diff --git a/django_remote_submission/admin.py b/django_remote_submission/admin.py
index d80d7fc16b0c69493a42db2edc34a81876e9ab06..07897f400dc130887fd572cf8367229814e1ea2e 100644
--- a/django_remote_submission/admin.py
+++ b/django_remote_submission/admin.py
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ from django.utils.translation import ngettext_lazy as _
 from django.shortcuts import render
 from django.http.response import HttpResponseRedirect
 
-from .models import Server, Job, Log, Interpreter, Result
+from .models import Server, Job, Log, Interpreter, Result, IdentityFileModel
 from .tasks import submit_job_to_server
 
+
 @admin.register(Interpreter)
 class InterpreterAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     """Manage interpreters with default admin interface."""
@@ -138,3 +139,9 @@ class LogAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     """Manage logs with the default admin interface."""
 
     pass
+
+
+@admin.register(IdentityFileModel)
+class IdentityFileModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    """Manage interpreters with default admin interface."""
+    pass
diff --git a/django_remote_submission/models.py b/django_remote_submission/models.py
index 3a4b8a6e90fa6b0064b8b934f397016d3f66c3a7..d05a05910f76a3bd8ad7d891af9c29509a633b9e 100644
--- a/django_remote_submission/models.py
+++ b/django_remote_submission/models.py
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ from model_utils import Choices
 from model_utils.fields import StatusField, AutoCreatedField
 from model_utils.models import TimeStampedModel
 
+# standard imports
+from pathlib import Path
+
 
 # Thanks http://stackoverflow.com/a/7394475
 class ListField(models.TextField):  # noqa: D101
@@ -517,3 +520,9 @@ class IdentityFileModel(TimeStampedModel):
         r"""Override the save method to prevent updating the record, if extant"""
         kwargs["force_insert"] = True
         return super().save(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        r"""Overwrite base delete method by first deleting the SSH key files"""
+        Path(self.public).unlink()
+        Path(self.private).unlink()
+        super().delete(*args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/django_remote_submission/tasks.py b/django_remote_submission/tasks.py
index 3cceb4b4b2492fc65ada04744247a039877a5cad..0b83da621feaf2e778d2a07b14edab6a301b9233 100644
--- a/django_remote_submission/tasks.py
+++ b/django_remote_submission/tasks.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ class LogContainer(object):
 
 
 @shared_task
-def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, username=None,
+def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, key_filename=None, username=None,
                          timeout=None, log_policy=LogPolicy.LOG_LIVE,
                          store_results=None, remote=True):
     """Submit a job to the remote server.
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, userna
 
     :param int job_pk: the primary key of the :class:`models.Job` to submit
     :param str password: the password of the user submitting the job
-    :param public_key_filename: the path where it is.
+    :param key_filename: the path to the private key file
     :param str username: the username of the user submitting, if it is
         different from the owner of the job
     :param datetime.timedelta timeout: the timeout for running the job
@@ -228,9 +228,6 @@ def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, userna
     :param bool remote: Either runs this task locally on the host or in a remote server.
 
     """
-
-    logger.debug("submit_job_to_server: %s", locals().keys())
-
     wrapper_cls = RemoteWrapper if remote else LocalWrapper
 
     job = Job.objects.get(pk=job_pk)
@@ -249,7 +246,7 @@ def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, userna
         log_policy=log_policy,
     )
 
-    with wrapper.connect(password, public_key_filename):
+    with wrapper.connect(password, key_filename):
         wrapper.chdir(job.remote_directory)
 
         with wrapper.open(job.remote_filename, 'wt') as f:
@@ -285,21 +282,14 @@ def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, userna
 
         results = []
         for attr in file_attrs:
-            # logger.debug('Listing directory: {!r}'.format(attr))
-
             if attr is script_attr:
                 continue
-
             if attr.st_mtime < script_mtime:
                 continue
-
             if not is_matching(attr.filename, store_results):
-                # logger.debug('Listing directory: is_matching: {}'.format(attr.filename))
                 continue
             else:
-                # logger.debug('Listing directory: not is_matching: {}'.format(attr.filename))
                 pass
-
             result = Result.objects.create(
                 remote_filename=attr.filename,
                 job=job,
@@ -314,7 +304,7 @@ def submit_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, userna
 
 
 @shared_task
-def copy_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, username=None,
+def copy_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, key_filename=None, username=None,
                        timeout=None, log_policy=LogPolicy.LOG_LIVE,
                        store_results=None, remote=True):
     """Copy a job file to the remote server.
@@ -323,7 +313,7 @@ def copy_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, username
 
     :param int job_pk: the primary key of the :class:`models.Job` to submit
     :param str password: the password of the user submitting the job
-    :param public_key_filename: the path where it is.
+    :param key_filename: the path to the private key file
     :param str username: the username of the user submitting, if it is
         different from the owner of the job
     :param datetime.timedelta timeout: the timeout for running the job
@@ -348,7 +338,7 @@ def copy_job_to_server(job_pk, password=None, public_key_filename=None, username
         port=job.server.port,
     )
 
-    with wrapper.connect(password, public_key_filename):
+    with wrapper.connect(password, key_filename):
         wrapper.chdir(job.remote_directory)
 
         with wrapper.open(job.remote_filename, 'wt') as f:
@@ -405,7 +395,8 @@ def copy_key_to_server(public_key_filename: Optional[Union[PosixPath, str]],
 @shared_task
 def delete_key_from_server(public_key_filename: Optional[Union[PosixPath, str]],
                            username: str,
-                           password: str,
+                           password: Optional[str],
+                           key_filename: Optional[str],
                            hostname: str,
                            port: int = 22,
                            remote: bool = True
@@ -415,15 +406,16 @@ def delete_key_from_server(public_key_filename: Optional[Union[PosixPath, str]],
 
     This can be used as a Celery task, if the library is installed and running.
 
-    :param public_key_filename: the path where it is.
+    :param public_key_filename: the path to the public key file
     :param username: the username of the user submitting
-    :param password: the password of the user submitting the job
+    :param key_filename: the password of the user submitting the job
+    :param password: the path to the private key file
     :param hostname: The hostname used to connect to the server
     :param port: The port to connect to for SSH (usually 22)
     :param remote: Either runs this task locally on the host or in a remote server.
     """
     wrapper_cls = RemoteWrapper if remote else LocalWrapper
     wrapper = wrapper_cls(hostname=hostname, username=username, port=port)
-    with wrapper.connect(password):
+    with wrapper.connect(password=password, key_filename=key_filename):
         wrapper.delete_key(public_key_filename)
     return None
diff --git a/django_remote_submission/wrapper/remote.py b/django_remote_submission/wrapper/remote.py
index cc2bb532d82b6a3e13d1dd4d5b092cdb096edb23..61a5337529e36dba8954668b3f0f35bfd645c748 100644
--- a/django_remote_submission/wrapper/remote.py
+++ b/django_remote_submission/wrapper/remote.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ except ImportError:
     from pipes import quote as cmd_quote
 
 # standard imports
-import datetime
 import logging
 import os
 from pathlib import Path, PosixPath
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 class IdentityFile:
     r"""Provide temporary RSA SSH keys"""
     def __init__(self,
-                 sshdir: PosixPath = Path.home() / ".ssh",
+                 sshdir: Union[str, PosixPath] = Path.home() / ".ssh",
                  persistent: bool = False
                  ) -> None:
         r"""
@@ -43,8 +42,9 @@ class IdentityFile:
         :param persistent: unless set to `True, RSA files will be automatically deleted when the object is
         about to be garbage collected.
         """
-        sshdir.mkdir(mode=700, parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        _, name = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix="id_rsa_", dir=sshdir)
+        dirpath = Path(sshdir) if isinstance(sshdir, str) else sshdir
+        dirpath.mkdir(mode=700, parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        _, name = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix="id_rsa_", dir=dirpath)
         self._private = Path(name)
         self._public = Path(name + ".pub")
         self._persistent = persistent
@@ -256,7 +256,6 @@ class RemoteWrapper(object):
         : raise ValueError: when no password and no stored public key are supplied
         :return SSHClient: an instace of the SSH tunnel
         """
-
         client = SSHClient()
         client.set_missing_host_key_policy(AutoAddPolicy())
 
@@ -283,8 +282,7 @@ class RemoteWrapper(object):
             logger.debug("Trying to connect with the public key")
             if self._key_filename is not None:
                 try:
-                    logger.info("Connecting to %s with public key.",
-                                server_hostname)
+                    logger.info("Connecting to %s with public key.", server_hostname)
                     client.connect(
                         server_hostname,
                         port=server_port,
@@ -302,7 +300,6 @@ class RemoteWrapper(object):
 
     def _make_command(self, args, timeout):
         command = ' '.join(cmd_quote(arg) for arg in args)
-
         if timeout is not None:
             command = 'timeout {}s {}'.format(timeout.total_seconds(), command)
         return command
@@ -330,6 +327,7 @@ class RemoteWrapper(object):
             key = f.read().strip()
 
         self._client.exec_command('mkdir -p ~/.ssh/')
+
         self._client.exec_command('chmod 700 ~/.ssh/')
         self._client.exec_command('chmod 644 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys')
 
diff --git a/tests/test_tasks.py b/tests/test_tasks.py
index f67b3cbb5386aa35addc11f15e21075b6366cacf..5d6861f6990a8ab457cb27c9e5eacde45af8c6b2 100644
--- a/tests/test_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/test_tasks.py
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ def test_delete_key_old_way(env):
 @pytest.mark.remote_required
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_deploy_and_delete_key(env):
-    r"""This is the new way of deploying and deleting the private key"""
+    r"""This is the new way of deploying and deleting the public key"""
     id_file = IdentityFile(sshdir=Path("/tmp"))  # create temporary SSH identity file
 
     copy_key_to_server(
@@ -549,10 +549,27 @@ def test_deploy_and_delete_key(env):
     with wrapper.connect(key_filename=id_file.private):
         pass
 
+    # delete the key from server passing the password for credentials
     delete_key_from_server(
         public_key_filename=id_file.public,
         username=env.remote_user,
         password=env.remote_password,
+        key_filename=None,
+        hostname=env.server_hostname,
+        port=env.server_port,
+        remote=runs_remotely,
+    )
+
+    # delete the key from server passing the private key file for credentials
+    copy_key_to_server(public_key_filename=id_file.public, username=env.remote_user, password=env.remote_password,
+                       hostname=env.server_hostname, port=env.server_port, remote=runs_remotely)
+    with wrapper.connect(key_filename=id_file.private):
+        pass
+    delete_key_from_server(
+        public_key_filename=id_file.public,
+        username=env.remote_user,
+        password=None,
+        key_filename=id_file.private,
         hostname=env.server_hostname,
         port=env.server_port,
         remote=runs_remotely,
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_models.py b/tests/unit/test_models.py
index 7f4b08c3892b262c124623405ecb0cf892a77c79..4919dbbd5a88393923fd032624371b747d8805c8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_models.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_models.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ test_django-remote-submission
 Tests for `django-remote-submission` models module.
 """
 # package imports
-from django_remote_submission.models import IdentityFileModel
-from django_remote_submission.models import Interpreter, Log, Job, Result, Server
+from django_remote_submission.models import IdentityFileModel, Interpreter, Log, Job, Result, Server
 from django_remote_submission.wrapper.remote import IdentityFile
 
 # third party imports
@@ -122,6 +121,9 @@ class TestIdentityFileModel:
         assert record.recipient == user
         assert os.path.exists(record.private)
         assert os.path.exists(record.public)
+        record.delete()
+        assert os.path.exists(record.private) is False
+        assert os.path.exists(record.public) is False
 
     @pytest.mark.django_db(transaction=True)
     def test_create_from_username(self, user):
@@ -134,9 +136,6 @@ class TestIdentityFileModel:
         record = IdentityFileModel.objects.create_from_username(user.username)
         assert record.recipient == user
         assert Path(record.private).parent == Path.home() / ".ssh"
-        for file in [record.private, record.public]:
-            assert os.path.exists(file)
-            os.remove(file)
 
         # return the newly created IdentityFileModel record, do not instantiate another one
         record_2 = IdentityFileModel.objects.create_from_username(user.username)
@@ -156,3 +155,14 @@ class TestIdentityFileModel:
             record.save()
         assert str(e.value) == "UNIQUE constraint failed: django_remote_submission_identityfilemodel.recipient_id"
         [os.remove(file) for file in [id_file.private, id_file.public]]
+
+    @pytest.mark.django_db(transaction=True)
+    def test_delete(self, user):
+        r"""delete the record, along with the SSH key files"""
+        username = user.username
+        record = IdentityFileModel.objects.create_from_username(user.username)
+        record.delete()
+        assert os.path.exists(record.private) is False
+        assert os.path.exists(record.public) is False
+        # the IdentityFileModel instance is deleted, but not its associated recipient user
+        assert user.username == username