diff --git a/controllers/workspace/devworkspace_controller.go b/controllers/workspace/devworkspace_controller.go
index a27d79098..08cf8bd62 100644
--- a/controllers/workspace/devworkspace_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/workspace/devworkspace_controller.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/devfile/devworkspace-operator/pkg/library/ssh"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -278,6 +279,12 @@ func (r *DevWorkspaceReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request
 		reconcileStatus.addWarning(flatten.FormatVariablesWarning(warnings))
 	}
 	workspace.Spec.Template = *flattenedWorkspace
+
+	err = ssh.AddSshAgentPostStartEvent(&workspace.Spec.Template)
+	if err != nil {
+		return r.failWorkspace(workspace, "hello", metrics.ReasonWorkspaceEngineFailure, reqLogger, &reconcileStatus), nil
+	}
+
 	reconcileStatus.setConditionTrue(conditions.DevWorkspaceResolved, "Resolved plugins and parents from DevWorkspace")
 
 	// Verify that the devworkspace components are valid after flattening
diff --git a/pkg/constants/constants.go b/pkg/constants/constants.go
index a1b162580..d50079c2c 100644
--- a/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ const (
 
 	HomeInitEventId = "init-persistent-home"
 
+	SshAgentStartEventId = "init-ssh-agent"
+
 	ServiceAccount = "devworkspace"
 
 	PVCStorageSize = "10Gi"
diff --git a/pkg/library/ssh/event.go b/pkg/library/ssh/event.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..72d609e05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/library/ssh/event.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019-2024 Red Hat, Inc.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package ssh
+
+import (
+	"github.com/devfile/api/v2/pkg/apis/workspaces/v1alpha2"
+	"github.com/devfile/devworkspace-operator/pkg/constants"
+	"github.com/devfile/devworkspace-operator/pkg/library/lifecycle"
+)
+
+// AddSshAgentPostStartEvent Start ssh-agent and add the default ssh key to it, if the ssh key has a passphrase.
+// Initialise the ssh-agent session env variables in the user .bashrc file.
+func AddSshAgentPostStartEvent(spec *v1alpha2.DevWorkspaceTemplateSpec) error {
+	if spec.Commands == nil {
+		spec.Commands = []v1alpha2.Command{}
+	}
+
+	if spec.Events == nil {
+		spec.Events = &v1alpha2.Events{}
+	}
+
+	var commandLine = `SSH_ENV_PATH=/home/user/ssh-environment \
+&& if [ -f /etc/ssh/passphrase ] && command -v ssh-add >/dev/null; \
+then ssh-agent | sed 's/^echo/#echo/' > $SSH_ENV_PATH \
+&& chmod 600 $SSH_ENV_PATH && . $SSH_ENV_PATH \
+&& ssh-add /etc/ssh/dwo_ssh_key < /etc/ssh/passphrase \
+&& echo ". ${SSH_ENV_PATH}" >> /home/user/.bashrc; fi`
+	_, mainComponents, err := lifecycle.GetInitContainers(spec.DevWorkspaceTemplateSpecContent)
+	for _, component := range mainComponents {
+		if component.Container == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		spec.Commands = append(spec.Commands, v1alpha2.Command{
+			Id: constants.SshAgentStartEventId,
+			CommandUnion: v1alpha2.CommandUnion{
+				Exec: &v1alpha2.ExecCommand{
+					CommandLine: commandLine,
+					Component:   component.Name,
+				},
+			},
+		})
+	}
+	spec.Events.PostStart = append(spec.Events.PostStart, constants.SshAgentStartEventId)
+	return err
+}