diff --git a/authority/authority.go b/authority/authority.go
index 16968d9d..e26ce591 100644
--- a/authority/authority.go
+++ b/authority/authority.go
@@ -361,6 +361,8 @@ func (a *Authority) init() error {
 			// Append public key to list of host certs
 			a.sshCAHostCerts = append(a.sshCAHostCerts, a.sshCAHostCertSignKey.PublicKey())
 			a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts, a.sshCAHostCertSignKey.PublicKey())
+			// Configure template variables.
+			tmplVars.SSH.HostKey = a.sshCAHostCertSignKey.PublicKey()
 		}
 		if a.config.SSH.UserKey != "" {
 			signer, err := a.keyManager.CreateSigner(&kmsapi.CreateSignerRequest{
@@ -387,35 +389,32 @@ func (a *Authority) init() error {
 			// Append public key to list of user certs
 			a.sshCAUserCerts = append(a.sshCAUserCerts, a.sshCAUserCertSignKey.PublicKey())
 			a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts, a.sshCAUserCertSignKey.PublicKey())
+			// Configure template variables.
+			tmplVars.SSH.UserKey = a.sshCAUserCertSignKey.PublicKey()
 		}
 
-		// Append other public keys
+		// Append other public keys and add them to the template variables.
 		for _, key := range a.config.SSH.Keys {
+			publicKey := key.PublicKey()
 			switch key.Type {
 			case provisioner.SSHHostCert:
 				if key.Federated {
-					a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts, key.PublicKey())
+					a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts, publicKey)
+					tmplVars.SSH.HostFederatedKeys = append(tmplVars.SSH.HostFederatedKeys, publicKey)
 				} else {
-					a.sshCAHostCerts = append(a.sshCAHostCerts, key.PublicKey())
+					a.sshCAHostCerts = append(a.sshCAHostCerts, publicKey)
 				}
 			case provisioner.SSHUserCert:
 				if key.Federated {
-					a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts, key.PublicKey())
+					a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts = append(a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts, publicKey)
+					tmplVars.SSH.UserFederatedKeys = append(tmplVars.SSH.UserFederatedKeys, publicKey)
 				} else {
-					a.sshCAUserCerts = append(a.sshCAUserCerts, key.PublicKey())
+					a.sshCAUserCerts = append(a.sshCAUserCerts, publicKey)
 				}
 			default:
 				return errors.Errorf("unsupported type %s", key.Type)
 			}
 		}
-
-		// Configure template variables.
-		tmplVars.SSH.HostKey = a.sshCAHostCertSignKey.PublicKey()
-		tmplVars.SSH.UserKey = a.sshCAUserCertSignKey.PublicKey()
-		// On the templates we skip the first one because there's a distinction
-		// between the main key and federated keys.
-		tmplVars.SSH.HostFederatedKeys = append(tmplVars.SSH.HostFederatedKeys, a.sshCAHostFederatedCerts[1:]...)
-		tmplVars.SSH.UserFederatedKeys = append(tmplVars.SSH.UserFederatedKeys, a.sshCAUserFederatedCerts[1:]...)
 	}
 
 	// Check if a KMS with decryption capability is required and available
diff --git a/authority/ssh_test.go b/authority/ssh_test.go
index e468ecf0..41df8576 100644
--- a/authority/ssh_test.go
+++ b/authority/ssh_test.go
@@ -87,6 +87,52 @@ func (m sshTestOptionsModifier) Modify(cert *ssh.Certificate, opts provisioner.S
 	return fmt.Errorf(string(m))
 }
 
+func TestAuthority_initHostOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	auth := testAuthority(t, func(a *Authority) error {
+		a.config.SSH.UserKey = ""
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	// Check keys
+	keys, err := auth.GetSSHRoots(context.Background())
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, 1, keys.HostKeys)
+	assert.Len(t, 0, keys.UserKeys)
+
+	// Check templates, user templates should work fine.
+	_, err = auth.GetSSHConfig(context.Background(), "user", nil)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = auth.GetSSHConfig(context.Background(), "host", map[string]string{
+		"Certificate": "ssh_host_ecdsa_key-cert.pub",
+		"Key":         "ssh_host_ecdsa_key",
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestAuthority_initUserOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	auth := testAuthority(t, func(a *Authority) error {
+		a.config.SSH.HostKey = ""
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	// Check keys
+	keys, err := auth.GetSSHRoots(context.Background())
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, 0, keys.HostKeys)
+	assert.Len(t, 1, keys.UserKeys)
+
+	// Check templates, host templates should work fine.
+	_, err = auth.GetSSHConfig(context.Background(), "host", map[string]string{
+		"Certificate": "ssh_host_ecdsa_key-cert.pub",
+		"Key":         "ssh_host_ecdsa_key",
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = auth.GetSSHConfig(context.Background(), "user", nil)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestAuthority_SignSSH(t *testing.T) {
 	key, err := ecdsa.GenerateKey(elliptic.P256(), rand.Reader)
 	assert.FatalError(t, err)
@@ -153,6 +199,8 @@ func TestAuthority_SignSSH(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"ok-user", fields{signer, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{}, []provisioner.SignOption{userTemplate, userOptions}}, want{CertType: ssh.UserCert}, false},
 		{"ok-host", fields{signer, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{}, []provisioner.SignOption{hostTemplate, hostOptions}}, want{CertType: ssh.HostCert}, false},
+		{"ok-user-only", fields{signer, nil}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{}, []provisioner.SignOption{userTemplate, userOptions}}, want{CertType: ssh.UserCert}, false},
+		{"ok-host-only", fields{nil, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{}, []provisioner.SignOption{hostTemplate, hostOptions}}, want{CertType: ssh.HostCert}, false},
 		{"ok-opts-type-user", fields{signer, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{CertType: "user"}, []provisioner.SignOption{userTemplate}}, want{CertType: ssh.UserCert}, false},
 		{"ok-opts-type-host", fields{signer, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{CertType: "host"}, []provisioner.SignOption{hostTemplate}}, want{CertType: ssh.HostCert}, false},
 		{"ok-opts-principals", fields{signer, signer}, args{pub, provisioner.SignSSHOptions{CertType: "user", Principals: []string{"user"}}, []provisioner.SignOption{userTemplateWithUser}}, want{CertType: ssh.UserCert, Principals: []string{"user"}}, false},