diff --git a/daemon/anonymous-statistics.sh.in b/daemon/anonymous-statistics.sh.in
index 32cbc71dbd..6b27dfea42 100755
--- a/daemon/anonymous-statistics.sh.in
+++ b/daemon/anonymous-statistics.sh.in
@@ -71,6 +71,23 @@ NETDATA_PREBUILT_DISTRO="${42}"
 
 [ -z "$NETDATA_REGISTRY_UNIQUE_ID" ] && NETDATA_REGISTRY_UNIQUE_ID="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
 
+KERNEL_NAME="$(uname -s)"
+MD5_PATH="$(exec <&- 2>&-; which md5sum || command -v md5sum || type md5sum)"
+
+if [ "${KERNEL_NAME}" = Darwin ] && command -v ioreg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="macos-$(ioreg -rd1 -c IOPlatformExpertDevice | awk '/IOPlatformUUID/ { split($0, line, "\""); printf("%s\n", line[4]); }')"
+elif [ -f /etc/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="machine-$($MD5_PATH < /etc/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
+elif [ -f /var/db/dbus/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$($MD5_PATH < /var/db/dbus/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
+elif [ -f /var/lib/dbus/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$($MD5_PATH < /var/lib/dbus/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
+elif command -v uuidgen > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="uuid-$(uuidgen | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')"
+else
+  SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID="null"
+fi
+
 # define body of request to be sent
 REQ_BODY="$(cat << EOF
 {
@@ -105,6 +122,7 @@ REQ_BODY="$(cat << EOF
         "system_virt_detection": "${NETDATA_SYSTEM_VIRT_DETECTION}",
         "system_container": "${NETDATA_SYSTEM_CONTAINER}",
         "system_container_detection": "${NETDATA_SYSTEM_CONTAINER_DETECTION}",
+        "system_distinct_id": "${SYSTEM_DISTINCT_ID}",
         "container_os_name": "${NETDATA_CONTAINER_OS_NAME}",
         "container_os_id": "${NETDATA_CONTAINER_OS_ID}",
         "container_os_id_like": "${NETDATA_CONTAINER_OS_ID_LIKE}",
diff --git a/packaging/installer/kickstart.sh b/packaging/installer/kickstart.sh
index 8ddcd86e07..ed448f7da2 100755
--- a/packaging/installer/kickstart.sh
+++ b/packaging/installer/kickstart.sh
@@ -257,14 +257,16 @@ telemetry_event() {
     TOTAL_RAM="$((TOTAL_RAM * 1024))"
   fi
 
+  MD5_PATH="$(exec <&- 2>&-; which md5sum || command -v md5sum || type md5sum)"
+
   if [ "${KERNEL_NAME}" = Darwin ] && command -v ioreg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     DISTINCT_ID="macos-$(ioreg -rd1 -c IOPlatformExpertDevice | awk '/IOPlatformUUID/ { split($0, line, "\""); printf("%s\n", line[4]); }')"
-  elif [ -f /etc/machine-id ]; then
-    DISTINCT_ID="machine-$(cat /etc/machine-id)"
-  elif [ -f /var/db/dbus/machine-id ]; then
-    DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$(cat /var/db/dbus/machine-id)"
-  elif [ -f /var/lib/dbus/machine-id ]; then
-    DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$(cat /var/lib/dbus/machine-id)"
+  elif [ -f /etc/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+    DISTINCT_ID="machine-$($MD5_PATH < /etc/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
+  elif [ -f /var/db/dbus/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+    DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$($MD5_PATH < /var/db/dbus/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
+  elif [ -f /var/lib/dbus/machine-id ] && [ -n "$MD5_PATH" ]; then
+    DISTINCT_ID="dbus-$($MD5_PATH < /var/lib/dbus/machine-id | cut -f1 -d" ")"
   elif command -v uuidgen > /dev/null 2>&1; then
     DISTINCT_ID="uuid-$(uuidgen | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')"
   else
@@ -300,7 +302,8 @@ telemetry_event() {
     "system_kernel_name": "${KERNEL_NAME}",
     "system_kernel_version": "$(uname -r)",
     "system_architecture": "$(uname -m)",
-    "system_total_ram": "${TOTAL_RAM:-unknown}"
+    "system_total_ram": "${TOTAL_RAM:-unknown}",
+    "system_distinct_id": "${DISTINCT_ID}"
   }
 }
 EOF