diff --git a/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py b/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
index c743e231f4..1da4a53d6a 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class BootLinuxBase(Test):
             self.cancel('Failed to download/prepare boot image')
         return boot.path
 
-    def download_cloudinit(self):
+    def download_cloudinit(self, ssh_pubkey=None):
         self.log.info('Preparing cloudinit image')
         try:
             cloudinit_iso = os.path.join(self.workdir, 'cloudinit.iso')
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ class BootLinuxBase(Test):
                           password='password',
                           # QEMU's hard coded usermode router address
                           phone_home_host='10.0.2.2',
-                          phone_home_port=self.phone_home_port)
+                          phone_home_port=self.phone_home_port,
+                          authorized_key=ssh_pubkey)
         except Exception:
             self.cancel('Failed to prepared cloudinit image')
         return cloudinit_iso
@@ -80,19 +81,19 @@ class BootLinux(BootLinuxBase):
     timeout = 900
     chksum = None
 
-    def setUp(self):
+    def setUp(self, ssh_pubkey=None):
         super(BootLinux, self).setUp()
         self.vm.add_args('-smp', '2')
         self.vm.add_args('-m', '1024')
         self.prepare_boot()
-        self.prepare_cloudinit()
+        self.prepare_cloudinit(ssh_pubkey)
 
     def prepare_boot(self):
         path = self.download_boot()
         self.vm.add_args('-drive', 'file=%s' % path)
 
-    def prepare_cloudinit(self):
-        cloudinit_iso = self.download_cloudinit()
+    def prepare_cloudinit(self, ssh_pubkey=None):
+        cloudinit_iso = self.download_cloudinit(ssh_pubkey)
         self.vm.add_args('-drive', 'file=%s,format=raw' % cloudinit_iso)
 
     def launch_and_wait(self):