diff --git a/check-distro.py b/check-distro.py
deleted file mode 100755
index b84acac7d5..0000000000
--- a/check-distro.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-
-import errno
-import os
-import sys
-
-for location in sys.argv[1:]:
-  if os.path.isfile(location):
-    sys.exit(0)
-
-sys.exit(errno.ENOENT)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 5a033dbd7f..c2b9831b63 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -219,16 +219,13 @@ glib_dep = declare_dependency(
   ]
 )
 
-check_distro = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'check-distro.py')
-
-redhat_releases =  ['/etc/redhat-release', '/etc/fedora-release', '/etc/mandriva-release']
-if run_command(check_distro, redhat_releases).returncode() == 0
+if run_command('test', '-e', '/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts').returncode() == 0
   distro = 'redhat'
-elif run_command(check_distro, '/etc/SuSE-release').returncode() == 0
+elif run_command('test', '-e', '/etc/SuSE-release').returncode() == 0
   distro = 'suse'
-elif run_command(check_distro, '/etc/debian_version').returncode() == 0
+elif run_command('test', '-e', '/etc/debian_version').returncode() == 0
   distro = 'debian'
-elif run_command(check_distro, '/etc/gentoo-release').returncode() == 0
+elif run_command('test', '-e', '/etc/gentoo-release').returncode() == 0
   distro = 'gentoo'
 else
   distro = 'unknown'