diff --git a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKey b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKey
deleted file mode 100644
index 254af66..0000000
--- a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKey
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key
diff --git a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyED25519 b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyED25519
index 83847a3..4e5b03b 100644
--- a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyED25519
+++ b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyED25519
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key
-
diff --git a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyRSA b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyRSA
index 2567477..72c73d0 100644
--- a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyRSA
+++ b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/ssh/sshd_config/20HostKeyRSA
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
+
diff --git a/root/sbin/e-smith/systemd/sshd-prepare b/root/sbin/e-smith/systemd/sshd-prepare
index 6d25bcd..c957df1 100644
--- a/root/sbin/e-smith/systemd/sshd-prepare
+++ b/root/sbin/e-smith/systemd/sshd-prepare
@@ -4,28 +4,11 @@
 # initscript.
 KEYGEN=/usr/bin/ssh-keygen
 SSHD=/usr/sbin/sshd
-RSA1_KEY=/etc/ssh/ssh_host_key
 RSA_KEY=/etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
 DSA_KEY=/etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key
 ECDSA_KEY=/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key
 ED25519_KEY=/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key
 
-do_rsa1_keygen() {
-    if [ ! -s $RSA1_KEY ]; then
-        echo -n $"Generating SSH1 RSA host key: "
-        if $KEYGEN -q -t rsa1 -f $RSA1_KEY -C '' -N '' >&/dev/null; then
-            chmod 600 $RSA1_KEY
-            chmod 644 $RSA1_KEY.pub
-            echo "Success: RSA1 key generation"
-            echo
-        else
-            echo "Failure: RSA1 key generation"
-            echo
-            exit 1
-        fi
-    fi
-}
-
 do_rsa_keygen() {
     if [ ! -s $RSA_KEY ]; then
         echo -n $"Generating SSH2 RSA host key: "
@@ -89,7 +72,6 @@ do_ed25519_keygen() {
     fi
 }
 
-do_rsa1_keygen
 do_rsa_keygen
 do_dsa_keygen
 do_ecdsa_keygen
diff --git a/smeserver-openssh.spec b/smeserver-openssh.spec
index fd11a1f..ec911a2 100644
--- a/smeserver-openssh.spec
+++ b/smeserver-openssh.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Summary: smeserver module to configure and enable ssh
 %define name smeserver-openssh
 Name: %{name}
 %define version 11.0.0
-%define release 2
+%define release 3
 Version: %{version}
 Release: %{release}%{?dist}
 License: GPL
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Provides: e-smith-openssh
 AutoReqProv: no
 
 %changelog
+* Tue Mar 26 2024 Jean-Philippe Pialasse <jpp@koozali.org> 11.0.0-3.sme
+- remove RSA1 support which prevents service start [SME: 12553]
+
 * Sat Mar 23 2024 Brian Read <brianr@koozali.org>11.0.0-2.sme
 - Change Requires: e-smith- to Requires:smeserver-