diff --git a/lib/ohai/plugins/platform.rb b/lib/ohai/plugins/platform.rb
index 0c8d63de7..5f36bc530 100644
--- a/lib/ohai/plugins/platform.rb
+++ b/lib/ohai/plugins/platform.rb
@@ -18,12 +18,24 @@
 #
 
 Ohai.plugin(:Platform) do
-  provides "platform", "platform_version", "platform_family"
+  provides "platform", "platform_version", "platform_family", "platform_backend"
   depends "os", "os_version"
 
   collect_data(:default) do
     platform os unless attribute?("platform")
     platform_version os_version unless attribute?("platform_version")
     platform_family platform unless attribute?("platform_family")
+
+    platform_backend Mash.new
+    platform_backend["type"] = "local"
+    platform_backend["uri"] = "local://"
+
+    if connection
+      platform_backend["type"] = connection.backend_type
+      if connection.respond_to?(:uri)
+        platform_backend["type"] = connection.uri.split(":").first
+        platform_backend["uri"] = connection.uri
+      end
+    end
   end
 end