diff --git a/dockerimg/dockerimg.go b/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
index 834a769..0256798 100644
--- a/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
+++ b/dockerimg/dockerimg.go
@@ -283,7 +283,12 @@
 
 	var sshServerIdentity, sshUserIdentity []byte
 
-	sshErr := CheckForInclude()
+	cst, err := NewSSHTheater(cntrName, sshHost, sshPort)
+	if err != nil {
+		return appendInternalErr(fmt.Errorf("NewContainerSSHTheather: %w", err))
+	}
+
+	sshErr := CheckSSHReachability(cntrName)
 	sshAvailable := false
 	sshErrMsg := ""
 	if sshErr != nil {
@@ -291,10 +296,6 @@
 		sshErrMsg = sshErr.Error()
 		// continue - ssh config is not required for the rest of sketch to function locally.
 	} else {
-		cst, err := NewSSHTheater(cntrName, sshHost, sshPort)
-		if err != nil {
-			return appendInternalErr(fmt.Errorf("NewContainerSSHTheather: %w", err))
-		}
 		sshAvailable = true
 		// Note: The vscode: link uses an undocumented request parameter that I really had to dig to find:
 		// https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/blob/2b9486161abaca59b5132ce3c59544f3cc7000f6/src/vs/code/electron-main/app.ts#L878
diff --git a/dockerimg/ssh_theater.go b/dockerimg/ssh_theater.go
index 6afcfc9..1b060cc 100644
--- a/dockerimg/ssh_theater.go
+++ b/dockerimg/ssh_theater.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -125,6 +126,15 @@
 	return cst, nil
 }
 
+func checkSSHResolve(hostname string) error {
+	cmd := exec.Command("ssh", "-T", hostname)
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if strings.HasPrefix(string(out), "ssh: Could not resolve hostname") {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func CheckForIncludeWithFS(fs FileSystem, stdinReader bufio.Reader) error {
 	sketchSSHPathInclude := "Include " + filepath.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), ".config", "sketch", "ssh_config")
 	defaultSSHPath := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), ".ssh", "config")
@@ -563,7 +573,10 @@
 	return ssh.NewPublicKey(privateKey)
 }
 
-// CheckForInclude checks if the user's SSH config includes the Sketch SSH config file
-func CheckForInclude() error {
-	return CheckForIncludeWithFS(&RealFileSystem{}, *bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin))
+// CheckSSHReachability checks if the user's SSH config includes the Sketch SSH config file
+func CheckSSHReachability(cntrName string) error {
+	if err := checkSSHResolve(cntrName); err != nil {
+		return CheckForIncludeWithFS(&RealFileSystem{}, *bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin))
+	}
+	return nil
 }