diff --git a/engine/client/identification.c b/engine/client/identification.c
index 3713c356..23f4d619 100644
--- a/engine/client/identification.c
+++ b/engine/client/identification.c
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ static void ID_VerifyHEX_f( void )
 }
 
 #if XASH_LINUX
+// TODO: do modern Linux even expose CPU serial number?
+// if not, remove this
 static qboolean ID_ProcessCPUInfo( bloomfilter_t *value )
 {
 	int cpuinfofd = open( "/proc/cpuinfo", O_RDONLY );
@@ -174,8 +176,11 @@ static qboolean ID_ProcessCPUInfo( bloomfilter_t *value )
 	if( cpuinfofd < 0 )
 		return false;
 
-	if( (ret = read( cpuinfofd, buffer, 1023 ) ) < 0 )
+	if(( ret = read( cpuinfofd, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) - 1 )) < 0 )
+	{
+		close( cpuinfofd );
 		return false;
+	}
 
 	close( cpuinfofd );
 
@@ -184,15 +189,13 @@ static qboolean ID_ProcessCPUInfo( bloomfilter_t *value )
 	if( !ret )
 		return false;
 
-	pbuf = Q_strstr( buffer, "Serial" );
+	pbuf = Q_stristr( buffer, "Serial" );
 	if( !pbuf )
 		return false;
 	pbuf += 6;
 
-	if( ( pbuf2 = Q_strchr( pbuf, '\n' ) ) )
-		*pbuf2 = 0;
-	else
-		pbuf2 = pbuf + Q_strlen( pbuf );
+	pbuf2 = Q_strchrnul( pbuf, '\n' );
+	*pbuf2 = 0;
 
 	if( !ID_VerifyHEX( pbuf ) )
 		return false;
@@ -302,8 +305,11 @@ static qboolean ID_ProcessFile( bloomfilter_t *value, const char *path )
 	if( fd < 0 )
 		return false;
 
-	if( (ret = read( fd, buffer, 255 ) ) < 0 )
+	if(( ret = read( fd, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) - 1 )) < 0 )
+	{
+		close( fd );
 		return false;
+	}
 
 	close( fd );
 
@@ -522,7 +528,7 @@ static bloomfilter_t ID_GenerateRawId( void )
 	int count = 0;
 
 #if XASH_LINUX
-#if XASH_ANDROID && !XASH_DEDICATED
+#if XASH_ANDROID
 	{
 		const char *androidid = Android_GetAndroidID();
 		if( androidid && ID_VerifyHEX( androidid ) )
@@ -531,7 +537,11 @@ static bloomfilter_t ID_GenerateRawId( void )
 			count ++;
 		}
 	}
-#endif
+#else // !XASH_ANDROID
+	// most systemd/Linux distros expose this file
+	count += ID_ProcessFile( &value, "/etc/machine-id" );
+#endif // !XASH_ANDROID
+
 	count += ID_ProcessCPUInfo( &value );
 	count += ID_ProcessFiles( &value, "/sys/block", "device/cid" );
 	count += ID_ProcessNetDevices( &value );
@@ -563,7 +573,7 @@ static uint ID_CheckRawId( bloomfilter_t filter )
 	int count = 0;
 
 #if XASH_LINUX
-#if XASH_ANDROID && !XASH_DEDICATED
+#if XASH_ANDROID
 	{
 		const char *androidid = Android_GetAndroidID();
 		if( androidid && ID_VerifyHEX( androidid ) )
@@ -573,7 +583,15 @@ static uint ID_CheckRawId( bloomfilter_t filter )
 			value = 0;
 		}
 	}
-#endif
+#else // !XASH_ANDROID
+	// most systemd/Linux distros expose this file
+	if( ID_ProcessFile( &value, "/etc/machine-id" ))
+	{
+		count += (filter & value) == value;
+		value = 0;
+	}
+
+#endif // !XASH_ANDROID
 	count += ID_CheckNetDevices( filter );
 	count += ID_CheckFiles( filter, "/sys/block", "device/cid" );
 	if( ID_ProcessCPUInfo( &value ) )
@@ -622,7 +640,7 @@ static void ID_Check( void )
 	{
 		id = 0;
 #if 0
-		Msg( "%s: fail %d\n", __func__, weight );
+		Con_Printf( "%s: "S_RED"fail"S_DEFAULT" %d\n", __func__, weight );
 #endif
 		return;
 	}
@@ -630,7 +648,7 @@ static void ID_Check( void )
 	if( ID_CheckRawId( id ) < mincount )
 		id = 0;
 #if 0
-	Msg( "%s: success %d\n", __func__, weight );
+	Con_Printf( "%s: "S_GREEN"success"S_DEFAULT" %d\n", __func__, weight );
 #endif
 }