diff --git a/nodepool/driver/openstack/handler.py b/nodepool/driver/openstack/handler.py
index 6550ed494..1c02ab46f 100644
--- a/nodepool/driver/openstack/handler.py
+++ b/nodepool/driver/openstack/handler.py
@@ -194,18 +194,23 @@ class NodeLauncher(threading.Thread, stats.StatsReporter):
              self._node.interface_ip, self._node.public_ipv4,
              self._node.public_ipv6))
 
-        # Get the SSH public keys for the new node and record in ZooKeeper
+        # wait and scan the new node and record in ZooKeeper
         host_keys = []
         if self._pool.host_key_checking:
             try:
                 self.log.debug(
                     "Gathering host keys for node %s", self._node.id)
-                host_keys = utils.keyscan(
-                    interface_ip, timeout=self._provider_config.boot_timeout)
-                if not host_keys:
+                # only gather host keys if the connection type is ssh
+                gather_host_keys = connection_type == 'ssh'
+                host_keys = utils.nodescan(
+                    interface_ip,
+                    timeout=self._provider_config.boot_timeout,
+                    gather_hostkeys=gather_host_keys)
+
+                if gather_host_keys and not host_keys:
                     raise exceptions.LaunchKeyscanException(
                         "Unable to gather host keys")
-            except exceptions.SSHTimeoutException:
+            except exceptions.ConnectionTimeoutException:
                 self.logConsole(self._node.external_id, self._node.hostname)
                 raise
 
diff --git a/nodepool/driver/static/provider.py b/nodepool/driver/static/provider.py
index 212f20648..42da57d81 100644
--- a/nodepool/driver/static/provider.py
+++ b/nodepool/driver/static/provider.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import logging
 
 from nodepool import exceptions
 from nodepool.driver import Provider
-from nodepool.nodeutils import keyscan
+from nodepool.nodeutils import nodescan
 
 
 class StaticNodeError(Exception):
@@ -36,11 +36,12 @@ class StaticNodeProvider(Provider):
     def checkHost(self, node):
         # Check node is reachable
         try:
-            keys = keyscan(node["name"],
-                           port=node["ssh-port"],
-                           timeout=node["timeout"])
-        except exceptions.SSHTimeoutException:
-            raise StaticNodeError("%s: SSHTimeoutException" % node["name"])
+            keys = nodescan(node["name"],
+                            port=node["ssh-port"],
+                            timeout=node["timeout"])
+        except exceptions.ConnectionTimeoutException:
+            raise StaticNodeError(
+                "%s: ConnectionTimeoutException" % node["name"])
 
         # Check node host-key
         if set(node["host-key"]).issubset(set(keys)):
diff --git a/nodepool/exceptions.py b/nodepool/exceptions.py
index c754e4943..44cabfe59 100755
--- a/nodepool/exceptions.py
+++ b/nodepool/exceptions.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class TimeoutException(Exception):
     pass
 
 
-class SSHTimeoutException(TimeoutException):
+class ConnectionTimeoutException(TimeoutException):
     statsd_key = 'error.ssh'
 
 
diff --git a/nodepool/nodeutils.py b/nodepool/nodeutils.py
index 3c6de886b..39bfb0b7b 100755
--- a/nodepool/nodeutils.py
+++ b/nodepool/nodeutils.py
@@ -57,14 +57,17 @@ def set_node_ip(node):
             "Unable to find public IP of server")
 
 
-def keyscan(ip, port=22, timeout=60):
+def nodescan(ip, port=22, timeout=60, gather_hostkeys=True):
     '''
     Scan the IP address for public SSH keys.
 
     Keys are returned formatted as: "<type> <base64_string>"
     '''
     if 'fake' in ip:
-        return ['ssh-rsa FAKEKEY']
+        if gather_hostkeys:
+            return ['ssh-rsa FAKEKEY']
+        else:
+            return []
 
     addrinfo = socket.getaddrinfo(ip, port)[0]
     family = addrinfo[0]
@@ -73,16 +76,18 @@ def keyscan(ip, port=22, timeout=60):
     keys = []
     key = None
     for count in iterate_timeout(
-            timeout, exceptions.SSHTimeoutException, "ssh access"):
+            timeout, exceptions.ConnectionTimeoutException,
+            "connection on port %s" % port):
         sock = None
         t = None
         try:
             sock = socket.socket(family, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
             sock.settimeout(timeout)
             sock.connect(sockaddr)
-            t = paramiko.transport.Transport(sock)
-            t.start_client(timeout=timeout)
-            key = t.get_remote_server_key()
+            if gather_hostkeys:
+                t = paramiko.transport.Transport(sock)
+                t.start_client(timeout=timeout)
+                key = t.get_remote_server_key()
             break
         except socket.error as e:
             if e.errno not in [errno.ECONNREFUSED, errno.EHOSTUNREACH, None]:
diff --git a/nodepool/tests/test_launcher.py b/nodepool/tests/test_launcher.py
index 0b4d67b09..56a881358 100644
--- a/nodepool/tests/test_launcher.py
+++ b/nodepool/tests/test_launcher.py
@@ -949,6 +949,7 @@ class TestLauncher(tests.DBTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(nodes), 1)
         self.assertEqual('zuul', nodes[0].username)
         self.assertEqual('winrm', nodes[0].connection_type)
+        self.assertEqual(nodes[0].host_keys, [])
 
     def test_unmanaged_image_provider_name(self):
         """