diff --git a/core/services/commander/main.py b/core/services/commander/main.py
index 3b3b9aadd7..4e87a5acc1 100755
--- a/core/services/commander/main.py
+++ b/core/services/commander/main.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
-import subprocess
 import time
 from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -221,44 +220,7 @@ async def root() -> Any:
     return HTMLResponse(content=html_content, status_code=200)
 
 
-def setup_ssh() -> None:
-    # store the key in the docker .config volume
-    key_path = Path("/root/.config/.ssh")
-    private_key = key_path / "id_rsa"
-    public_key = private_key.with_suffix(".pub")
-    user = os.environ.get("SSH_USER", "pi")
-    gid = int(os.environ.get("USER_GID", 1000))
-    uid = int(os.environ.get("USER_UID", 1000))
-    authorized_keys = Path(f"/home/{user}/.ssh/authorized_keys")
-
-    try:
-        key_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        # check if id_rsa.pub exists, creates a new one if it doesnt
-        if not public_key.is_file():
-            subprocess.run(["ssh-keygen", "-t", "rsa", "-f", private_key, "-q", "-N", ""], check=True)
-        public_key_text = public_key.read_text("utf-8")
-        # add id_rsa.pub to authorized_keys if not there already
-        try:
-            authorized_keys_text = authorized_keys.read_text("utf-8")
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            logger.info(f"File does not exist: {authorized_keys}")
-            authorized_keys_text = ""
-
-        if public_key_text not in authorized_keys_text:
-            if not authorized_keys_text.endswith("\n"):
-                authorized_keys_text += "\n"
-            authorized_keys_text += public_key_text
-            authorized_keys.write_text(authorized_keys_text, "utf-8")
-
-        os.chown(authorized_keys, uid, gid)
-        authorized_keys.chmod(0o600)
-    except Exception as error:
-        logger.error(f"Error setting up ssh: {error}")
-    logger.info("SSH setup done")
-
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    setup_ssh()
     # Register ssh client and remove message from the following commands
     run_command("ls")
 
diff --git a/core/tools/blueos_startup_update/blueos_startup_update.py b/core/tools/blueos_startup_update/blueos_startup_update.py
index 0f4d2a6aba..70119e0945 100755
--- a/core/tools/blueos_startup_update/blueos_startup_update.py
+++ b/core/tools/blueos_startup_update/blueos_startup_update.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import os
 import re
 import time
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List, Tuple
 import configparser
 
@@ -504,6 +506,47 @@ def configure_network_manager() -> bool:
     return True
 
 
+def setup_ssh() -> bool:
+    logger.info("Setting up SSH...")
+    # store the key in the docker .config volume
+    key_path = Path("/root/.config/.ssh")
+    private_key = key_path / "id_rsa"
+    public_key = private_key.with_suffix(".pub")
+    user = os.environ.get("SSH_USER", "pi")
+    gid = int(os.environ.get("USER_GID", 1000))
+    uid = int(os.environ.get("USER_UID", 1000))
+    authorized_keys = Path(f"/home/{user}/.ssh/authorized_keys")
+
+    try:
+        key_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        # check if id_rsa.pub exists, creates a new one if it doesnt
+        if not public_key.is_file():
+            subprocess.run(["ssh-keygen", "-t", "rsa", "-f", private_key, "-q", "-N", ""], check=True)
+            logger.info("Generated new SSH key pair")
+
+        public_key_text = public_key.read_text("utf-8")
+        # add id_rsa.pub to authorized_keys if not there already
+        try:
+            authorized_keys_text = authorized_keys.read_text("utf-8")
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            logger.info(f"File does not exist: {authorized_keys}")
+            authorized_keys_text = ""
+
+        if public_key_text not in authorized_keys_text:
+            if not authorized_keys_text.endswith("\n"):
+                authorized_keys_text += "\n"
+            authorized_keys_text += public_key_text
+            authorized_keys.write_text(authorized_keys_text, "utf-8")
+            logger.info("Added public key to authorized_keys")
+
+        os.chown(authorized_keys, uid, gid)
+        authorized_keys.chmod(0o600)
+        return True
+    except Exception as sshError:
+        logger.error(f"Error setting up ssh: {sshError}")
+        return False
+
+
 def main() -> int:
     start = time.time()
     # check if boot_loop_detector exists
@@ -578,6 +621,10 @@ def main() -> int:
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    try:
+        setup_ssh()
+    except Exception as error:
+        logger.error(f"An error occurred while setting up ssh: {error}")
     try:
         main()
         if os.path.exists(BOOT_LOOP_DETECTOR):