diff --git a/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/_os.py b/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/_os.py
index 5979ecdd8..5a0017b77 100644
--- a/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/_os.py
+++ b/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/_os.py
@@ -132,28 +132,46 @@ def domain(self) -> Optional[str]:
     def os(self) -> str:
         return OperatingSystem.UNIX.value
 
+    def _parse_rh_legacy(self, path):
+        hostname = None
+        file_contents = path.open("rt").readlines()
+        for line in file_contents:
+            if not line.startswith("HOSTNAME"):
+                continue
+            _, _, hostname = line.rstrip().partition("=")
+        return hostname
+
     def _parse_hostname_string(self, paths: Optional[list[str]] = None) -> Optional[dict[str, str]]:
         """
-        Returns a dict with containing the hostname and domain name portion of the path(s) specified
+        Returns a dict containing the hostname and domain name portion of the path(s) specified
 
         Args:
             paths (list): list of paths
         """
-        paths = paths or ["/etc/hostname", "/etc/HOSTNAME"]
-        hostname_string = None
+        redhat_legacy_path = "/etc/sysconfig/network"
+        paths = paths or ["/etc/hostname", "/etc/HOSTNAME", redhat_legacy_path]
+        hostname_dict = {"hostname": None, "domain": None}
 
         for path in paths:
-            for fs in self.target.filesystems:
-                if fs.exists(path):
-                    hostname_string = fs.path(path).open("rt").read().rstrip()
+            path = self.target.fs.path(path)
+
+            if not path.exists():
+                continue
+
+            if path.as_posix() == redhat_legacy_path:
+                hostname_string = self._parse_rh_legacy(path)
+            else:
+                hostname_string = path.open("rt").read().rstrip()
 
             if hostname_string and "." in hostname_string:
                 hostname_string = hostname_string.split(".", maxsplit=1)
                 hostname_dict = {"hostname": hostname_string[0], "domain": hostname_string[1]}
-            else:
+            elif hostname_string != "":
                 hostname_dict = {"hostname": hostname_string, "domain": None}
-
-            return hostname_dict
+            else:
+                hostname_dict = {"hostname": None, "domain": None}
+            break  # break whenever a valid hostname is found
+        return hostname_dict
 
     def _parse_hosts_string(self, paths: Optional[list[str]] = None) -> dict[str, str]:
         paths = paths or ["/etc/hosts"]
diff --git a/tests/plugins/os/unix/test__os.py b/tests/plugins/os/unix/test__os.py
index 087681ccd..c727d78ed 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/os/unix/test__os.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/os/unix/test__os.py
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import tempfile
+from io import BytesIO
+from pathlib import Path
 from uuid import UUID
 
+import pytest
+
 from dissect.target.filesystem import VirtualFilesystem
 from dissect.target.plugins.os.unix._os import parse_fstab
+from dissect.target.target import Target
 
 FSTAB_CONTENT = """
 # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
@@ -61,3 +66,37 @@ def test_parse_fstab(tmp_path):
         (None, "vg--main-lv--var", "/var", "auto", "default"),
         (None, "vg--main-lv--data", "/data", "auto", "default"),
     }
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "path, expected_hostname, expected_domain, file_content",
+    [
+        ("/etc/hostname", "myhost", "mydomain.com", "myhost.mydomain.com"),
+        ("/etc/HOSTNAME", "myhost", "mydomain.com", "myhost.mydomain.com"),
+        (
+            "/etc/sysconfig/network",
+            "myhost",
+            "mydomain.com",
+            "NETWORKING=NO\nHOSTNAME=myhost.mydomain.com\nGATEWAY=192.168.1.1",
+        ),
+        ("/etc/hostname", "myhost", None, "myhost"),
+        ("/etc/sysconfig/network", "myhost", None, "NETWORKING=NO\nHOSTNAME=myhost\nGATEWAY=192.168.1.1"),
+        ("/not_a_valid_hostname_path", None, None, ""),
+        ("/etc/hostname", None, None, ""),
+        ("/etc/sysconfig/network", None, None, ""),
+    ],
+)
+def test__parse_hostname_string(
+    target_unix: Target,
+    fs_unix: VirtualFilesystem,
+    path: Path,
+    expected_hostname: str,
+    expected_domain: str,
+    file_content: str,
+) -> None:
+    fs_unix.map_file_fh(path, BytesIO(file_content.encode("ascii")))
+
+    hostname_dict = target_unix._os._parse_hostname_string()
+
+    assert hostname_dict["hostname"] == expected_hostname
+    assert hostname_dict["domain"] == expected_domain