Ubuntu – ssh-agent is not used when ssh is launched from panel launcher (via `gnome-terminal –command`)

I have everything set up so that after I log in and add proper identity to ssh-agent using ssh-add from a gnome-terminal window, I do not have to enter the passphrase again when I invoke ssh myserver.

Now I wanted to make it even easier and create a panel launcher that would run

gnome-terminal --command "ssh myserver"

but while this does invoke what I want, it ignores ssh-agent, i.e. it asks for pass-phrase. And it does so every time, even if I supply the PP, the next time it asks again.

What am I doing wrong? Can anybody explain why this does not work?

Further notes:

• Running gnome-terminal --command "ssh myserver from already open terminal works OK

• Changing ssh myserver part to bash -c "ssh myserver" with proper quoting
  did not help.

• Also using ssh myserver right in the launcher did not help: the pass-phrase prompt
  was displayed as a simple GUI window (unless I checked "Run in terminal" option,
  in which case the behavior was same as described above)

• It's Ubuntu 12.04

• adding -vvv to both ssh command, here is where the failing (and asking for PP) ssh
  starts to differ from the successful ssh:

  [...]
  debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 279
  debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp 5e:ad:5e:1f:7f:...
  debug1: key_parse_private_pem: PEM_read_PrivateKey failed
  debug1: read PEM private key done: type <unknown>
  Enter passphrase for key '/home/lennycz/.ssh/id_rsa': 
  

  while the successful ssh says

  [...]
  debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 279
  debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp 5e:ad:5e:1f:7f:...
  debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey).
  [...]
  

  (and then lot of things apparently unrelated…)

  I haven't found any helpful debug messages around nor anything in system/auth logs.