diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
index a58f0e8102..90668cc4df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python: [2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7]
+        python: [2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8]
         modules_tool: [Lmod-6.6.3, Lmod-7.8.22, Lmod-8.1.14, modules-tcl-1.147, modules-3.2.10, modules-4.1.4]
         module_syntax: [Lua, Tcl]
         # exclude some configuration for non-Lmod modules tool:
         # - don't test with Lua module syntax (only supported in Lmod)
-        # - don't test with Python 3.5 and 3.7 (only with 2.7 and 3.6), to limit test configurations
+        # - exclude Python 3.x versions other than 3.6, to limit test configurations
         exclude:
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
             module_syntax: Lua
@@ -23,14 +23,20 @@ jobs:
             python: 3.5
           - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
             python: 3.7
+          - modules_tool: modules-tcl-1.147
+            python: 3.8
           - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
             python: 3.5
           - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
             python: 3.7
+          - modules_tool: modules-3.2.10
+            python: 3.8
           - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
             python: 3.5
           - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
             python: 3.7
+          - modules_tool: modules-4.1.4
+            python: 3.8
       fail-fast: false
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v1
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index e780254118..c7d8a76d50 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ matrix:
     - python: 3.7
       dist: xenial
       env: LMOD_VERSION=7.8.22
+    - python: 3.8
+      dist: xenial
+      env: LMOD_VERSION=7.8.22
 addons:
   apt:
     packages:
diff --git a/easybuild/tools/systemtools.py b/easybuild/tools/systemtools.py
index ee6b0bceaf..c0242c8b71 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/systemtools.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/systemtools.py
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@
 
 _log = fancylogger.getLogger('systemtools', fname=False)
 
+
+try:
+    import distro
+    HAVE_DISTRO = True
+except ImportError as err:
+    _log.debug("Failed to import 'distro' Python module: %s", err)
+    HAVE_DISTRO = False
+
+
 # Architecture constants
 AARCH32 = 'AArch32'
 AARCH64 = 'AArch64'
@@ -531,9 +540,21 @@ def get_os_name():
     Determine system name, e.g., 'redhat' (generic), 'centos', 'debian', 'fedora', 'suse', 'ubuntu',
     'red hat enterprise linux server', 'SL' (Scientific Linux), 'opensuse', ...
     """
-    # platform.linux_distribution is more useful, but only available since Python 2.6
-    # this allows to differentiate between Fedora, CentOS, RHEL and Scientific Linux (Rocks is just CentOS)
-    os_name = platform.linux_distribution()[0].strip().lower()
+    os_name = None
+
+    # platform.linux_distribution was removed in Python 3.8,
+    # see https://docs.python.org/2/library/platform.html#platform.linux_distribution
+    if hasattr(platform, 'linux_distribution'):
+        # platform.linux_distribution is more useful, but only available since Python 2.6
+        # this allows to differentiate between Fedora, CentOS, RHEL and Scientific Linux (Rocks is just CentOS)
+        os_name = platform.linux_distribution()[0].strip().lower()
+    elif HAVE_DISTRO:
+        # distro package is the recommended alternative to platform.linux_distribution,
+        # see https://pypi.org/project/distro
+        os_name = distro.name()
+    else:
+        # no easy way to determine name of Linux distribution
+        os_name = None
 
     os_name_map = {
         'red hat enterprise linux server': 'RHEL',
@@ -550,7 +571,15 @@ def get_os_name():
 
 def get_os_version():
     """Determine system version."""
-    os_version = platform.dist()[1]
+
+    # platform.dist was removed in Python 3.8
+    if hasattr(platform, 'dist'):
+        os_version = platform.dist()[1]
+    elif HAVE_DISTRO:
+        os_version = distro.version()
+    else:
+        os_version = None
+
     if os_version:
         if get_os_name() in ["suse", "SLES"]: