diff --git a/client/android/ssh_client.go b/client/android/ssh_client.go
index 1c4015906..fe908a971 100644
--- a/client/android/ssh_client.go
+++ b/client/android/ssh_client.go
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func (s *SSHClient) buildAuth(cfg *profilemanager.Config, engine *internal.Engin
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("jwt: %w", err)
 		}
 		auths := []gossh.AuthMethod{gossh.Password(token)}
-		return auths, nbssh.CreateHostKeyCallback(engine), nil
+		return auths, nbssh.CreateHostKeyCallback(nbssh.PeerKeyLookup(engine.GetPeerSSHKey)), nil
 
 	case detection.ServerTypeNetBirdNoJWT:
 		if cfg.SSHKey == "" {
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func (s *SSHClient) buildAuth(cfg *profilemanager.Config, engine *internal.Engin
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("parse netbird ssh key: %w", err)
 		}
 		auths := []gossh.AuthMethod{gossh.PublicKeys(signer)}
-		return auths, nbssh.CreateHostKeyCallback(engine), nil
+		return auths, nbssh.CreateHostKeyCallback(nbssh.PeerKeyLookup(engine.GetPeerSSHKey)), nil
 
 	case detection.ServerTypeRegular:
 		var auths []gossh.AuthMethod
diff --git a/client/embed/embed.go b/client/embed/embed.go
index 6a3c25c33..1b2d84d7e 100644
--- a/client/embed/embed.go
+++ b/client/embed/embed.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/peer"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
+	nbssh "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/ssh"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/shared/management/domain"
 	mgmProto "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/shared/management/proto"
@@ -520,7 +521,7 @@ func (c *Client) VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress string, key []byte) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return engine.VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress, key)
+	return nbssh.PeerKeyLookup(engine.GetPeerSSHKey).VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress, key)
 }
 
 // SetPerformance retunes a running Client. Only PreallocatedBuffersPerPool
diff --git a/client/internal/engine_ssh.go b/client/internal/engine_ssh.go
index 5c86884db..53d2c1122 100644
--- a/client/internal/engine_ssh.go
+++ b/client/internal/engine_ssh.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	firewallManager "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/firewall/manager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/iface/netstack"
 	nftypes "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/netflow/types"
-	nbssh "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/ssh"
 	sshauth "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/ssh/auth"
 	sshconfig "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/ssh/config"
 	sshserver "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/ssh/server"
@@ -217,16 +216,6 @@ func (e *Engine) GetPeerSSHKey(peerAddress string) ([]byte, bool) {
 	return nil, false
 }
 
-// VerifySSHHostKey verifies a presented SSH host key against the stored key of
-// the peer at peerAddress. It implements ssh.HostKeyVerifier.
-func (e *Engine) VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress string, presentedKey []byte) error {
-	storedKey, found := e.GetPeerSSHKey(peerAddress)
-	if !found {
-		return nbssh.ErrPeerNotFound
-	}
-	return nbssh.VerifyHostKey(storedKey, presentedKey, peerAddress)
-}
-
 // cleanupSSHConfig removes NetBird SSH client configuration on shutdown
 func (e *Engine) cleanupSSHConfig() {
 	if netstack.IsEnabled() {
diff --git a/client/ssh/common.go b/client/ssh/common.go
index 92e647b7d..934bcbba6 100644
--- a/client/ssh/common.go
+++ b/client/ssh/common.go
@@ -34,6 +34,19 @@ type HostKeyVerifier interface {
 	VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress string, key []byte) error
 }
 
+// PeerKeyLookup returns the stored SSH host key for a peer address.
+type PeerKeyLookup func(peerAddress string) ([]byte, bool)
+
+// VerifySSHHostKey implements HostKeyVerifier by looking up the stored key
+// and comparing it against the presented key.
+func (l PeerKeyLookup) VerifySSHHostKey(peerAddress string, presentedKey []byte) error {
+	storedKey, found := l(peerAddress)
+	if !found {
+		return ErrPeerNotFound
+	}
+	return VerifyHostKey(storedKey, presentedKey, peerAddress)
+}
+
 // DaemonHostKeyVerifier implements HostKeyVerifier using the NetBird daemon
 type DaemonHostKeyVerifier struct {
 	client proto.DaemonServiceClient
@@ -193,4 +206,3 @@ func buildAddressList(hostname string, remote net.Addr) []string {
 	}
 	return addresses
 }
-