diff --git a/utils/rabbitmq-update-pid.sh b/utils/rabbitmq-update-pid.sh
index 382515428..d5360b2fe 100755
--- a/utils/rabbitmq-update-pid.sh
+++ b/utils/rabbitmq-update-pid.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-#Hack to parse rabbitmq pid and place it into the correct directory. This is also
-#done in our rabbitmq init.d script, but placing it here so that monit recognizes 
-# it faster (in time for the upcoming airtime-check-system)
-codename=`lsb_release -cs`
-if [ "$codename" = "lucid" -o "$codename" = "maverick" -o "$codename" = "natty" -o "$codename" = "squeeze" ]
-then
-    rabbitmqpid=`sed "s/.*,\(.*\)\}.*/\1/" /var/lib/rabbitmq/pids`
-else
-    #RabbitMQ in Ubuntu Oneiric and newer have a different way of storing the PID.
+/etc/init.d/rabbitmq-server status | grep "\[{pid"
+pid_found="$?"
+
+if [ "$pid_found" == "0" ]; then
+    #PID is available in the status message
     rabbitmqstatus=`/etc/init.d/rabbitmq-server status | grep "\[{pid"`
     rabbitmqpid=`echo $rabbitmqstatus | sed "s/.*,\(.*\)\}.*/\1/"`
+else
+    #PID should be available from file
+    rabbitmqpid=`sed "s/.*,\(.*\)\}.*/\1/" /var/lib/rabbitmq/pids`
 fi
+
 echo "RabbitMQ PID: $rabbitmqpid"
 echo "$rabbitmqpid" > /var/run/rabbitmq.pid