diff --git a/Lib/platform.py b/Lib/platform.py
index cbbe6d8b3c8..c3c4b328e11 100755
--- a/Lib/platform.py
+++ b/Lib/platform.py
@@ -1183,6 +1183,14 @@ _ironpython_sys_version_parser = re.compile(
     '(?: \(([\d\.]+)\))?'
     ' on (.NET [\d\.]+)', re.ASCII)
 
+# IronPython covering 2.6 and 2.7
+_ironpython26_sys_version_parser = re.compile(
+    r'([\d.]+)\s*'
+    '\(IronPython\s*'
+    '[\d.]+\s*'
+    '\(([\d.]+)\) on ([\w.]+ [\d.]+(?: \(\d+-bit\))?)\)'
+)
+
 _pypy_sys_version_parser = re.compile(
     r'([\w.+]+)\s*'
     '\(#?([^,]+),\s*([\w ]+),\s*([\w :]+)\)\s*'
@@ -1220,19 +1228,24 @@ def _sys_version(sys_version=None):
         return result
 
     # Parse it
-    if sys_version[:10] == 'IronPython':
+    if 'IronPython' in sys_version:
         # IronPython
         name = 'IronPython'
-        match = _ironpython_sys_version_parser.match(sys_version)
+        if sys_version.startswith('IronPython'):
+            match = _ironpython_sys_version_parser.match(sys_version)
+        else:
+            match = _ironpython26_sys_version_parser.match(sys_version)
+
         if match is None:
             raise ValueError(
                 'failed to parse IronPython sys.version: %s' %
                 repr(sys_version))
+
         version, alt_version, compiler = match.groups()
         buildno = ''
         builddate = ''
 
-    elif sys.platform[:4] == 'java':
+    elif sys.platform.startswith('java'):
         # Jython
         name = 'Jython'
         match = _sys_version_parser.match(sys_version)
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_platform.py b/Lib/test/test_platform.py
index 6abf44342aa..0dcfe0504a5 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_platform.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_platform.py
@@ -91,15 +91,28 @@ class PlatformTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 ("CPython", "2.6.1", "tags/r261", "67515",
                  ('r261:67515', 'Dec  6 2008 15:26:00'),
                  'GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5370)'),
+
             ("IronPython 2.0 (2.0.0.0) on .NET 2.0.50727.3053", None, "cli")
             :
                 ("IronPython", "2.0.0", "", "", ("", ""),
                  ".NET 2.0.50727.3053"),
+
+            ("2.6.1 (IronPython 2.6.1 (2.6.10920.0) on .NET 2.0.50727.1433)", None, "cli")
+            :
+                ("IronPython", "2.6.1", "", "", ("", ""),
+                 ".NET 2.0.50727.1433"),
+
+            ("2.7.4 (IronPython 2.7.4 (2.7.0.40) on Mono 4.0.30319.1 (32-bit))", None, "cli")
+            :
+                ("IronPython", "2.7.4", "", "", ("", ""),
+                 "Mono 4.0.30319.1 (32-bit)"),
+
             ("2.5 (trunk:6107, Mar 26 2009, 13:02:18) \n[Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (\"Apple Computer, Inc.\")]",
             ('Jython', 'trunk', '6107'), "java1.5.0_16")
             :
                 ("Jython", "2.5.0", "trunk", "6107",
                  ('trunk:6107', 'Mar 26 2009'), "java1.5.0_16"),
+
             ("2.5.2 (63378, Mar 26 2009, 18:03:29)\n[PyPy 1.0.0]",
              ('PyPy', 'trunk', '63378'), self.save_platform)
             :
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index 880e4f0baa2..849fe99c3e8 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ Nick Mathewson
 Simon Mathieu
 Laura Matson
 Graham Matthews
+Martin Matusiak
 Dieter Maurer
 Daniel May
 Madison May
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index af66063d69d..8a31887d7f6 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #8964: fix platform._sys_version to handle IronPython 2.6+.
+  Patch by Martin Matusiak.
+
 - Issue #18958: Improve error message for json.load(s) while passing a string
   that starts with a UTF-8 BOM.