diff --git a/src/py/flwr/client/app.py b/src/py/flwr/client/app.py
index 3f86dfdc01bf..5c1d1aba96f7 100644
--- a/src/py/flwr/client/app.py
+++ b/src/py/flwr/client/app.py
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Callable, ContextManager, Optional, Tuple, Type, Union
 
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric import ec
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.serialization import (
+    load_ssh_private_key,
+    load_ssh_public_key,
+)
 from grpc import RpcError
 
 from flwr.client.client import Client
@@ -41,6 +46,9 @@
 from flwr.common.message import Error
 from flwr.common.object_ref import load_app, validate
 from flwr.common.retry_invoker import RetryInvoker, exponential
+from flwr.common.secure_aggregation.crypto.symmetric_encryption import (
+    ssh_types_to_elliptic_curve,
+)
 
 from .grpc_client.connection import grpc_connection
 from .grpc_rere_client.connection import grpc_request_response
@@ -114,18 +122,51 @@ def _load() -> ClientApp:
 
         return client_app
 
+    authentication_keys = _try_setup_client_authentication(args)
+
     _start_client_internal(
         server_address=args.server,
         load_client_app_fn=_load,
         transport="rest" if args.rest else "grpc-rere",
         root_certificates=root_certificates,
         insecure=args.insecure,
+        authentication_keys=authentication_keys,
         max_retries=args.max_retries,
         max_wait_time=args.max_wait_time,
     )
     register_exit_handlers(event_type=EventType.RUN_CLIENT_APP_LEAVE)
 
 
+def _try_setup_client_authentication(
+    args: argparse.Namespace,
+) -> Optional[Tuple[ec.EllipticCurvePrivateKey, ec.EllipticCurvePublicKey]]:
+    if not args.authentication_keys:
+        return None
+
+    ssh_private_key = load_ssh_private_key(
+        Path(args.authentication_keys[0]).read_bytes(),
+        None,
+    )
+    ssh_public_key = load_ssh_public_key(Path(args.authentication_keys[1]).read_bytes())
+
+    try:
+        client_private_key, client_public_key = ssh_types_to_elliptic_curve(
+            ssh_private_key, ssh_public_key
+        )
+    except TypeError:
+        sys.exit(
+            "The file paths provided could not be read as a private and public "
+            "key pair. Client authentication requires an elliptic curve public and "
+            "private key pair. Please provide the file paths containing elliptic "
+            "curve private and public keys to '--authentication-keys'."
+        )
+
+    return (
+        client_private_key,
+        client_public_key,
+    )
+
+
 def _parse_args_run_client_app() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     """Parse flower-client-app command line arguments."""
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
@@ -165,6 +206,9 @@ def start_client(
     root_certificates: Optional[Union[bytes, str]] = None,
     insecure: Optional[bool] = None,
     transport: Optional[str] = None,
+    authentication_keys: Optional[
+        Tuple[ec.EllipticCurvePrivateKey, ec.EllipticCurvePublicKey]
+    ] = None,
     max_retries: Optional[int] = None,
     max_wait_time: Optional[float] = None,
 ) -> None:
@@ -249,6 +293,7 @@ class `flwr.client.Client` (default: None)
         root_certificates=root_certificates,
         insecure=insecure,
         transport=transport,
+        authentication_keys=authentication_keys,
         max_retries=max_retries,
         max_wait_time=max_wait_time,
     )
@@ -269,6 +314,9 @@ def _start_client_internal(
     root_certificates: Optional[Union[bytes, str]] = None,
     insecure: Optional[bool] = None,
     transport: Optional[str] = None,
+    authentication_keys: Optional[
+        Tuple[ec.EllipticCurvePrivateKey, ec.EllipticCurvePublicKey]
+    ] = None,
     max_retries: Optional[int] = None,
     max_wait_time: Optional[float] = None,
 ) -> None:
@@ -393,6 +441,7 @@ def _load_client_app() -> ClientApp:
             retry_invoker,
             grpc_max_message_length,
             root_certificates,
+            authentication_keys,
         ) as conn:
             # pylint: disable-next=W0612
             receive, send, create_node, delete_node, get_run = conn
@@ -606,7 +655,14 @@ def start_numpy_client(
 
 def _init_connection(transport: Optional[str], server_address: str) -> Tuple[
     Callable[
-        [str, bool, RetryInvoker, int, Union[bytes, str, None]],
+        [
+            str,
+            bool,
+            RetryInvoker,
+            int,
+            Union[bytes, str, None],
+            Optional[Tuple[ec.EllipticCurvePrivateKey, ec.EllipticCurvePublicKey]],
+        ],
         ContextManager[
             Tuple[
                 Callable[[], Optional[Message]],
diff --git a/src/py/flwr/client/supernode/app.py b/src/py/flwr/client/supernode/app.py
index 2611b160f830..7be8e526942d 100644
--- a/src/py/flwr/client/supernode/app.py
+++ b/src/py/flwr/client/supernode/app.py
@@ -117,3 +117,11 @@ def _parse_args_common(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
         "app from there."
         " Default: current working directory.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--authentication-keys",
+        nargs=2,
+        metavar=("CLIENT_PRIVATE_KEY", "CLIENT_PUBLIC_KEY"),
+        type=str,
+        help="Provide two file paths: (1) the client's private "
+        "key file, and (2) the client's public key file.",
+    )