diff --git a/pkg/shell/hosts_dialog.jsx b/pkg/shell/hosts_dialog.jsx
index 3a8de41516a8..91ca8177d6a2 100644
--- a/pkg/shell/hosts_dialog.jsx
+++ b/pkg/shell/hosts_dialog.jsx
@@ -32,11 +32,14 @@ import { Alert } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Alert/index.js
 import { Button } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Button/index.js";
 import { Checkbox } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Checkbox/index.js";
 import { ClipboardCopy } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/ClipboardCopy/index.js";
+import { ExpandableSection } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/ExpandableSection/index.js";
 import { Form, FormGroup } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Form/index.js";
 import { Modal } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Modal/index.js";
+import { Popover } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Popover/index.js";
 import { Radio } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/Radio/index.js";
 import { Stack } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/layouts/Stack/index.js";
 import { TextInput } from "@patternfly/react-core/dist/esm/components/TextInput/index.js";
+import { OutlinedQuestionCircleIcon } from "@patternfly/react-icons";
 
 import { FormHelper } from "cockpit-components-form-helper";
 import { ModalError } from "cockpit-components-inline-notification.jsx";
@@ -402,6 +405,7 @@ class HostKey extends React.Component {
 
         this.state = {
             inProgress: false,
+            verifyExpanded: false,
             error_options: props.error_options,
         };
 
@@ -464,8 +468,9 @@ class HostKey extends React.Component {
         }
 
         const callback = this.onAddKey;
-        const title = this.props.template === "invalid-hostkey" ? cockpit.format(_("$0 key changed"), this.props.host) : _("New host");
-        const submitText = _("Accept key and connect");
+        const title = cockpit.format(this.props.template === "invalid-hostkey" ? _("$0 key changed") : _("New host: $0"),
+                                     this.props.host);
+        const submitText = _("Trust and add host");
         let unknown = false;
         let body = null;
         if (!key_type) {
@@ -479,18 +484,27 @@ class HostKey extends React.Component {
                 <p>{cockpit.format(_("To verify a fingerprint, run the following on $0 while physically sitting at the machine or through a trusted network:"), this.props.host)}</p>
                 <ClipboardCopy isReadOnly hoverTip={_("Copy")} clickTip={_("Copied")} className="hostkey-verify-help-cmds pf-v5-u-font-family-monospace">ssh-keyscan -t {key_type} localhost | ssh-keygen -lf -</ClipboardCopy>
                 <p>{_("The resulting fingerprint is fine to share via public methods, including email.")}</p>
-                <p>{_("If the fingerprint matches, click 'Accept key and connect'. Otherwise, do not connect and contact your administrator.")}</p>
+                <p>{_("If the fingerprint matches, click 'Trust and add host'. Otherwise, do not connect and contact your administrator.")}</p>
             </>;
         } else {
+            const fingerprint_help = <Popover bodyContent={
+                <>
+                    <p>{ _("The resulting fingerprint is fine to share via public methods, including email.") }</p>
+                    <p>{ _("If you are asking someone else to do the verification for you, they can send the results using any method.") }</p>
+                </> }>
+                <OutlinedQuestionCircleIcon />
+            </Popover>;
             body = <>
                 <p>{cockpit.format(_("You are connecting to $0 for the first time."), this.props.host)}</p>
-                <p>{_("To ensure that your connection is not intercepted by a malicious third-party, please verify the host key fingerprint:")}</p>
-                <ClipboardCopy isReadOnly hoverTip={_("Copy")} clickTip={_("Copied")} className="hostkey-fingerprint pf-v5-u-font-family-monospace">{fp}</ClipboardCopy>
-                <p className="hostkey-type">({key_type})</p>
-                <p>{cockpit.format(_("To verify a fingerprint, run the following on $0 while physically sitting at the machine or through a trusted network:"), this.props.host)}</p>
-                <ClipboardCopy isReadOnly hoverTip={_("Copy")} clickTip={_("Copied")} className="hostkey-verify-help-cmds pf-v5-u-font-family-monospace">ssh-keyscan -t {key_type} localhost | ssh-keygen -lf -</ClipboardCopy>
-                <p>{_("The resulting fingerprint is fine to share via public methods, including email.")}</p>
-                <p>{_("If the fingerprint matches, click 'Accept key and connect'. Otherwise, do not connect and contact your administrator.")}</p>
+                <ExpandableSection toggleText={ _("Verify fingerprint") }
+                                   isExpanded={this.state.verifyExpanded}
+                                   onToggle={(_ev, verifyExpanded) => this.setState({ verifyExpanded }) }>
+                    <p>{_("Run this command over a trusted network or physically on the remote machine:")}</p>
+                    <ClipboardCopy isReadOnly hoverTip={_("Copy")} clickTip={_("Copied")} className="hostkey-verify-help pf-v5-u-font-family-monospace">ssh-keyscan -t {key_type} localhost | ssh-keygen -lf -</ClipboardCopy>
+                    <p>{_("The fingerprint should match:")} {fingerprint_help}</p>
+                    <ClipboardCopy isReadOnly hoverTip={_("Copy")} clickTip={_("Copied")} className="hostkey-verify-help pf-v5-u-font-family-monospace">{fp}</ClipboardCopy>
+                </ExpandableSection>
+                <Alert variant='warning' isInline isPlain title={_("Malicious pages on the remote machine can do arbitrary changes to other connected hosts in the same session.")} />
             </>;
         }
 
diff --git a/pkg/shell/shell.scss b/pkg/shell/shell.scss
index ba6a71bb8fae..fe6c8985c747 100644
--- a/pkg/shell/shell.scss
+++ b/pkg/shell/shell.scss
@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ $desktop: $phone + 1px;
   font-size: small;
 }
 
+.hostkey-verify-help {
+  margin-block-end: 1.5em;
+}
+
+
 /* Alert fixups */
 .modal-content .pf-v5-c-alert {
   text-align: start;