diff --git a/kiwi_metainfo_helper b/kiwi_metainfo_helper
index e519dd1..d1beb38 100644
--- a/kiwi_metainfo_helper
+++ b/kiwi_metainfo_helper
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-set -eu
+set -euo pipefail
 shopt -s nullglob
 
 if [ "${BUILD_DIST+x}" != "x" ]; then
@@ -33,17 +33,49 @@ else
 	fi
 fi
 
-[ -f /usr/lib/os-release ] && . /usr/lib/os-release
-[ -f /etc/os-release ] && . /etc/os-release
+# Print all rpm files which contain os-release
+find_release_rpms() {
+	find ./repos -name \*-release\*.rpm | while read rpm; do
+		if rpm -qlp "${rpm}" | grep -qE "^(/etc/os-release|/usr/lib/os-release)$"; then
+			echo "${rpm}"
+		fi
+	done
+}
 
-# Special case for SLE X "SP 0", make sure it has .0
-VERSION_ID_SP="${VERSION_ID}"
-[[ "${VERSION_ID_SP%}" == *"."* ]] || VERSION_ID_SP="${VERSION_ID}.0"
+if grep -q "%OS_" ${files[@]}; then
+	# Needs os-release, search for RPMs
+	relpkgs=($(find_release_rpms))
+
+	if [ ${#relpkgs[@]} -lt 1 ]; then
+		echo "No release package found, but recipe uses %OS_*% placeholders"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+
+	if [ ${#relpkgs[@]} -gt 1 ]; then
+		echo "Multiple release packages found, don't know which os-release to use"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+
+	# Extract the content
+	tempdir=$(mktemp -d)
+	trap "rm -r ${tempdir}" EXIT
+	rpm2cpio "${relpkgs[0]}" | cpio -idD "${tempdir}"
+
+	# And source it
+	[ -f "${tempdir}/usr/lib/os-release" ] && . "${tempdir}/usr/lib/os-release"
+	[ -f "${tempdir}/etc/os-release" ] && . "${tempdir}/etc/os-release"
+
+	# Special case for SLE X "SP 0", make sure it has .0
+	VERSION_ID_SP="${VERSION_ID}"
+	[[ "${VERSION_ID_SP%}" == *"."* ]] || VERSION_ID_SP="${VERSION_ID}.0"
+
+	sed -i"" \
+	    -e "s/%OS_VERSION_ID%/${VERSION_ID}/g" \
+	    -e "s/%OS_PRETTY_NAME%/${PRETTY_NAME}/g" \
+	    -e "s/%OS_VERSION_ID_SP%/${VERSION_ID_SP}/g" "${files[@]}"
+fi
 
 sed -i"" \
     -e "s#%DISTURL%#${DISTURL}#g" \
     -e "s/%RELEASE%/${RELEASE}/g" \
-    -e "s/%BUILDTIME%/$(date --utc +%FT%T.%NZ)/g" \
-    -e "s/%OS_VERSION_ID%/${VERSION_ID}/g" \
-    -e "s/%OS_PRETTY_NAME%/${PRETTY_NAME}/g" \
-    -e "s/%OS_VERSION_ID_SP%/${VERSION_ID_SP}/g" "${files[@]}"
+    -e "s/%BUILDTIME%/$(date --utc +%FT%T.%NZ)/g" "${files[@]}"
diff --git a/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.changes b/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.changes
index 820930d..54d21a3 100644
--- a/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.changes
+++ b/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Jan 27 11:25:26 UTC 2021 - Fabian Vogt <fvogt@suse.com>
+
+- Read os-release from the to be installed RPMs. This avoids pulling
+  in distribution-release when not necessary (boo#1180263)
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue Sep  1 08:42:45 UTC 2020 - Fabian Vogt <fvogt@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.spec b/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.spec
index cbc0589..e59ee28 100644
--- a/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.spec
+++ b/obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2020 SUSE LLC
+# Copyright (c) 2021 SUSE LLC
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 
 Name:           obs-service-kiwi_metainfo_helper
-Version:        0.1
+Version:        0.2
 Release:        0
 Summary:        Service for substituting various variables in build recipes
 License:        GPL-2.0-or-later
@@ -26,12 +26,9 @@ URL:            https://build.opensuse.org
 Source0:        kiwi_metainfo_helper.service
 Source1:        kiwi_metainfo_helper
 Source2:        README
-Requires:       sed
-# Technically, this should read os-release inside the built image, but doing
-# that is much more complex. As obsrepositories:// has to be used anyway,
-# using the system's os-release is fine for now.
-Requires:       (sles-release or openSUSE-release)
-Conflicts:      dummy-release
+Requires:       /usr/bin/find
+Requires:       /usr/bin/grep
+Requires:       /usr/bin/sed
 BuildArch:      noarch
 
 %description