diff --git a/docs/ssh-certificate.md b/docs/ssh-certificate.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a1900f1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ssh-certificate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# SSH user certificate support in koko
+
+`pkg/sshcert` recognises OpenSSH user certificates that are
+stored alongside an OpenSSH private key in a koko `PrivateKey`
+secret, and exposes helpers that build an `ssh.Signer` ready for
+`srvconn.SSHClientPrivateAuth`.
+
+## Wire format
+
+A koko `PrivateKey` secret may now carry an OpenSSH user
+certificate line after the private key PEM block:
+
+```
+-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+<base64 ed25519 / ecdsa / rsa private key>
+-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com AAAA... <key-id>
+```
+
+`pkg/handler.buildSSHClientOptions` calls `sshcert.NewSigner`:
+
+- if the secret contains a matching `-cert-v01@openssh.com` line,
+  the returned signer is a `CertSigner` that presents the
+  certificate during SSH user-auth;
+- otherwise the returned signer is the plain signer produced by
+  `ssh.ParsePrivateKey`, so existing deployments are unaffected.
+
+## Operator workflow
+
+The secret blob can be produced by any tool that emits the
+conventional private key + certificate concatenation. Common
+options include:
+
+- `ssh-keygen -s ca_key -I key-id id_key.pub` after appending the
+  signed `*-cert.pub` to the secret;
+- `step ssh certificate <id> <key>` from
+  [smallstep step-ca](https://smallstep.com/docs/step-ca/),
+  which writes the certificate line into the same file as the
+  private key;
+- HashiCorp Vault SSH secrets engine, AWS SSM Session Manager,
+  or any other CA whose signed output is written alongside the
+  private key.
+
+The certificate can then be put into the JumpServer asset
+account `private_key` field via the JMS REST API, or pasted into
+the Luna UI as a single text blob. Once the field is saved, koko
+will negotiate the `*-cert-v01@openssh.com` SSH user-auth
+algorithm with the target host, and the host's sshd will validate
+the certificate against its `TrustedUserCAKeys` instead of its
+`authorized_keys`.
+
+## Failure modes
+
+| Scenario | Behaviour |
+| --- | --- |
+| Secret is a plain private key (no certificate line) | `NewSigner` returns the plain signer; existing deployments are unaffected. |
+| Secret contains a matching certificate | `NewSigner` returns a `CertSigner`; SSH user-auth is performed with the certificate. |
+| Secret contains a certificate whose public key does not match the embedded private key | `NewSigner` returns `ErrCertMismatch`; the existing log line `Parse account X private key failed: ...` is emitted and the SSH user-auth method is left empty. |
+| Secret is malformed | `NewSigner` returns the underlying parse error; the existing log line is emitted. |
+
+## Reference
+
+- [OpenSSH certificates PROTOCOL.certkeys](https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/blob/master/PROTOCOL.certkeys)
+- [step-ca SSH certificate workflow](https://smallstep.com/docs/step-ca/ssh/)
diff --git a/pkg/handler/server_ssh.go b/pkg/handler/server_ssh.go
index 65d31e78e..cb64fba85 100644
--- a/pkg/handler/server_ssh.go
+++ b/pkg/handler/server_ssh.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jumpserver/koko/pkg/proxy"
 	"github.com/jumpserver/koko/pkg/session"
 	"github.com/jumpserver/koko/pkg/srvconn"
+	"github.com/jumpserver/koko/pkg/sshcert"
 	"github.com/jumpserver/koko/pkg/utils"
 )
 
@@ -672,7 +673,14 @@ func buildSSHClientOptions(asset *model.Asset, account *model.Account,
 	sshAuthOpts = append(sshAuthOpts, srvconn.SSHClientPort(asset.ProtocolPort(model.ProtocolSSH)))
 	sshAuthOpts = append(sshAuthOpts, srvconn.SSHClientTimeout(timeout))
 	if account.IsSSHKey() {
-		if signer, err1 := gossh.ParsePrivateKey([]byte(account.Secret)); err1 == nil {
+		// sshcert.NewSigner returns a CertSigner when the secret
+		// blob carries an OpenSSH certificate whose key matches the
+		// embedded private key, so the downstream AuthMethods() will
+		// present the certificate instead of the bare public key.
+		// Blobs without a matching -cert-v01@openssh.com line fall
+		// back to the existing plain-key behaviour, keeping the
+		// change backwards-compatible with every existing deployment.
+		if signer, err1 := sshcert.NewSigner([]byte(account.Secret)); err1 == nil {
 			sshAuthOpts = append(sshAuthOpts, srvconn.SSHClientPrivateAuth(signer))
 		} else {
 			logger.Errorf("Parse account %s private key failed: %s", account.Username, err1)
diff --git a/pkg/sshcert/cert.go b/pkg/sshcert/cert.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f83fb09a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sshcert/cert.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+// Package sshcert recognises OpenSSH user certificates that are
+// stored alongside an OpenSSH private key in a koko "PrivateKey"
+// secret, and exposes helpers that build an ssh.Signer ready for
+// srvconn.SSHClientPrivateAuth.
+//
+// The format is the conventional concatenation of a private key
+// PEM block and a single certificate line emitted by tools such
+// as ssh-keygen -s or smallstep step-ca:
+//
+//	-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+//	<base64>
+//	-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+//	ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com AAAA... <key-id>
+//
+// Parse opens such a blob, validates that the certificate's
+// public key matches the embedded private key, and returns the
+// signer and the certificate separately. NewSigner wraps the two
+// with ssh.NewCertSigner when a certificate is present, otherwise
+// it returns the plain signer produced by ssh.ParsePrivateKey - so
+// existing koko deployments that store only a private key
+// continue to authenticate exactly as before.
+//
+// The package is deliberately minimal: it relies only on
+// golang.org/x/crypto/ssh and never touches the filesystem, the
+// network or koko's session lifecycle.
+package sshcert
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"strings"
+
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+)
+
+// certAlgorithmMarker is the substring that identifies an OpenSSH
+// user certificate line in an authorized_keys-style blob.
+const certAlgorithmMarker = "-cert-v01@openssh.com"
+
+// ErrCertMismatch is returned when a secret blob contains a
+// certificate whose embedded public key does not match the
+// private key in the same blob. The mismatch is treated as a hard
+// error so that operators do not accidentally authenticate with
+// the wrong identity (e.g. an old certificate that outlived a
+// key rotation).
+var ErrCertMismatch = errors.New("sshcert: certificate public key does not match private key")
+
+// ParseResult holds the artefacts of parsing an OpenSSH secret
+// blob that may or may not contain an SSH certificate.
+type ParseResult struct {
+	// Signer is always non-nil on success. It signs using the
+	// embedded private key; when HasCert is true the caller
+	// should wrap it with ssh.NewCertSigner.
+	Signer ssh.Signer
+
+	// Cert is the parsed certificate, or nil when HasCert is false.
+	Cert *ssh.Certificate
+
+	// HasCert reports whether the secret blob carried a matching
+	// certificate line.
+	HasCert bool
+}
+
+// Parse inspects secret and returns the underlying signer together
+// with any bundled SSH certificate. A returned ParseResult.Signer
+// is always safe to pass to ssh.PublicKeys; when HasCert is true
+// the caller should wrap it via ssh.NewCertSigner before use so
+// that the certificate is presented during authentication.
+//
+// Parse is the lower-level entry point; most callers should use
+// NewSigner directly.
+func Parse(secret []byte) (ParseResult, error) {
+	var res ParseResult
+
+	signer, err := ssh.ParsePrivateKey(secret)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+	res.Signer = signer
+
+	signerPub := signer.PublicKey().Marshal()
+
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(secret), "\n") {
+		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+		if line == "" || strings.HasPrefix(line, "#") {
+			continue
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(line, certAlgorithmMarker) {
+			continue
+		}
+		parsed, _, _, _, parseErr := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey([]byte(line))
+		if parseErr != nil {
+			// Skip malformed lines but keep scanning so a
+			// single bad line does not deny authentication with
+			// the remaining valid key material.
+			continue
+		}
+		cert, ok := parsed.(*ssh.Certificate)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		if !bytes.Equal(cert.Key.Marshal(), signerPub) {
+			return res, ErrCertMismatch
+		}
+		res.Cert = cert
+		res.HasCert = true
+		break
+	}
+
+	return res, nil
+}
+
+// NewSigner returns an ssh.Signer built from secret. If secret
+// contains a certificate line whose public key matches the
+// embedded private key, the returned signer is a CertSigner that
+// presents the certificate during SSH user-auth. Otherwise the
+// returned signer is the plain signer produced by
+// ssh.ParsePrivateKey.
+//
+// The function never returns (nil, nil): either a usable signer is
+// returned together with a nil error, or the underlying parse
+// error is propagated.
+func NewSigner(secret []byte) (ssh.Signer, error) {
+	res, err := Parse(secret)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !res.HasCert {
+		return res.Signer, nil
+	}
+	return ssh.NewCertSigner(res.Cert, res.Signer)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/sshcert/cert_test.go b/pkg/sshcert/cert_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..58b45eb83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sshcert/cert_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+package sshcert
+
+import (
+	"crypto/ed25519"
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+)
+
+// makeKeyAndCert generates a fresh ed25519 key, returns the
+// PEM-armoured OpenSSH private key blob, the matching
+// certificate's authorized-keys line, and the underlying signer.
+func makeKeyAndCert(t *testing.T, keyID string, principals []string, serial uint64) ([]byte, string, ssh.Signer) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	_, priv, err := ed25519.GenerateKey(rand.Reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ed25519.GenerateKey: %v", err)
+	}
+	signer, err := ssh.NewSignerFromKey(priv)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ssh.NewSignerFromKey: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	pemBlock, err := ssh.MarshalPrivateKey(priv, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ssh.MarshalPrivateKey: %v", err)
+	}
+	keyBytes := pem.EncodeToMemory(pemBlock)
+
+	cert := &ssh.Certificate{
+		Key:             signer.PublicKey(),
+		Serial:          serial,
+		CertType:        ssh.UserCert,
+		KeyId:           keyID,
+		ValidPrincipals: principals,
+		ValidAfter:      uint64(0),
+		ValidBefore:     ssh.CertTimeInfinity,
+	}
+	if err := cert.SignCert(rand.Reader, signer); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cert.SignCert: %v", err)
+	}
+	certLine := strings.TrimSpace(string(ssh.MarshalAuthorizedKey(cert)))
+
+	return keyBytes, certLine, signer
+}
+
+func TestNewSigner_PlainKey(t *testing.T) {
+	keyBytes, _, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "k", []string{"alice"}, 1)
+	signer, err := NewSigner(keyBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewSigner: %v", err)
+	}
+	if signer == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil signer")
+	}
+	if signer.PublicKey().Type() == ssh.CertAlgoED25519v01 {
+		t.Fatalf("plain key should not produce a cert signer, got type %q",
+			signer.PublicKey().Type())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewSigner_WithCert(t *testing.T) {
+	keyBytes, certLine, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "ops", []string{"root"}, 42)
+
+	var secret []byte
+	secret = append(secret, keyBytes...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+	secret = append(secret, certLine...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+
+	signer, err := NewSigner(secret)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewSigner: %v", err)
+	}
+	if signer.PublicKey().Type() != ssh.CertAlgoED25519v01 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected certificate signer, got type %q",
+			signer.PublicKey().Type())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewSigner_CertKeyMismatch(t *testing.T) {
+	keyA, _, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "kA", []string{"alice"}, 1)
+	_, certLineB, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "kB", []string{"bob"}, 2)
+
+	var secret []byte
+	secret = append(secret, keyA...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+	secret = append(secret, certLineB...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+
+	if _, err := NewSigner(secret); err != ErrCertMismatch {
+		t.Fatalf("expected ErrCertMismatch, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParse_ReportsHasCert(t *testing.T) {
+	keyBytes, certLine, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "ops", []string{"root", "deploy"}, 100)
+
+	var secret []byte
+	secret = append(secret, keyBytes...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+	secret = append(secret, certLine...)
+	secret = append(secret, '\n')
+
+	res, err := Parse(secret)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Parse: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !res.HasCert {
+		t.Fatal("expected HasCert=true")
+	}
+	if res.Cert == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil Cert")
+	}
+	if res.Cert.Serial != 100 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected serial=100, got %d", res.Cert.Serial)
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(res.Cert.ValidPrincipals, []string{"root", "deploy"}) {
+		t.Fatalf("principals: got %v, want [root deploy]",
+			res.Cert.ValidPrincipals)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParse_NoCert(t *testing.T) {
+	keyBytes, _, _ := makeKeyAndCert(t, "ops", []string{"root"}, 1)
+	res, err := Parse(keyBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Parse: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.HasCert {
+		t.Fatal("expected HasCert=false for key-only secret")
+	}
+	if res.Cert != nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected nil Cert for key-only secret")
+	}
+}