diff --git a/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml b/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
index 990794d16d..323594a89f 100644
--- a/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
@@ -20,11 +20,34 @@
       fail:
         msg: Zuul description was not updated
       when: '"Zuuls new description" not in zuul_content.content'
+    - name: Configure ssh for pushing into test gitea
+      shell: |
+        ssh-keyscan -t rsa -p 222 localhost >> .ssh/known_hosts
+        ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f /home/zuul/.ssh/id_ed25519 -C giteagerrittest -P ''
+    - name: Register new gitea gerrit pubkey value
+      slurp:
+        src: /home/zuul/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
+      register: slurped_gitea_gerrit_pubkey
+    - name: Set testing key on gerrit account in gitea
+      no_log: true
+      uri:
+        user: root
+        password: "{{ gitea_root_password }}"
+        force_basic_auth: true
+        url: "https://localhost:3000/api/v1/admin/users/gerrit/keys"
+        validate_certs: false
+        method: POST
+        status_code: 201
+        body_format: json
+        body:
+          key: "{{ slurped_gitea_gerrit_pubkey['content'] | b64decode }}"
+          read_only: false
+          title: "Gerrit testing key"
     - name: Push system-config into our test gitea for testing
       shell: |
         cd /home/zuul/src/opendev.org/opendev/system-config
-        git remote add test-gitea https://gerrit:{{ gitea_gerrit_password }}@localhost:3000/opendev/system-config
-        GIT_SSL_NO_VERIFY=1 git push -f test-gitea master
+        git remote add test-gitea ssh://git@localhost:222/opendev/system-config
+        GIT_SSH_COMMAND='ssh -i /home/zuul/.ssh/id_ed25519' git push -f test-gitea master
 
 - name: Run rename playbook
   import_playbook: rename_repos.yaml