diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/ssh.go b/cli/internal/cmd/ssh.go
index aa1c9a516..d65b85fc0 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/ssh.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/ssh.go
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ func runSSH(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("retrieving path to public key from flags: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	return generateKey(cmd, keyPath, fh, debugLogger)
+	return writeCertificateForKey(cmd, keyPath, fh, debugLogger)
 }
 
-func generateKey(cmd *cobra.Command, keyPath string, fh file.Handler, debugLogger debugLog) error {
+func writeCertificateForKey(cmd *cobra.Command, keyPath string, fh file.Handler, debugLogger debugLog) error {
 	_, err := fh.Stat(constants.TerraformWorkingDir)
 	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("directory %q does not exist", constants.TerraformWorkingDir)
diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/ssh_test.go b/cli/internal/cmd/ssh_test.go
index d665ffd4a..7f5fe566d 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/ssh_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/ssh_test.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func TestSSH(t *testing.T) {
 			cmd.SetErr(&bytes.Buffer{})
 			cmd.SetIn(&bytes.Buffer{})
 
-			err := generateKey(cmd, someSSHPubKeyPath, tc.fh, logger.NewTest(t))
+			err := writeCertificateForKey(cmd, someSSHPubKeyPath, tc.fh, logger.NewTest(t))
 			if tc.wantErr {
 				assert.Error(err)
 			} else {