diff --git a/cli/js/dispatch.ts b/cli/js/dispatch.ts
index 64a392ab9b5dec..8e773dc8b125a9 100644
--- a/cli/js/dispatch.ts
+++ b/cli/js/dispatch.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export let OP_TRANSPILE: number;
 export let OP_SIGNAL_BIND: number;
 export let OP_SIGNAL_UNBIND: number;
 export let OP_SIGNAL_POLL: number;
+export let OP_OS_RELEASE: number;
 
 const PLUGIN_ASYNC_HANDLER_MAP: Map<number, AsyncHandler> = new Map();
 
diff --git a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
index 1839c813a41c65..163e0293efeb41 100644
--- a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
+++ b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ declare namespace Deno {
    */
   export function hostname(): string;
 
+  /** Get the OS release. Requires the `--allow-env` flag.
+   *
+   *       console.log(Deno.op_release());
+   */
+  export function osRelease(): string;
+
   /** Exit the Deno process with optional exit code. */
   export function exit(code?: number): never;
 
diff --git a/cli/js/os.ts b/cli/js/os.ts
index 275dbdf1d599be..e4fdaa4fb85bda 100644
--- a/cli/js/os.ts
+++ b/cli/js/os.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ export function hostname(): string {
   return sendSync(dispatch.OP_HOSTNAME);
 }
 
+/** Get OS release.
+ * Requires the `--allow-env` flag.
+ *
+ *       console.log(Deno.osRelease());
+ */
+export function osRelease(): string {
+  return sendSync(dispatch.OP_OS_RELEASE);
+}
+
 /** Exit the Deno process with optional exit code. */
 export function exit(code = 0): never {
   sendSync(dispatch.OP_EXIT, { code });
diff --git a/cli/js/os_test.ts b/cli/js/os_test.ts
index fa4bf636b3a146..97f0ff076c52c4 100644
--- a/cli/js/os_test.ts
+++ b/cli/js/os_test.ts
@@ -298,3 +298,19 @@ testPerm({ env: false }, function hostnamePerm(): void {
   }
   assert(caughtError);
 });
+
+testPerm({ env: true }, function releaseDir(): void {
+  assertNotEquals(Deno.osRelease(), "");
+});
+
+testPerm({ env: false }, function releasePerm(): void {
+  let caughtError = false;
+  try {
+    Deno.osRelease();
+  } catch (err) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assertEquals(err.kind, Deno.Err.PermissionDenied);
+    assertEquals(err.name, "PermissionDenied");
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+});
diff --git a/cli/ops/os.rs b/cli/ops/os.rs
index 8def5ac1ef4441..1798246f714f9e 100644
--- a/cli/ops/os.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/os.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ pub fn init(i: &mut Isolate, s: &State) {
   i.register_op("get_env", s.core_op(json_op(s.stateful_op(op_get_env))));
   i.register_op("get_dir", s.core_op(json_op(s.stateful_op(op_get_dir))));
   i.register_op("hostname", s.core_op(json_op(s.stateful_op(op_hostname))));
+  i.register_op(
+    "os_release",
+    s.core_op(json_op(s.stateful_op(op_os_release))),
+  );
 }
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
@@ -167,3 +171,13 @@ fn op_hostname(
   let hostname = sys_info::hostname().unwrap_or_else(|_| "".to_owned());
   Ok(JsonOp::Sync(json!(hostname)))
 }
+
+fn op_os_release(
+  state: &State,
+  _args: Value,
+  _zero_copy: Option<ZeroCopyBuf>,
+) -> Result<JsonOp, ErrBox> {
+  state.check_env()?;
+  let release = sys_info::os_release().unwrap_or_else(|_| "".to_owned());
+  Ok(JsonOp::Sync(json!(release)))
+}
diff --git a/std/node/os.ts b/std/node/os.ts
index 8facde2921c072..9ff03b9427bfec 100644
--- a/std/node/os.ts
+++ b/std/node/os.ts
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ export function platform(): string {
   return process.platform;
 }
 
-/** Not yet implemented */
+/** Returns the operating system as a string */
 export function release(): string {
-  notImplemented(SEE_GITHUB_ISSUE);
+  return Deno.osRelease();
 }
 
 /** Not yet implemented */
diff --git a/std/node/os_test.ts b/std/node/os_test.ts
index f13589a4bcdf1e..9626c32cff59fd 100644
--- a/std/node/os_test.ts
+++ b/std/node/os_test.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ test({
   }
 });
 
+test({
+  name: "release is a string",
+  fn() {
+    assertEquals(typeof os.release(), "string");
+  }
+});
+
 test({
   name: "getPriority(): PID must be a 32 bit integer",
   fn() {