diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/fsprobe.h b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/fsprobe.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11de3af6f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/fsprobe.h
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Poor man's partition probe for known file system
+ * \author Josef Soentgen
+ * \date   2018-05-03
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _PART_BLK__FSPROBE_H_
+#define _PART_BLK__FSPROBE_H_
+
+/* Genode includes */
+#include <base/env.h>
+#include <base/log.h>
+
+namespace Fs {
+
+	using namespace Genode;
+
+	using Type = Genode::String<32>;
+
+	Type probe(uint8_t *buffer, size_t len);
+
+	/**
+	 * Probe for Ext2/3/4
+	 */
+	Type _probe_extfs(uint8_t *p, size_t len)
+	{
+		if (len < 4096) { return Type(); }
+
+		/* super block starts a byte offset 1024 */
+		p += 0x400;
+
+		bool const found_ext_sig = p[0x38] == 0x53 && p[0x39] == 0xEF;
+
+		enum {
+			COMPAT_HAS_JOURNAL      = 0x004u,
+			INCOMPAT_EXTENTS        = 0x040u,
+			RO_COMPAT_METADATA_CSUM = 0x400u,
+		};
+
+		uint32_t const compat    = *(uint32_t*)(p + 0x5C);
+		uint32_t const incompat  = *(uint32_t*)(p + 0x60);
+		uint32_t const ro_compat = *(uint32_t*)(p + 0x64);
+
+		/* the feature flags should denote a given Ext version */
+
+		bool const ext3 = compat & COMPAT_HAS_JOURNAL;
+		bool const ext4 = ext3 && ((incompat & INCOMPAT_EXTENTS)
+		                       &&  (ro_compat & RO_COMPAT_METADATA_CSUM));
+
+		if      (found_ext_sig && ext4) { return Type("Ext4"); }
+		else if (found_ext_sig && ext3) { return Type("Ext3"); }
+		else if (found_ext_sig)         { return Type("Ext2"); }
+
+		return Type();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Probe for FAT16/32
+	 */
+	Type _probe_fatfs(uint8_t *p, size_t len)
+	{
+		if (len < 512) { return Type(); }
+
+		/* at least the checks ring true when mkfs.vfat is used... */
+
+		bool const found_boot_sig = p[510] == 0x55 && p[511] == 0xAA;
+
+		bool const fat16 =     p[38] == 0x28 || p[38] == 0x29;
+		bool const fat32 =    (p[66] == 0x28 || p[66] == 0x29)
+		                   && (p[82] == 'F' && p[83] == 'A');
+
+		if (found_boot_sig && fat32) { return Type("FAT32"); }
+		if (found_boot_sig && fat16) { return Type("FAT16"); }
+
+		return Type();
+	}
+}
+
+
+Fs::Type Fs::probe(uint8_t *p, size_t len)
+{
+	/* Ext2/3/4 */
+	{
+		Type t = _probe_extfs(p, len);
+		if (t.valid()) { return t; }
+	}
+
+	/* FAT16/32 */
+	{
+		Type t = _probe_fatfs(p, len);
+		if (t.valid()) { return t; }
+	}
+
+	return Type();
+}
+
+#endif /* _PART_BLK__FSPROBE_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/gpt.h b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/gpt.h
index 63c5a8044f..38b0f576a5 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/gpt.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/gpt.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "driver.h"
 #include "partition_table.h"
+#include "fsprobe.h"
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -265,6 +266,10 @@ class Gpt : public Block::Partition_table
 							continue;
 						}
 
+						enum { BYTES = 4096, };
+						Sector fs(driver, e->_lba_start, BYTES / driver.blk_size());
+						Fs::Type fs_type = Fs::probe(fs.addr<Genode::uint8_t*>(), BYTES);
+
 						xml.node("partition", [&] () {
 							xml.attribute("number", i + 1);
 							xml.attribute("name", e->name());
@@ -272,6 +277,9 @@ class Gpt : public Block::Partition_table
 							xml.attribute("guid", e->_guid.to_string());
 							xml.attribute("start", e->_lba_start);
 							xml.attribute("length", e->_lba_end - e->_lba_start + 1);
+							if (fs_type.valid()) {
+								xml.attribute("file_system", fs_type);
+							}
 						});
 					}
 				});
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/mbr.h b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/mbr.h
index 1cf8cb7968..a867057708 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/mbr.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/part_blk/mbr.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <block_session/client.h>
 
 #include "partition_table.h"
+#include "fsprobe.h"
 
 
 struct Mbr_partition_table : public Block::Partition_table
@@ -165,11 +166,20 @@ struct Mbr_partition_table : public Block::Partition_table
 					xml.attribute("type", "mbr");
 
 					_parse_mbr(mbr, [&] (int i, Partition_record *r, unsigned offset) {
+
+						enum { BYTES = 4096, };
+						Sector fs(driver, r->_lba + offset, BYTES / driver.blk_size());
+						Fs::Type fs_type = Fs::probe(fs.addr<Genode::uint8_t*>(), BYTES);
+
 						xml.node("partition", [&] {
 							xml.attribute("number", i);
 							xml.attribute("type", r->_type);
 							xml.attribute("start", r->_lba + offset);
 							xml.attribute("length", r->_sectors);
+
+							if (fs_type.valid()) {
+								xml.attribute("file_system", fs_type);
+							}
 						});
 					});
 				});