diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 15f2ac1e5..6dbebe529 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#define _GNU_SOURCE // needed for strptime to be at the top
 #include "slsDetectorFunctionList.h"
 #include "ALTERA_PLL_CYCLONE10.h"
 #include "ASIC_Driver.h"
@@ -15,10 +14,10 @@
 
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <time.h>
 #include <unistd.h> // usleep
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
 #include <pthread.h>
+#include <time.h>
 #endif
 
 // Global variable from slsDetectorServer_funcs
@@ -182,45 +181,7 @@ int checkKernelVersion() {
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
     return OK;
 #endif
-
-    // extract kernel date string
-    char output[256];
-    memset(output, 0, 256);
-    FILE *sysFile = popen("uname -a | cut -d ' ' -f5-10", "r");
-    fgets(output, sizeof(output), sysFile);
-    pclose(sysFile);
-    // remove end line
-    output[strlen(output) - 1] = '\0';
-
-    // convert kernel date string into time
-    struct tm kernelDate;
-    if (NULL == strptime(output, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &kernelDate)) {
-        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse retrieved kernel date, %s\n", output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    time_t t_kernelDate = mktime(&kernelDate);
-
-    // convert expected date into time
-    struct tm expDate;
-    if (NULL ==
-        strptime(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &expDate)) {
-        LOG(logERROR,
-            ("Could not parse expected kernel date, %s\n", KERNEL_DATE_VRSN));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    time_t t_expDate = mktime(&expDate);
-
-    // compare if kernel time is older than expected time
-    if (t_kernelDate < t_expDate) {
-        LOG(logERROR,
-            ("Kernel Version Incompatible (too old)! Expected: %s, Got %s\n",
-             KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-
-    LOG(logINFOBLUE, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s [min.: %s]\n", output,
-                      KERNEL_DATE_VRSN));
-    return OK;
+    return Nios_checkKernelVersion(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN);
 }
 
 int checkType() {
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 178f380d4..a220412ff 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#define _GNU_SOURCE // needed for strptime to be at the top
 #include "slsDetectorFunctionList.h"
 #include "ALTERA_PLL_CYCLONE10.h"
 #include "DAC6571.h"
@@ -14,10 +13,10 @@
 
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <time.h>
 #include <unistd.h> // usleep
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
 #include <pthread.h>
+#include <time.h>
 #endif
 
 // Global variable from slsDetectorServer_funcs
@@ -169,44 +168,7 @@ int checkKernelVersion() {
     return OK;
 #endif
 
-    // extract kernel date string
-    char output[256];
-    memset(output, 0, 256);
-    FILE *sysFile = popen("uname -a | cut -d ' ' -f5-10", "r");
-    fgets(output, sizeof(output), sysFile);
-    pclose(sysFile);
-    // remove end line
-    output[strlen(output) - 1] = '\0';
-
-    // convert kernel date string into time
-    struct tm kernelDate;
-    if (NULL == strptime(output, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &kernelDate)) {
-        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse retrieved kernel date, %s\n", output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    time_t t_kernelDate = mktime(&kernelDate);
-
-    // convert expected date into time
-    struct tm expDate;
-    if (NULL ==
-        strptime(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &expDate)) {
-        LOG(logERROR,
-            ("Could not parse expected kernel date, %s\n", KERNEL_DATE_VRSN));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    time_t t_expDate = mktime(&expDate);
-
-    // compare if kernel time is older than expected time
-    if (t_kernelDate < t_expDate) {
-        LOG(logERROR,
-            ("Kernel Version Incompatible (too old)! Expected: %s, Got %s\n",
-             KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-
-    LOG(logINFOBLUE, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s [min.: %s]\n", output,
-                      KERNEL_DATE_VRSN));
-    return OK;
+    return Nios_checkKernelVersion(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN);
 }
 
 int checkType() {
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
index fed3cbbf2..1f2ebbe42 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 /**
  * Convert a value from a range to a different range (eg voltage to dac or vice
@@ -16,4 +17,6 @@
 int ConvertToDifferentRange(int inputMin, int inputMax, int outputMin,
                             int outputMax, int inputValue, int *outputValue);
 
-int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname);
\ No newline at end of file
+int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname);
+
+int GetTimeFromString(char *buf, time_t *result);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
index d8b0ac2b4..128f556cf 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
@@ -87,3 +87,7 @@ int mapCSP0(void);
  * Get Nios base address
  */
 u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress();
+
+/** check kernel version against expected version string (complain if too old)
+ * @returns OK or FAIL */
+int Nios_checkKernelVersion(char *expectedVersion);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
index 04af3bb11..5d2cb5c1a 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE // needed for strptime to be at the top
 #include "common.h"
 #include "clogger.h"
 #include "sls_detector_defs.h"
@@ -59,4 +60,13 @@ int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname) {
     sprintf(buf, "%s/%s", dir, fname);
     LOG(logDEBUG1, ("full path for %s: %s\n", fname, buf));
     return OK;
+}
+
+int GetTimeFromString(char *buf, time_t *result) {
+    struct tm t;
+    if (NULL == strptime(buf, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &t)) {
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+    *result = mktime(&t);
+    return OK;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
index 7a1e4b619..82fbbcc07 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 #include "RegisterDefs.h"
 #include "ansi.h"
 #include "clogger.h"
+#include "common.h"
 #include "sls_detector_defs.h"
 
-#include <fcntl.h>    // open
-#include <sys/mman.h> // mmap
+#include <fcntl.h> // open
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>    // mmap
+#include <sys/utsname.h> // uname
 
 /* global variables */
 u_int32_t *csp0base = 0;
@@ -126,4 +129,50 @@ int mapCSP0(void) {
     return OK;
 }
 
-u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress() { return csp0base; }
\ No newline at end of file
+u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress() { return csp0base; }
+
+int Nios_checkKernelVersion(char *expectedVersion) {
+    // extract kernel date string
+    struct utsname buf;
+    if (uname(&buf) == -1) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not get kernel version\n"));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // remove first word (#version number)
+    const char *ptr = strchr(buf.version, ' ');
+    if (ptr == NULL) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse kernel version\n"));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+    char output[256];
+    memset(output, 0, 256);
+    strcpy(output, buf.version + (ptr - buf.version + 1));
+
+    // convert kernel date string into time
+    time_t kernelDate;
+    if (GetTimeFromString(output, &kernelDate) == FAIL) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse retrieved kernel date, %s\n", output));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // convert expected date into time
+    time_t expDate;
+    if (GetTimeFromString(expectedVersion, &expDate) == FAIL) {
+        LOG(logERROR,
+            ("Could not parse expected kernel date, %s\n", expectedVersion));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // compare if kernel time is older than expected time
+    if (kernelDate < expDate) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Kernel Version Incompatible (too old)! Expected: [%s], "
+                       "Got [%s]\n",
+                       expectedVersion, output));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    LOG(logINFOBLUE, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s [min.: %s]\n", output,
+                      expectedVersion));
+    return OK;
+}
\ No newline at end of file