diff --git a/docs/nix-cache.md b/docs/nix-cache.md
index 63fe209..51ee44c 100644
--- a/docs/nix-cache.md
+++ b/docs/nix-cache.md
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ On `nix-cache`, install the matching public key used by `nixremote` authorized k
 The committed `nixremote` authorized keys are public SSH keys only. Keep the
 matching private keys on client hosts and out of the repository.
 
+nix-cache's own SSH *host* key is trusted declaratively via
+`programs.ssh.knownHosts` in `modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix`,
+sourced from `vars.nixCacheHostKey` (`variables.nix`) — every client rebuild
+picks it up automatically, so distributed builds don't fail with "Host key
+verification failed" on a client that has never manually SSH'd to nix-cache
+before. If nix-cache's host key is ever rotated or the host rebuilt from
+scratch, update `vars.nixCacheHostKey` to match its new
+`/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub`.
+
 ## Manual verification
 
 After deployment:
diff --git a/modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix b/modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix
index 7c6df41..a3a641a 100644
--- a/modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix
+++ b/modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
   #   sudo install -d -m 0700 /root/.ssh
   #   sudo install -m 0600 ./nixremote /root/.ssh/nixremote
   #   sudo ssh -i /root/.ssh/nixremote nixremote@nix-cache nix-store --version
+  # Trust nix-cache's SSH host key declaratively so the nix-daemon (root)
+  # can connect the first time without a manual ssh-keyscan/known_hosts
+  # step on every new client.
+  programs.ssh.knownHosts.${vars.nixCacheHost} = {
+    hostNames = [ vars.nixCacheHost ];
+    publicKey = vars.nixCacheHostKey;
+  };
+
   nix = {
     distributedBuilds = true;
 
diff --git a/variables.nix b/variables.nix
index 2e5c0db..b4dc147 100644
--- a/variables.nix
+++ b/variables.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@
 
   remoteBuilderUser = "nixremote"; # remote builder SSH user
 
+  # nix-cache's own SSH host public key (not a secret — the private half
+  # never leaves the host). Wired into every client's
+  # programs.ssh.knownHosts by modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix
+  # so distributed builds don't hit "Host key verification failed" on a
+  # fresh client that has never manually ssh'd to nix-cache before. Update
+  # this if nix-cache's host key is ever rotated or the host is rebuilt
+  # from scratch.
+  nixCacheHostKey = "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIHrMKZlIGUd3pH9G3AqbsruqUGjxIXMAZw52u9MwiBCn lxc-nix-cache";
+
   # Public keys authorized to SSH in as remoteBuilderUser on the nix-cache
   # host (modules/nix-cache/server.nix) — one per client host that's allowed
   # to use it as a distributed builder.