diff --git a/rhodecode/apps/admin/views/users.py b/rhodecode/apps/admin/views/users.py
--- a/rhodecode/apps/admin/views/users.py
+++ b/rhodecode/apps/admin/views/users.py
@@ -872,7 +872,10 @@ class UsersView(UserAppView):
 
         c.active = 'ssh_keys_generate'
         comment = 'RhodeCode-SSH {}'.format(c.user.email or '')
-        c.private, c.public = SshKeyModel().generate_keypair(comment=comment)
+        private_format = self.request.GET.get('private_format') \
+                         or SshKeyModel.DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FORMAT
+        c.private, c.public = SshKeyModel().generate_keypair(
+            comment=comment, private_format=private_format)
 
         return self._get_template_context(c)
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/apps/my_account/views/my_account_ssh_keys.py b/rhodecode/apps/my_account/views/my_account_ssh_keys.py
--- a/rhodecode/apps/my_account/views/my_account_ssh_keys.py
+++ b/rhodecode/apps/my_account/views/my_account_ssh_keys.py
@@ -72,8 +72,11 @@ class MyAccountSshKeysView(BaseAppView, 
 
         c.active = 'ssh_keys_generate'
         if c.ssh_key_generator_enabled:
+            private_format = self.request.GET.get('private_format') \
+                             or SshKeyModel.DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FORMAT
             comment = 'RhodeCode-SSH {}'.format(c.user.email or '')
-            c.private, c.public = SshKeyModel().generate_keypair(comment=comment)
+            c.private, c.public = SshKeyModel().generate_keypair(
+                comment=comment, private_format=private_format)
             c.target_form_url = h.route_path(
                 'my_account_ssh_keys', _query=dict(default_key=c.public))
         return self._get_template_context(c)
diff --git a/rhodecode/model/ssh_key.py b/rhodecode/model/ssh_key.py
--- a/rhodecode/model/ssh_key.py
+++ b/rhodecode/model/ssh_key.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 class SshKeyModel(BaseModel):
     cls = UserSshKeys
+    DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FORMAT = 'pkcs8'
 
     def parse_key(self, key_data):
         """
@@ -66,16 +67,23 @@ class SshKeyModel(BaseModel):
             log.error("Key Parse error: %s", err)
             raise
 
-    def generate_keypair(self, comment=None):
+    def generate_keypair(self, comment=None, private_format=DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FORMAT):
 
         key = rsa.generate_private_key(
             backend=crypto_default_backend(),
             public_exponent=65537,
             key_size=2048
         )
+        if private_format == self.DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FORMAT:
+            private_format = crypto_serialization.PrivateFormat.PKCS8
+        else:
+            # legacy format that can be used by older systems, use if pkcs8 have
+            # problems
+            private_format = crypto_serialization.PrivateFormat.TraditionalOpenSSL
+
         private_key = key.private_bytes(
             crypto_serialization.Encoding.PEM,
-            crypto_serialization.PrivateFormat.PKCS8,
+            private_format,
             crypto_serialization.NoEncryption())
         public_key = key.public_key().public_bytes(
             crypto_serialization.Encoding.OpenSSH,
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/admin/users/user_edit_ssh_keys_generate.mako b/rhodecode/templates/admin/users/user_edit_ssh_keys_generate.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/admin/users/user_edit_ssh_keys_generate.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/admin/users/user_edit_ssh_keys_generate.mako
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     <div class="panel-body">
         %if c.ssh_enabled and c.ssh_key_generator_enabled:
             <p>
-                ${_('Below is a 2048 bit generated SSH RSA key.')}<br/>
+                ${_('Below is a 2048 bit generated SSH RSA key.')}<br/>${_('If you use older systems please try to generate a')} <a href="${h.current_route_path(request, private_format='legacy')}">${_('legacy format')}</a> ssh key.<br/>
                 ${_('If You wish to use it to access RhodeCode via the SSH please save the private key and click `Use this generated key` at the bottom.')}
             </p>
             <h4>${_('Private key')}</h4>