diff --git a/CHANGELOG.MD b/CHANGELOG.MD
index 6c74205..76ed3b8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.MD
+++ b/CHANGELOG.MD
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [unreleased]
+
+### Added
+- Users can now specify a password for the SSH key used in the SSH tunnel. This is done by entering the password in 
+  the config file, under the entry `connection_details > ssh_tunneling > ssh_private_key_password`.
+
+### Changed
+- The `ssh_tunneling` section of the config file is now optional and the application will work even if the config 
+  file does not contain it.
+
 ## [0.2.0] - 2022-07-26
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/_version.py b/_version.py
index d3ec452..ca70210 100644
--- a/_version.py
+++ b/_version.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "0.2.0"
+__version__ = "latest"
diff --git a/config_examples/mysql_without_tunnel_config.json b/config_examples/mysql_config.json
similarity index 86%
rename from config_examples/mysql_without_tunnel_config.json
rename to config_examples/mysql_config.json
index a849e48..e6859df 100644
--- a/config_examples/mysql_without_tunnel_config.json
+++ b/config_examples/mysql_config.json
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@
     "port": 3306,
     "user": "your_user",
     "password": "your_password",
-    "schema": "comprea",
-    "ssh_tunneling": {
-      "use_tunnel": false
+    "schema": "comprea"
   },
   "queries_to_measure": [
     {
diff --git a/config_examples/mysql_with_tunnel_config.json b/config_examples/mysql_with_tunnel_config.json
index 63fd975..8510894 100644
--- a/config_examples/mysql_with_tunnel_config.json
+++ b/config_examples/mysql_with_tunnel_config.json
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
       "ssh_host": "the_ssh_tunnel_host",
       "ssh_username": "the_ssh_tunnel_user",
       "ssh_port": 22,
-      "path_to_key": "G:\\path\\to\\ssh\\key.pem"
+      "path_to_key": "G:\\path\\to\\ssh\\key.pem",
+      "ssh_private_key_password": "my_keys_password"
     }
   },
   "queries_to_measure": [
diff --git a/config_examples/trino_config.json b/config_examples/trino_config.json
index eaac0c0..8cd8806 100644
--- a/config_examples/trino_config.json
+++ b/config_examples/trino_config.json
@@ -7,10 +7,7 @@
     "password": "your_password",
     "http_scheme": "https",
     "catalog": "app_lm_mysql",
-    "schema": "comprea",
-    "ssh_tunneling": {
-      "use_tunnel": false
-    }
+    "schema": "comprea"
   },
   "queries_to_measure": [
     {
diff --git a/connections.py b/connections.py
index 67edb91..a74df0d 100644
--- a/connections.py
+++ b/connections.py
@@ -21,15 +21,22 @@ def singleton(class_):
 @singleton
 class MySSHTunnel:
     def __init__(
-        self, ssh_host, ssh_port, ssh_username, ssh_pkey, remote_host, remote_port
+        self,
+        ssh_host,
+        ssh_port,
+        ssh_username,
+        ssh_pkey,
+        remote_host,
+        remote_port,
+        ssh_private_key_password=None,
     ):
-
         self.tunnel = SSHTunnelForwarder(
             ssh_host=(ssh_host, ssh_port),
             ssh_username=ssh_username,
             ssh_pkey=ssh_pkey,
             remote_bind_address=(remote_host, remote_port),
             local_bind_address=("127.0.0.1", remote_port),
+            ssh_private_key_password=ssh_private_key_password,
         )
 
     def start(self):
@@ -115,12 +122,13 @@ def get_connection_to_mysql(
     :param connection_config: specifies host, port, etc.
     :return: the connection object
     """
-    if connection_config["ssh_tunneling"]["use_tunnel"]:
+    mysql_connection_host = connection_config["host"]
+
+    if connection_config.get("ssh_tunneling", {}).get("use_tunnel", None):
         open_ssh_tunnel(connection_config)
         mysql_connection_host = "127.0.0.1"
-
-    if not connection_config["ssh_tunneling"]["use_tunnel"]:
-        mysql_connection_host = connection_config["host"]
+        # If we open an SSH tunnel, we reference the local bind instead of the
+        # actual host
 
     connection = mysql.connector.connect(
         host=mysql_connection_host,
@@ -162,6 +170,10 @@ def open_ssh_tunnel(connection_config: dict) -> None:
         ssh_pkey=connection_config["ssh_tunneling"]["path_to_key"],
         remote_host=connection_config["host"],
         remote_port=connection_config["port"],
+        ssh_private_key_password=connection_config["ssh_tunneling"].get(
+            "ssh_private_key_password",
+            None,  # Since password is optional, we need a safe default
+        ),
     ).start()
     print("SSH tunnel is now open.")
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index e9b5652..476b275 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ A few notes:
 - I advice you to make the first query a silly, fast query such as `SELECT 1` to validate your connection and
   quickly confirm that everything is set up properly.
 
+## Other features
+- The connection to the database can be made through an SSH tunnel. See the examples in `config_examples` to 
+  understand how to configure it.
+
 ## A few more details
 
 - Queries are run sequentially, as in the second query will only start after the first query is finished.