diff --git a/lib/specinfra/helper/detect_os/suse.rb b/lib/specinfra/helper/detect_os/suse.rb
index 1e460be4..6837b300 100644
--- a/lib/specinfra/helper/detect_os/suse.rb
+++ b/lib/specinfra/helper/detect_os/suse.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ def detect
       if line =~ /VERSION_ID=\"(\d+\.\d+|\d+)\"/
         release = $1
       end
-      { :family => family, :release => release }
+      if family
+        { :family => family, :release => release }
+      end
     elsif run_command('ls /etc/SuSE-release').success? and run_command('zypper -V').success?
       line = run_command('cat /etc/SuSE-release').stdout
       if line =~ /SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (\d+)/
diff --git a/spec/helper/detect_os/suse_spec.rb b/spec/helper/detect_os/suse_spec.rb
index ad292670..1f91fe1f 100644
--- a/spec/helper/detect_os/suse_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helper/detect_os/suse_spec.rb
@@ -39,4 +39,10 @@
       :release => '11.4'
     )
   end
+  it 'should not assume the system is SUSE just because zypper is installed' do
+    allow(suse).to receive(:run_command) {
+      CommandResult.new(:stdout => "PRETTY_NAME=\"Debian GNU/Linux forky/sid\"\nNAME=\"Debian GNU/Linux\"\nVERSION_CODENAME=forky\nID=debian\nHOME_URL=\"https://www.debian.org/\"\nSUPPORT_URL=\"https://www.debian.org/support\"\nBUG_REPORT_URL=\"https://bugs.debian.org/\"\n", :exit_status => 0)
+    }
+    expect(suse.detect).to be_nil
+  end
 end