diff --git a/syft/distro/identify.go b/syft/distro/identify.go
index d322582e6..ea03e8f52 100644
--- a/syft/distro/identify.go
+++ b/syft/distro/identify.go
@@ -91,10 +91,15 @@ func assemble(name, version, like string) *Distro {
 	distroType, ok := IDMapping[name]
 
 	// Both distro and version must be present
-	if len(name) == 0 {
+	if len(name) == 0 && len(version) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// If it's an unknown distro, try mapping the ID_LIKE
+	if !ok && len(like) != 0 {
+		distroType, ok = IDMapping[like]
+	}
+
 	if ok {
 		distro, err := NewDistro(distroType, version, like)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/syft/distro/identify_test.go b/syft/distro/identify_test.go
index f11d74693..4f01f1578 100644
--- a/syft/distro/identify_test.go
+++ b/syft/distro/identify_test.go
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/internal"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/source"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func TestIdentifyDistro(t *testing.T) {
@@ -85,6 +84,20 @@ func TestIdentifyDistro(t *testing.T) {
 			fixture: "test-fixtures/os/arch",
 			Type:    ArchLinux,
 		},
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-id",
+			Type:    Debian,
+			Version: "8.0.0",
+		},
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/partial-fields/unknown-id",
+			Type:    Debian,
+			Version: "8.0.0",
+		},
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-version",
+			Type:    UnknownDistroType,
+		},
 	}
 
 	observedDistros := internal.NewStringSet()
diff --git a/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-id/usr/lib/os-release b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-id/usr/lib/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6370845a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-id/usr/lib/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
+VERSION_ID="8"
+ID_LIKE=debian
diff --git a/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-version/usr/lib/os-release b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-version/usr/lib/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..899dd390a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/missing-version/usr/lib/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
+ID_LIKE=debian
diff --git a/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/unknown-id/usr/lib/os-release b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/unknown-id/usr/lib/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e7c3efe09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/distro/test-fixtures/partial-fields/unknown-id/usr/lib/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
+VERSION_ID="8"
+ID=my-awesome-distro
+ID_LIKE=debian