diff --git a/drivers/jsch/.gitignore b/drivers/jsch/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index cb1040eb36..0000000000
--- a/drivers/jsch/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# use glob syntax.
-syntax: glob
-target
-.settings
-.classpath
-.project
-jclouds-jsch.iml
-jclouds-jsch.ipr
-jclouds-jsch.iws
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/SessionConnection.java b/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/SessionConnection.java
index fca26a0494..2ff4e75a51 100644
--- a/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/SessionConnection.java
+++ b/drivers/jsch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/ssh/jsch/SessionConnection.java
@@ -169,11 +169,11 @@ public final class SessionConnection implements Connection<Session> {
             .getSession(loginCredentials.getUser(), hostAndPort.getHostText(), hostAndPort.getPortOrDefault(22));
       if (sessionTimeout != 0)
          session.setTimeout(sessionTimeout);
-      if (loginCredentials.getOptionalPassword().isPresent()) {
-         session.setPassword(loginCredentials.getOptionalPassword().orNull());
-      } else if (loginCredentials.hasUnencryptedPrivateKey()) {
+      if (loginCredentials.hasUnencryptedPrivateKey()) {
          byte[] privateKey = loginCredentials.getOptionalPrivateKey().get().getBytes();
          jsch.addIdentity(loginCredentials.getUser(), privateKey, null, emptyPassPhrase);
+      } else if (loginCredentials.getOptionalPassword().isPresent()) {
+          session.setPassword(loginCredentials.getOptionalPassword().orNull());
       } else if (agentConnector.isPresent()) {
          JSch.setConfig("PreferredAuthentications", "publickey");
          jsch.setIdentityRepository(new RemoteIdentityRepository(agentConnector.get()));