_project = gcp_project or config.get("gcp_project_id")
+    typer.secho(f"Loaded from config file: gcp_project={gcp_project}", fg="blue")
+    gcp = GCPCloudProvider(gcp_project)
+    typer.secho("Querying GCP for instances", fg="green")
+    instances = gcp.get_matching_instances(region=region)
+    if len(instances) == 0:
+        typer.secho(f"No instances found", fg="red")
+        typer.Abort()
+
+    instance_map = {f"{i.region()}, {i.public_ip()} ({i.instance_state()})": i for i in instances}
+    choices = list(sorted(instance_map.keys()))
+    instance_name: GCPServer = questionary.select("Select an instance", choices=choices).ask()
+    if instance_name is not None and instance_name in instance_map:
+        cmd = instance_map[instance_name].get_ssh_cmd()
+        typer.secho(cmd, fg="green")
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(split(cmd))
+        proc.wait()
+    else:
+        typer.secho(f"No instance selected", fg="red")
diff --git a/skylark/compute/aws/aws_server.py b/skylark/compute/aws/aws_server.py
index 7bed09007..1b3e0677b 100644
--- a/skylark/compute/aws/aws_server.py
+++ b/skylark/compute/aws/aws_server.py
@@ -122,3 +122,6 @@ def get_ssh_client_impl(self):
             banner_timeout=200,
         )
         return client
+
+    def get_ssh_cmd(self):
+        return f"ssh -i {self.local_keyfile} ec2-user@{self.public_ip()}"
diff --git a/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_cloud_provider.py b/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_cloud_provider.py
index 49ba12a26..872d2513f 100644
--- a/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_cloud_provider.py
+++ b/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_cloud_provider.py
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ def wait_for_operation_to_complete(self, zone, operation_name, timeout=120):
             time.sleep(time_intervals.pop(0))
 
     def provision_instance(
-        self, region, instance_class, name=None, premium_network=False, uname=os.environ.get("USER"), tags={"skylark": "true"}
+        self, region, instance_class, name=None, premium_network=False, uname="skylark", tags={"skylark": "true"}
     ) -> GCPServer:
         assert not region.startswith("gcp:"), "Region should be GCP region"
         if name is None:
diff --git a/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_server.py b/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_server.py
index e79134f96..f1b2678fa 100644
--- a/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_server.py
+++ b/skylark/compute/gcp/gcp_server.py
@@ -96,16 +96,19 @@ def terminate_instance_impl(self):
         compute = self.get_gcp_client()
         compute.instances().delete(project=self.gcp_project, zone=self.gcp_region, instance=self.instance_name()).execute()
 
-    def get_ssh_client_impl(self, uname=os.environ.get("USER"), ssh_key_password="skylark"):
+    def get_ssh_client_impl(self, uname="skylark", ssh_key_password="skylark"):
         """Return paramiko client that connects to this instance."""
         ssh_client = paramiko.SSHClient()
         ssh_client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
         ssh_client.connect(
             hostname=self.public_ip(),
             username=uname,
-            key_filename=str(self.ssh_private_key),
-            passphrase=ssh_key_password,
+            pkey=paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key_file(str(self.ssh_private_key), password=ssh_key_password),
             look_for_keys=False,
             banner_timeout=200,
         )
         return ssh_client
+
+    def get_ssh_cmd(self, uname="skylark", ssh_key_password="skylark"):
+        # todo can we include the key password inline?
+        return f"ssh -i {self.ssh_private_key} -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no {uname}@{self.public_ip()}"
diff --git a/skylark/compute/server.py b/skylark/compute/server.py
index f95291738..aec54378d 100644
--- a/skylark/compute/server.py
+++ b/skylark/compute/server.py
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ def init_log_files(self, log_dir):
     def get_ssh_client_impl(self):
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
+    def get_ssh_cmd(self) -> str:
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
     @property
     def ssh_client(self):
         """Create SSH client and cache."""
@@ -212,7 +215,7 @@ def check_stderr(tup):
         # copy config file
         config = config_file.read_text()[:-2] + "}"
         config = json.dumps(config)  # Convert to JSON string and remove trailing comma/new-line
-        self.run_command(f'mkdir -p /opt; echo "{config}" | sudo tee /opt/{config_file.name} > /dev/null')
+        self.run_command(f'mkdir -p /tmp; echo "{config}" | sudo tee /tmp/{config_file.name} > /dev/null')
 
         docker_envs = ""  # If needed, add environment variables to docker command
 
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@ def check_stderr(tup):
             f"-d --rm --log-driver=local --log-opt max-file=16 --ipc=host --network=host --ulimit nofile={1024 * 1024} {docker_envs}"
         )
         docker_run_flags += " --mount type=tmpfs,dst=/skylark,tmpfs-size=$(($(free -b  | head -n2 | tail -n1 | awk '{print $2}')/2))"
-        docker_run_flags += f" -v /opt/{config_file.name}:/pkg/data/{config_file.name}"
+        docker_run_flags += f" -v /tmp/{config_file.name}:/pkg/data/{config_file.name}"
         gateway_daemon_cmd = f"python -u /pkg/skylark/gateway/gateway_daemon.py --chunk-dir /skylark/chunks --outgoing-ports '{json.dumps(outgoing_ports)}' --region {self.region_tag}"
         docker_launch_cmd = f"sudo docker run {docker_run_flags} --name skylark_gateway {gateway_docker_image} {gateway_daemon_cmd}"
         start_out, start_err = self.run_command(docker_launch_cmd)