diff --git a/scripts/.cleanup.sh b/scripts/.cleanup.sh
index 4ac671a..afd2600 100755
--- a/scripts/.cleanup.sh
+++ b/scripts/.cleanup.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ cleanuppaths() {
 }
 
 cleanupssh() {
-  set -x
   for host in ${!hosts[*]}; do
     ssh-keygen -R ${hosts[$host]} &>/dev/null
   done
diff --git a/scripts/.common b/scripts/.common
index 50ee599..4742d30 100644
--- a/scripts/.common
+++ b/scripts/.common
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ perror() {
   exit 1
 }
 
+sshcmd() {
+  ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $*
+}
+
 dls() {
   path=$1
   shift
diff --git a/scripts/2.first_start_k8s.sh b/scripts/2.first_start_k8s.sh
index 0c9cc3b..2e07ac3 100755
--- a/scripts/2.first_start_k8s.sh
+++ b/scripts/2.first_start_k8s.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ checkup() {
     while :
     do
       pinfo "Checking availability of node $host..."
-      if true | ssh root@${hosts[$host]};
+      if true | sshcmd root@${hosts[$host]};
       then
         pinfo "VM $host is up!"
         break
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ checkup() {
 
 start_control_plane() {
   for host in ${!hosts[*]}; do
-    ssh root@${hosts[$host]} << EOF
+    sshcmd root@${hosts[$host]} << EOF
       if ls /etc/kubernetes/manifests.static/* &>/dev/null ; then
         mv /etc/kubernetes/manifests.static/* /var/lib/kubelet/manifests/
       fi
diff --git a/scripts/vars b/scripts/vars
index a4a7067..3d292d4 100644
--- a/scripts/vars
+++ b/scripts/vars
@@ -24,5 +24,3 @@ QEMU_VM_MEM=8096
 # Token file for dls
 tknfile=".dls_adm_token"
 
-# SSH command args
-SSH_CMD="ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no"