diff --git a/lib/opts.js b/lib/opts.js
index 1e80e9e..9b7ee16 100644
--- a/lib/opts.js
+++ b/lib/opts.js
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ const askPassSetInEnv = process.env.GIT_ASKPASS !== undefined
 const { sshCommandSetInConfig, askPassSetInConfig } = checkGitConfigs()
 
 // Values we want to set if they're not already defined by the end user
-// This defaults to accepting new ssh host key fingerprints
+// This defaults to disabling user interaction with BatchMode
 const finalGitEnv = {
   ...(askPassSetInEnv || askPassSetInConfig ? {} : {
     GIT_ASKPASS: 'echo',
   }),
   ...(sshCommandSetInEnv || sshCommandSetInConfig ? {} : {
-    GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -oStrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new',
+    GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -o BatchMode=yes',
   }),
 }
 
diff --git a/test/opts.js b/test/opts.js
index dc2451f..c46a439 100644
--- a/test/opts.js
+++ b/test/opts.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ t.test('defaults', t => {
   t.match(gitOpts(), {
     env: {
       GIT_ASKPASS: 'echo',
-      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -oStrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new',
+      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -o BatchMode=yes',
     },
     shell: false,
   }, 'got the git defaults we want')
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ t.test('handle case when fs.existsSync throws an error', t => {
   t.match(gitOptsWithMockFs(), {
     env: {
       GIT_ASKPASS: 'echo',
-      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -oStrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new',
+      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -o BatchMode=yes',
     },
     shell: false,
   }, 'should apply defaults when fs.existsSync throws an error')
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ t.test('handle case when git config does not exist', t => {
   t.match(gitOptsWithMockFs(), {
     env: {
       GIT_ASKPASS: 'echo',
-      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -oStrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new',
+      GIT_SSH_COMMAND: 'ssh -o BatchMode=yes',
     },
     shell: false,
   }, 'should apply defaults when git config does not exist')