diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9a46a38ef..df61cf166 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ RESET := $(shell tput -T linux sgr0)
 TITLE := $(BOLD)$(PURPLE)
 SUCCESS := $(BOLD)$(GREEN)
 # the quality gate lower threshold for unit test total % coverage (by function statements)
-COVERAGE_THRESHOLD := 69
+COVERAGE_THRESHOLD := 72
 
 ifndef TEMPDIR
     $(error TEMPDIR is not set)
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/distro.go b/imgbom/distro/distro.go
index 6ad0b2cae..ac7b518a1 100644
--- a/imgbom/distro/distro.go
+++ b/imgbom/distro/distro.go
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ type Distro struct {
 	RawVersion string
 }
 
+// NewUnknownDistro creates a standardized UnkownDistro with a "0.0.0" version
+func NewUnknownDistro() Distro {
+	return Distro{
+		Type: UnknownDistro,
+	}
+}
+
 func NewDistro(t Type, ver string) (Distro, error) {
 	verObj, err := hashiVer.NewVersion(ver)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/identify.go b/imgbom/distro/identify.go
index 7070ce4ca..1af85d6cc 100644
--- a/imgbom/distro/identify.go
+++ b/imgbom/distro/identify.go
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ func Identify(s scope.Scope) *Distro {
 		}
 	}
 	// TODO: is it useful to know partially detected distros? where the ID is known but not the version (and viceversa?)
-	return nil
+	distro := NewUnknownDistro()
+	return &distro
 }
 
 func assembleDistro(name, version string) *Distro {
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/identify_test.go b/imgbom/distro/identify_test.go
index 671f012a3..aa745ae4a 100644
--- a/imgbom/distro/identify_test.go
+++ b/imgbom/distro/identify_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,50 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/scope"
 )
 
+func TestIdentifyDistro(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		fixture    string
+		name       string
+		RawVersion string
+		Type       Type
+	}{
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/os/ubuntu-20.04",
+			name:    "ubuntu",
+			Type:    Ubuntu,
+		},
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/os/empty",
+			name:    "No OS files",
+			Type:    UnknownDistro,
+		},
+		{
+			fixture: "test-fixtures/os/unmatchable",
+			name:    "Unmatchable distro",
+			Type:    UnknownDistro,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s, err := scope.NewScopeFromDir(test.fixture, scope.AllLayersScope)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unable to produce a new scope for testing: %s", test.fixture)
+			}
+			distro := Identify(s)
+			if distro.Type != test.Type {
+				t.Errorf("expected distro doesn't match: %v != %v", distro.Type, test.Type)
+			}
+		})
+
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestParseOsRelease(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tests := []struct {
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/empty/etc/os-release b/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/empty/etc/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/ubuntu-20.04/etc/os-release b/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/ubuntu-20.04/etc/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e07dd980d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/ubuntu-20.04/etc/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+NAME="Ubuntu"
+VERSION="20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa)"
+ID=ubuntu
+ID_LIKE=debian
+PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 20.04 LTS"
+VERSION_ID="20.04"
+HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
+SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
+BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
+PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
+VERSION_CODENAME=focal
+UBUNTU_CODENAME=focal
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/unmatchable/etc/os-release b/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/unmatchable/etc/os-release
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97edcdbf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgbom/distro/test-fixtures/os/unmatchable/etc/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+NAME="Scientific Linux"
+VERSION="16 (Core)"
+ID="scientific"
+ID_LIKE="rhel fedora"
+VERSION_ID="8"
+PLATFORM_ID="platform:el8"
+PRETTY_NAME="CentOS Linux 8 (Core)"
+ANSI_COLOR="0;31"
+CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:centos:centos:8"
+HOME_URL="https://www.centos.org/"
+BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.centos.org/"
+
+CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT="CentOS-8"
+CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT_VERSION="8"
+REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="centos"
+REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="8"
+