diff --git a/meta/lib/oe/lsb.py b/meta/lib/oe/lsb.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddfe71b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/lib/oe/lsb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+def release_dict():
+    """Return the output of lsb_release -ir as a dictionary"""
+    from subprocess import PIPE
+
+    try:
+        output, err = bb.process.run(['lsb_release', '-ir'], stderr=PIPE)
+    except bb.process.CmdError as exc:
+        return None
+
+    data = {}
+    for line in output.splitlines():
+        if line.startswith("-e"): line = line[3:]
+        try:
+            key, value = line.split(":\t", 1)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue
+        else:
+            data[key] = value
+    return data
+
+def release_dict_file():
+    """ Try to gather LSB release information manually when lsb_release tool is unavailable """
+    data = None
+    try:
+        if os.path.exists('/etc/lsb-release'):
+            data = {}
+            with open('/etc/lsb-release') as f:
+                for line in f:
+                    key, value = line.split("=", 1)
+                    data[key] = value.strip()
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/redhat-release'):
+            data = {}
+            with open('/etc/redhat-release') as f:
+                distro = f.readline().strip()
+            import re
+            match = re.match(r'(.*) release (.*) \((.*)\)', distro)
+            if match:
+                data['DISTRIB_ID'] = match.group(1)
+                data['DISTRIB_RELEASE'] = match.group(2)
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/os-release'):
+            data = {}
+            with open('/etc/os-release') as f:
+                for line in f:
+                    if line.startswith('NAME='):
+                        data['DISTRIB_ID'] = line[5:].rstrip().strip('"')
+                    if line.startswith('VERSION_ID='):
+                        data['DISTRIB_RELEASE'] = line[11:].rstrip().strip('"')
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/SuSE-release'):
+            data = {}
+            data['DISTRIB_ID'] = 'SUSE LINUX'
+            with open('/etc/SuSE-release') as f:
+                for line in f:
+                    if line.startswith('VERSION = '):
+                        data['DISTRIB_RELEASE'] = line[10:].rstrip()
+                        break
+
+    except IOError:
+        return None
+    return data
+
+def distro_identifier(adjust_hook=None):
+    """Return a distro identifier string based upon lsb_release -ri,
+       with optional adjustment via a hook"""
+
+    lsb_data = release_dict()
+    if lsb_data:
+        distro_id, release = lsb_data['Distributor ID'], lsb_data['Release']
+    else:
+        lsb_data_file = release_dict_file()
+        if lsb_data_file:
+            distro_id, release = lsb_data_file['DISTRIB_ID'], lsb_data_file.get('DISTRIB_RELEASE', None)
+        else:
+            distro_id, release = None, None
+
+    if adjust_hook:
+        distro_id, release = adjust_hook(distro_id, release)
+    if not distro_id:
+        return "Unknown"
+    if release:
+        id_str = '{0}-{1}'.format(distro_id, release)
+    else:
+        id_str = distro_id
+    return id_str.replace(' ','-').replace('/','-')