diff --git a/gix-transport/src/client/blocking_io/ssh/mod.rs b/gix-transport/src/client/blocking_io/ssh/mod.rs
index 2b5967dcc48..83849b1fca7 100644
--- a/gix-transport/src/client/blocking_io/ssh/mod.rs
+++ b/gix-transport/src/client/blocking_io/ssh/mod.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
-use std::process::Stdio;
+use std::{
+    ffi::OsStr,
+    process::{Command, Stdio},
+};
 
-use gix_url::ArgumentSafety::*;
+use gix_url::{ArgumentSafety::*, Url};
 
-use crate::{client::blocking_io, Protocol};
+use crate::{
+    client::{self, blocking_io::file::SpawnProcessOnDemand},
+    Protocol,
+};
 
 /// The error used in [`connect()`].
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
@@ -100,44 +106,18 @@ pub mod connect {
 /// If `trace` is `true`, all packetlines received or sent will be passed to the facilities of the `gix-trace` crate.
 #[allow(clippy::result_large_err)]
 pub fn connect(
-    url: gix_url::Url,
+    url: Url,
     desired_version: Protocol,
     options: connect::Options,
     trace: bool,
-) -> Result<blocking_io::file::SpawnProcessOnDemand, Error> {
+) -> Result<SpawnProcessOnDemand, Error> {
     if url.scheme != gix_url::Scheme::Ssh || url.host().is_none() {
         return Err(Error::UnsupportedScheme(url));
     }
     let ssh_cmd = options.ssh_command();
-    let mut kind = options.kind.unwrap_or_else(|| ProgramKind::from(ssh_cmd));
-    if options.kind.is_none() && kind == ProgramKind::Simple {
-        let mut cmd = std::process::Command::from({
-            let mut prepare = gix_command::prepare(ssh_cmd)
-                .stderr(Stdio::null())
-                .stdout(Stdio::null())
-                .stdin(Stdio::null())
-                .command_may_be_shell_script()
-                .arg("-G")
-                .arg(match url.host_as_argument() {
-                    Usable(host) => host,
-                    Dangerous(host) => Err(Error::AmbiguousHostName { host: host.into() })?,
-                    Absent => panic!("BUG: host should always be present in SSH URLs"),
-                });
-            if options.disallow_shell {
-                prepare.use_shell = false;
-            }
-            prepare
-        });
-        gix_features::trace::debug!(cmd = ?cmd, "invoking `ssh` for feature check");
-        kind = if cmd.status().ok().is_some_and(|status| status.success()) {
-            ProgramKind::Ssh
-        } else {
-            ProgramKind::Simple
-        };
-    }
-
+    let kind = determine_client_kind(options.kind, ssh_cmd, &url, options.disallow_shell)?;
     let path = gix_url::expand_path::for_shell(url.path.clone());
-    Ok(blocking_io::file::SpawnProcessOnDemand::new_ssh(
+    Ok(SpawnProcessOnDemand::new_ssh(
         url,
         ssh_cmd,
         path,
@@ -148,5 +128,42 @@ pub fn connect(
     ))
 }
 
+fn determine_client_kind(
+    known_kind: Option<ProgramKind>,
+    ssh_cmd: &OsStr,
+    url: &Url,
+    disallow_shell: bool,
+) -> Result<ProgramKind, Error> {
+    let mut kind = known_kind.unwrap_or_else(|| ProgramKind::from(ssh_cmd));
+    if known_kind.is_none() && kind == ProgramKind::Simple {
+        let mut cmd = build_client_feature_check_command(ssh_cmd, url, disallow_shell)?;
+        gix_features::trace::debug!(cmd = ?cmd, "invoking `ssh` for feature check");
+        kind = if cmd.status().ok().is_some_and(|status| status.success()) {
+            ProgramKind::Ssh
+        } else {
+            ProgramKind::Simple
+        };
+    }
+    Ok(kind)
+}
+
+fn build_client_feature_check_command(ssh_cmd: &OsStr, url: &Url, disallow_shell: bool) -> Result<Command, Error> {
+    let mut prepare = gix_command::prepare(ssh_cmd)
+        .stderr(Stdio::null())
+        .stdout(Stdio::null())
+        .stdin(Stdio::null())
+        .command_may_be_shell_script()
+        .arg("-G")
+        .arg(match url.host_as_argument() {
+            Usable(host) => host,
+            Dangerous(host) => Err(Error::AmbiguousHostName { host: host.into() })?,
+            Absent => panic!("BUG: host should always be present in SSH URLs"),
+        });
+    if disallow_shell {
+        prepare.use_shell = false;
+    }
+    Ok(prepare.into())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests;