diff --git a/renderspec/__init__.py b/renderspec/__init__.py
index 684246a..30ab651 100644
--- a/renderspec/__init__.py
+++ b/renderspec/__init__.py
@@ -157,11 +157,20 @@ def generate_spec(spec_style, epochs, requirements, input_template_path):
                            requirements=requirements)
 
 
+def _is_fedora(distname):
+    """detect Fedora-based distro (e.g Fedora, CentOS, RHEL)"""
+    distname = distname.lower()
+    for x in ["fedora", "centos", "red hat"]:
+        if x in distname:
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _get_default_distro():
     distname, version, id_ = platform.linux_distribution()
     if "suse" in distname.lower():
         return "suse"
-    elif "fedora" in distname.lower():
+    elif _is_fedora(distname):
         return "fedora"
     else:
         return "unknown"
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 8ad06e5..66f6610 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ testrepository>=0.0.18 # Apache-2.0/BSD
 testresources>=0.2.4 # Apache-2.0/BSD
 testtools>=1.4.0 # MIT
 ddt>=1.0.1 # MIT
+mock>=2.0 # BSD
 
 sphinx!=1.3b1,<1.3,>=1.2.1 # BSD
 oslosphinx!=3.4.0,>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index e7920c8..5b7169c 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from ddt import data, ddt, unpack
 
 from jinja2 import Environment
 
+from mock import Mock
 import os
 import renderspec
 import renderspec.versions
@@ -268,5 +269,33 @@ class RenderspecCommonTests(unittest.TestCase):
         finally:
             shutil.rmtree(tmpdir)
 
+
+class RenderspecDistroDetection(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_is_fedora(self):
+        self.assertTrue(renderspec._is_fedora("CentOS Linux"))
+        self.assertTrue(renderspec._is_fedora("Fedora"))
+        self.assertTrue(renderspec._is_fedora("Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2"))
+        self.assertFalse(renderspec._is_fedora("SUSE Linux Enterprise Server"))
+
+    def test_get_default_distro(self):
+        import platform
+        platform.linux_distribution = Mock(
+            return_value=('SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ', '12', 'x86_64'))
+        self.assertEqual(renderspec._get_default_distro(),
+                         "suse")
+        platform.linux_distribution = Mock(
+            return_value=('Fedora', '24', 'x86_64'))
+        self.assertEqual(renderspec._get_default_distro(), "fedora")
+        platform.linux_distribution = Mock(
+            return_value=('Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server', '7.3', 'x86_64'))
+        self.assertEqual(renderspec._get_default_distro(), "fedora")
+        platform.linux_distribution = Mock(
+            return_value=('CentOS Linux', '7.3', 'x86_64'))
+        self.assertEqual(renderspec._get_default_distro(), "fedora")
+        platform.linux_distribution = Mock(
+            return_value=('debian', '7.0', 'x86_64'))
+        self.assertEqual(renderspec._get_default_distro(), "unknown")
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()