diff --git a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Duplicati.Library.Backend.SSHv2.csproj b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Duplicati.Library.Backend.SSHv2.csproj
index c6edf84bd..a69949098 100644
--- a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Duplicati.Library.Backend.SSHv2.csproj
+++ b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Duplicati.Library.Backend.SSHv2.csproj
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="SSH.NET" Version="2024.2.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="SSH.NET.Agent" Version="2024.2.0" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/SSHv2Backend.cs b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/SSHv2Backend.cs
index 9f5078555..b9ab84717 100644
--- a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/SSHv2Backend.cs
+++ b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/SSHv2Backend.cs
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ using Duplicati.Library.Interface;
 using Duplicati.Library.SourceProvider;
 using Duplicati.Library.Utility;
 using Duplicati.Library.Utility.Options;
-using Renci.SshNet;
-using Renci.SshNet.Common;
+using Renci.SshNet;
+using Renci.SshNet.Agent;
+using Renci.SshNet.Common;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
 
@@ -41,7 +42,8 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend
         private const string SSH_FINGERPRINT_ACCEPT_ANY_OPTION = "ssh-accept-any-fingerprints";
         public const string KEYFILE_URI = "sshkey://";
         private const string SSH_TIMEOUT_OPTION = "ssh-operation-timeout";
-        private const string SSH_KEEPALIVE_OPTION = "ssh-keepalive";
+        private const string SSH_KEEPALIVE_OPTION = "ssh-keepalive";
+        private const string SSH_DISABLE_AGENT_OPTION = "ssh-disable-agent";
 
         readonly Dictionary<string, string?> m_options;
 
@@ -55,21 +57,23 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend
         private readonly TimeSpan m_keepaliveinterval;
 
         private readonly int m_port = 22;
-        private readonly bool m_useRelativePath;
-        private readonly TimeoutOptionsHelper.Timeouts m_timeouts;
+        private readonly bool m_useRelativePath;
+        private readonly bool m_useAgent;
+        private readonly TimeoutOptionsHelper.Timeouts m_timeouts;
         private string? m_initialDirectory;
 
         private SftpClient? m_con;
 
-        public SSHv2()
-        {
-            m_server = null!;
-            m_path = null!;
-            m_username = null!;
-            m_options = null!;
-            m_timeouts = null!;
-            m_con = null!;
-        }
+        public SSHv2()
+        {
+            m_server = null!;
+            m_path = null!;
+            m_username = null!;
+            m_options = null!;
+            m_timeouts = null!;
+            m_con = null!;
+            m_useAgent = true;
+        }
 
         public SSHv2(string url, Dictionary<string, string?> options)
         {
@@ -85,8 +89,9 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend
             m_password = auth.Password;
             m_fingerprint = options.GetValueOrDefault(SSH_FINGERPRINT_OPTION);
             m_fingerprintallowall = Utility.Utility.ParseBoolOption(options, SSH_FINGERPRINT_ACCEPT_ANY_OPTION);
-            m_useRelativePath = Utility.Utility.ParseBoolOption(options, SSH_RELATIVE_PATH_OPTION);
-            m_timeouts = TimeoutOptionsHelper.Parse(options);
+            m_useRelativePath = Utility.Utility.ParseBoolOption(options, SSH_RELATIVE_PATH_OPTION);
+            m_useAgent = !Utility.Utility.ParseBoolOption(options, SSH_DISABLE_AGENT_OPTION);
+            m_timeouts = TimeoutOptionsHelper.Parse(options);
 
             m_path = uri.Path;
 
@@ -191,12 +196,15 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend
             new CommandLineArgument(SSH_TIMEOUT_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Timespan,
                 Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshtimeoutShort, Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshtimeoutLong,
                 "0", null,null, Strings.SSHv2Backend.TimeoutDeprecated(SSH_TIMEOUT_OPTION, TimeoutOptionsHelper.ShortTimeoutOption, TimeoutOptionsHelper.ListTimeoutOption, TimeoutOptionsHelper.ReadWriteTimeoutOption)),
-            new CommandLineArgument(SSH_KEEPALIVE_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Timespan,
-                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshkeepaliveShort,
-                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshkeepaliveLong, "0"),
-            new CommandLineArgument(SSH_RELATIVE_PATH_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Boolean,
-                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionRelativePathShort,
-                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionRelativePathLong),
+            new CommandLineArgument(SSH_KEEPALIVE_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Timespan,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshkeepaliveShort,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionSshkeepaliveLong, "0"),
+            new CommandLineArgument(SSH_DISABLE_AGENT_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Boolean,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionDisableAgentShort,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionDisableAgentLong),
+            new CommandLineArgument(SSH_RELATIVE_PATH_OPTION, CommandLineArgument.ArgumentType.Boolean,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionRelativePathShort,
+                Strings.SSHv2Backend.DescriptionRelativePathLong),
             .. TimeoutOptionsHelper.GetOptions(),
         ];
 
@@ -293,15 +301,31 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend
                 return m_con;
             }
 
-            SftpClient con;
-
-            m_options.TryGetValue(SSH_KEYFILE_OPTION, out var keyFile);
-            m_options.TryGetValue(SSH_KEYFILE_INLINE, out var keyInline);
-
-            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(keyFile) || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(keyInline))
-                con = new SftpClient(m_server, m_port, m_username, ValidateKeyFile(keyFile, keyInline, m_password));
-            else
-                con = new SftpClient(m_server, m_port, m_username, m_password ?? string.Empty);
+            SftpClient con;
+
+            m_options.TryGetValue(SSH_KEYFILE_OPTION, out var keyFile);
+            m_options.TryGetValue(SSH_KEYFILE_INLINE, out var keyInline);
+
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(keyFile) || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(keyInline))
+            {
+                con = new SftpClient(m_server, m_port, m_username, ValidateKeyFile(keyFile, keyInline, m_password));
+            }
+            else if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(m_password))
+            {
+                con = new SftpClient(m_server, m_port, m_username, m_password);
+            }
+            else if (m_useAgent)
+            {
+                var connectionInfo = new ConnectionInfo(m_server, m_port, m_username, new AuthenticationMethod[]
+                {
+                    new AgentAuthenticationMethod(m_username)
+                });
+                con = new SftpClient(connectionInfo);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                con = new SftpClient(m_server, m_port, m_username, string.Empty);
+            }
 
             con.HostKeyReceived += (sender, e) =>
             {
diff --git a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Strings.cs b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Strings.cs
index addd0b93a..b478ae61b 100644
--- a/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Strings.cs
+++ b/Duplicati/Library/Backend/SSHv2/Strings.cs
@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ namespace Duplicati.Library.Backend.Strings
         public static string DescriptionSshkeyShort => LC.L(@"Use a SSH private key to authenticate");
         public static string DescriptionSshtimeoutLong => LC.L(@"Use this option to manage the internal timeout for SSH operations. If the value is set to zero, the operations will not time out.");
         public static string DescriptionSshtimeoutShort => LC.L(@"Set the operation timeout value");
-        public static string DescriptionSshkeepaliveLong => LC.L(@"Use this option to enable the keep-alive interval for the SSH connection. If the connection is idle, aggressive firewalls might close the connection. Using keep-alive will keep the connection open in this scenario. If this value is set to zero, the keep-alive is disabled.");
-        public static string DescriptionSshkeepaliveShort => LC.L(@"Set a keepalive value");
-        public static string DescriptionRelativePathShort => LC.L(@"Treat source path as relative to the initial path");
+        public static string DescriptionSshkeepaliveLong => LC.L(@"Use this option to enable the keep-alive interval for the SSH connection. If the connection is idle, aggressive firewalls might close the connection. Using keep-alive will keep the connection open in this scenario. If this value is set to zero, the keep-alive is disabled.");
+        public static string DescriptionSshkeepaliveShort => LC.L(@"Set a keepalive value");
+        public static string DescriptionDisableAgentShort => LC.L(@"Disable ssh-agent authentication");
+        public static string DescriptionDisableAgentLong => LC.L(@"Prevent using ssh-agent for authentication. When not set and no password or keyfile is supplied, the agent will be used.");
+        public static string DescriptionRelativePathShort => LC.L(@"Treat source path as relative to the initial path");
         public static string DescriptionRelativePathLong => LC.L(@"Use this option to treat the source path as relative to the initial path. This is useful when the full path of the system is not known.");
         public static string FolderNotFoundManagedError(string foldername, string message) { return LC.L(@"Unable to set folder to {0}, error message: {1}", foldername, message); }
         public static string FingerprintNotMatchManagedError(string fingerprint) { return LC.L(@"Validation of server fingerprint failed. Server returned fingerprint ""{0}"". Cause of this message is either not correct configuration or Man-in-the-middle attack!", fingerprint); }