diff --git a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/Utils.java b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/Utils.java
index 7477e4f167..e1f27d3de2 100644
--- a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/Utils.java
+++ b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/Utils.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 package org.jclouds.compute;
 
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+
 import org.jclouds.compute.internal.UtilsImpl;
 import org.jclouds.ssh.SshClient;
 
@@ -29,7 +31,9 @@ import com.google.inject.ImplementedBy;
  */
 @ImplementedBy(UtilsImpl.class)
 public interface Utils extends org.jclouds.rest.Utils {
+   @Nullable
    SshClient.Factory getSshClientFactory();
 
+   @Nullable
    SshClient.Factory sshFactory();
 }
diff --git a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/internal/UtilsImpl.java b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/internal/UtilsImpl.java
index 1621ace75d..3739d6b737 100644
--- a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/internal/UtilsImpl.java
+++ b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/internal/UtilsImpl.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package org.jclouds.compute.internal;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 
-import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.inject.Named;
 import javax.inject.Singleton;
 
@@ -31,27 +30,27 @@ import org.jclouds.encryption.EncryptionService;
 import org.jclouds.logging.Logger.LoggerFactory;
 import org.jclouds.rest.HttpAsyncClient;
 import org.jclouds.rest.HttpClient;
-import org.jclouds.ssh.SshClient;
 import org.jclouds.ssh.SshClient.Factory;
 
+import com.google.inject.Inject;
+
 /**
  * 
  * @author Adrian Cole
  */
 @Singleton
 public class UtilsImpl extends org.jclouds.rest.internal.UtilsImpl implements Utils {
-
-   private final Factory sshFactory;
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   private Factory sshFactory;
 
    @Inject
    UtilsImpl(HttpClient simpleClient, HttpAsyncClient simpleAsyncClient,
             EncryptionService encryption, DateService date,
             @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_USER_THREADS) ExecutorService userThreads,
             @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_IO_WORKER_THREADS) ExecutorService ioThreads,
-            LoggerFactory loggerFactory, SshClient.Factory sshFactory) {
+            LoggerFactory loggerFactory) {
       super(simpleClient, simpleAsyncClient, encryption, date, userThreads, ioThreads,
                loggerFactory);
-      this.sshFactory = sshFactory;
    }
 
    @Override