diff --git a/plugins/gpg-agent/README.md b/plugins/gpg-agent/README.md
index 8eeb94f92..cf851f5ad 100644
--- a/plugins/gpg-agent/README.md
+++ b/plugins/gpg-agent/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 # gpg-agent
 
-Enables [GPG's gpg-agent](https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/gnupg/) if it is not running.
+Enables [GPG's gpg-agent](https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/gnupg/) if it is not running and fixes some common issues.
+
+Issues fixed are:
+
+* The `GPG_TTY` environment variable being set incorrectly or not set at all.
+* SSH agent support being broken when `enable-ssh-support` is enabled.
 
 To use it, add `gpg-agent` to the plugins array of your zshrc file:
 
diff --git a/plugins/gpg-agent/gpg-agent.plugin.zsh b/plugins/gpg-agent/gpg-agent.plugin.zsh
index 1f4be20b0..b1cbb62d0 100644
--- a/plugins/gpg-agent/gpg-agent.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/gpg-agent/gpg-agent.plugin.zsh
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-export GPG_TTY=$TTY
+# Launch gpg-agent ahead of time
+gpgconf --launch gpg-agent
 
 # Fix for passphrase prompt on the correct tty
 # See https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/gnupg/Agent-Options.html#option-_002d_002denable_002dssh_002dsupport
 function _gpg-agent_update-tty_preexec {
+  export GPG_TTY="${TTY}"
   gpg-connect-agent updatestartuptty /bye &>/dev/null
 }
 autoload -U add-zsh-hook