diff --git a/mistral/actions/std_actions.py b/mistral/actions/std_actions.py
index 2b1706722..794b04418 100644
--- a/mistral/actions/std_actions.py
+++ b/mistral/actions/std_actions.py
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ class SSHAction(actions.Action):
         return ssh_utils.execute_command
 
     def __init__(self, cmd, host, username,
-                 password="", private_key_filename=None):
+                 password="", private_key_filename=None, private_key=None):
         super(SSHAction, self).__init__()
 
         self.cmd = cmd
@@ -384,13 +384,15 @@ class SSHAction(actions.Action):
         self.username = username
         self.password = password
         self.private_key_filename = private_key_filename
+        self.private_key = private_key
 
         self.params = {
             'cmd': self.cmd,
             'host': self.host,
             'username': self.username,
             'password': self.password,
-            'private_key_filename': self.private_key_filename
+            'private_key_filename': self.private_key_filename,
+            'private_key': self.private_key
         }
 
     def run(self, context):
@@ -438,13 +440,15 @@ class SSHProxiedAction(SSHAction):
 
     def __init__(self, cmd, host, username, private_key_filename,
                  gateway_host, gateway_username=None,
-                 password=None, proxy_command=None):
+                 password=None, proxy_command=None,
+                 private_key=None):
         super(SSHProxiedAction, self).__init__(
             cmd,
             host,
             username,
             password,
-            private_key_filename
+            private_key_filename,
+            private_key
         )
 
         self.gateway_host = gateway_host
diff --git a/mistral/tests/unit/actions/test_std_ssh_action.py b/mistral/tests/unit/actions/test_std_ssh_action.py
index 3d0017255..900a3ab4b 100644
--- a/mistral/tests/unit/actions/test_std_ssh_action.py
+++ b/mistral/tests/unit/actions/test_std_ssh_action.py
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ class SSHActionTest(base.BaseTest):
             host=host,
             username=username,
             password='',
-            private_key_filename=None
+            private_key_filename=None,
+            private_key=None
         )
 
     @mock.patch.object(mistral.utils.ssh_utils, 'execute_command')
diff --git a/mistral/utils/ssh_utils.py b/mistral/utils/ssh_utils.py
index 4d135a625..8274a9a0a 100644
--- a/mistral/utils/ssh_utils.py
+++ b/mistral/utils/ssh_utils.py
@@ -37,13 +37,20 @@ def _read_paramimko_stream(recv_func):
     return result.decode('utf-8')
 
 
-def _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename, password=None):
+def _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename,
+                             private_key=None,
+                             password=None):
     if '../' in private_key_filename or '..\\' in private_key_filename:
         raise exc.DataAccessException(
             "Private key filename must not contain '..'. "
             "Actual: %s" % private_key_filename
         )
 
+    if private_key:
+        return paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key(
+            file_obj=six.StringIO(private_key),
+            password=password)
+
     if private_key_filename.startswith('/'):
         private_key_path = private_key_filename
     else:
@@ -56,9 +63,6 @@ def _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename, password=None):
 
 
 def _connect(host, username, password=None, pkey=None, proxy=None):
-    if isinstance(pkey, six.string_types):
-        pkey = _to_paramiko_private_key(pkey, password)
-
     LOG.debug('Creating SSH connection to %s', host)
 
     ssh_client = paramiko.SSHClient()
@@ -104,10 +108,13 @@ def _execute_command(ssh_client, cmd, get_stderr=False,
 
 def execute_command_via_gateway(cmd, host, username, private_key_filename,
                                 gateway_host, gateway_username=None,
-                                proxy_command=None, password=None):
+                                proxy_command=None, password=None,
+                                private_key=None):
     LOG.debug('Creating SSH connection')
 
-    private_key = _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename, password)
+    private_key = _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename,
+                                           private_key,
+                                           password)
 
     proxy = None
 
@@ -153,9 +160,16 @@ def execute_command_via_gateway(cmd, host, username, private_key_filename,
 
 
 def execute_command(cmd, host, username, password=None,
-                    private_key_filename=None, get_stderr=False,
+                    private_key_filename=None,
+                    private_key=None, get_stderr=False,
                     raise_when_error=True):
-    ssh_client = _connect(host, username, password, private_key_filename)
+    LOG.debug('Creating SSH connection')
+
+    private_key = _to_paramiko_private_key(private_key_filename,
+                                           private_key,
+                                           password)
+
+    ssh_client = _connect(host, username, password, private_key)
 
     LOG.debug("Executing command %s", cmd)
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/std-ssh-add-pkey-2c665a81ff9fbdfd.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/std-ssh-add-pkey-2c665a81ff9fbdfd.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..990e173a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/std-ssh-add-pkey-2c665a81ff9fbdfd.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Adds the parameter private_key in the standard ssh actions. This allows a
+    user to specify the key to use instead of using the ones available in the
+    filesystem of the executors.