diff --git a/securedrop/source_app/api.py b/securedrop/source_app/api.py
index 07f600fb97..9948692ba4 100644
--- a/securedrop/source_app/api.py
+++ b/securedrop/source_app/api.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import json
-import platform
 
 from flask import Blueprint, current_app, make_response
 
@@ -8,6 +7,10 @@
 import version
 
 
+with open("/etc/lsb-release", "r") as f:
+    server_os = f.readlines()[1].split("=")[1].strip("\n")
+
+
 def make_blueprint(config):
     view = Blueprint('api', __name__)
 
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ def metadata():
             'allow_document_uploads': current_app.instance_config.allow_document_uploads,
             'gpg_fpr': config.JOURNALIST_KEY,
             'sd_version': version.__version__,
-            'server_os': platform.linux_distribution()[1],
+            'server_os': server_os,
             'supported_languages': config.SUPPORTED_LOCALES,
             'v2_source_url': get_sourcev2_url(),
             'v3_source_url': get_sourcev3_url()
diff --git a/securedrop/tests/test_source.py b/securedrop/tests/test_source.py
index fe2009fc61..090924775d 100644
--- a/securedrop/tests/test_source.py
+++ b/securedrop/tests/test_source.py
@@ -583,8 +583,7 @@ def test_why_journalist_key(source_app):
 
 
 def test_metadata_route(config, source_app):
-    with patch.object(source_app_api.platform, "linux_distribution") as mocked_platform:
-        mocked_platform.return_value = ("Ubuntu", "16.04", "xenial")
+    with patch.object(source_app_api, "server_os", new="16.04"):
         with source_app.test_client() as app:
             resp = app.get(url_for('api.metadata'))
             assert resp.status_code == 200