diff --git a/pkg/cluster/action_apply.go b/pkg/cluster/action_apply.go
index 19388308..19e8f10b 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/action_apply.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/action_apply.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/MusicDin/kubitect/embed"
 	"github.com/MusicDin/kubitect/pkg/cluster/event"
@@ -312,6 +313,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) generateSshKeys() error {
 	// - Check if the user has provided a custom path to the key pair
 	pkPath := string(c.NewConfig.Cluster.NodeTemplate.SSH.PrivateKeyPath)
 	if pkPath != "" {
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("keygen: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		pkPath = strings.Replace(pkPath, "~", homeDir, 1)
+
 		kp, err := keygen.ReadKeyPair(path.Dir(pkPath), path.Base(pkPath))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/action_apply_test.go b/pkg/cluster/action_apply_test.go
index ccb666a6..e0504134 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/action_apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/action_apply_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/MusicDin/kubitect/pkg/models/config"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestToApplyAction(t *testing.T) {
@@ -66,6 +68,23 @@ func TestGenerateMissingKeys_PKPathProvided(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, c.generateSshKeys())
 }
 
+func TestGenerateMissingKeys_PKPathProvidedWithTilde(t *testing.T) {
+	c := MockCluster(t)
+
+	oldHome := os.Getenv("HOME")
+	defer func() { require.NoError(t, os.Setenv("HOME", oldHome)) }()
+
+	homeDir := t.TempDir()
+	keyDir := path.Join(homeDir, ".ssh")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(keyDir, 0755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path.Join(keyDir, "id_rsa"), []byte("private"), 0600))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path.Join(keyDir, "id_rsa.pub"), []byte("public"), 0600))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Setenv("HOME", homeDir))
+
+	c.NewConfig.Cluster.NodeTemplate.SSH.PrivateKeyPath = "~/.ssh/id_rsa"
+	assert.NoError(t, c.generateSshKeys())
+}
+
 func TestPrepare(t *testing.T) {
 	c := MockLocalCluster(t)
 	assert.NoError(t, c.prepare())