diff --git a/src/cli/init.go b/src/cli/init.go
index c3a2b42..d727378 100644
--- a/src/cli/init.go
+++ b/src/cli/init.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func TempInitCli() {
 	configSSH := inputBinary("Configure SSH settings (for synchronization)?")
 	if configSSH {
 		// necessary SSH info
-		fmt.Print(AnsiBold+"Note:"+backend.AnsiReset, "Only key-based authentication is supported (keys may optionally be passphrase-protected).\nThe remote server must already be in your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file.\n\n")
+		fmt.Println(AnsiBold + "\nNote:" + backend.AnsiReset + " Only key-based authentication is supported (keys may optionally be passphrase-protected).\nThe remote server must already be in your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file.")
 		sshUser := input("Remote SSH username:")
 		sshIP := input("Remote SSH IP address:")
 		sshPort := input("Remote SSH port:")
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TempInitCli() {
 		sshKeyProtected := inputBinary("Is the identity file password-protected?")
 
 		// write config file
-		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshIdentity": sshKey, "sshIDProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected)})
+		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshKey": sshKey, "sshKeyProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected)})
 
 		// generate device ID
 		sync.DeviceIDGen()
diff --git a/src/cli/utilitiesMisc.go b/src/cli/utilitiesMisc.go
index 8c68c88..2ebad10 100644
--- a/src/cli/utilitiesMisc.go
+++ b/src/cli/utilitiesMisc.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ func input(prompt string) string {
 	return strings.TrimRight(userInput, "\n\r ") // remove trailing newlines, carriage returns, and spaces
 }
 
-// InputHidden prompts the user for input and returns the input as a string, hiding the input from the terminal
-func InputHidden(prompt string) string {
+// inputHidden prompts the user for input and returns the input as a string, hiding the input from the terminal
+func inputHidden(prompt string) string {
 	fmt.Print("\n" + prompt + " ")
 	byteInput, _ := terminal.ReadPassword(int(os.Stdin.Fd()))
 	password := string(byteInput)
diff --git a/src/sync/client.go b/src/sync/client.go
index 7e09f02..b074db0 100644
--- a/src/sync/client.go
+++ b/src/sync/client.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package sync
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/backend"
-	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/cli"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/knownhosts"
 	"os"
@@ -19,7 +18,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 // GetSSHOutput runs a command over SSH and returns the output
-// only supports key-based authentication (passphrase-protected keys are supported in a CLI environment) TODO create a more generic interface for passphrase input
+// only supports key-based authentication (passphrases are supported for CLI-based implementations)
 func GetSSHOutput(cmd string, manualSync bool) string {
 	// get SSH config info, exit if not configured (displaying an error if the sync job was called manually)
 	var sshUserConfig []string
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ func GetSSHOutput(cmd string, manualSync bool) string {
 	if keyFileProtected != "true" {
 		parsedKey, err = ssh.ParsePrivateKey(key)
 	} else {
-		parsedKey, err = ssh.ParsePrivateKeyWithPassphrase(key, []byte(cli.InputHidden("Enter passphrase for \""+keyFile+"\":"))) // TODO test passphrase-protected keys
+		parsedKey, err = ssh.ParsePrivateKeyWithPassphrase(key, inputKeyFilePassphrase()) // TODO test passphrase-protected keys
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Println(backend.AnsiError+"Sync failed - Unable to parse private key:", keyFile+backend.AnsiReset)
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ func GetSSHOutput(cmd string, manualSync bool) string {
 func getRemoteDataFromClient(manualSync bool) (map[string]int64, []string, []string) {
 	// get remote output over SSH
 	clientDeviceID, _ := os.ReadDir(backend.ConfigDir + backend.PathSeparator + "devices")
-	output := GetSSHOutput("libmuttonserver fetch "+clientDeviceID[0].Name(), manualSync)
+	output := GetSSHOutput("libmuttonserver fetch "+clientDeviceID[0].Name(), manualSync) // TODO fix potential index error if clientDeviceID was not configured
 
 	// split output into slice based on occurrences of "\x1d"
 	outputSlice := strings.Split(output, "\x1d")
diff --git a/src/sync/input.go b/src/sync/input.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d848d3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sync/input.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package sync
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/terminal"
+	"os"
+)
+
+// inputKeyFilePassphrase prompts the user for a passphrase for an SSH key file
+// TODO support non-CLI implementations
+func inputKeyFilePassphrase() []byte {
+	fmt.Print("\nEnter passphrase for your SSH keyfile: ")
+	passphrase, _ := terminal.ReadPassword(int(os.Stdin.Fd()))
+	fmt.Println()
+	return passphrase
+}