diff --git a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp.go b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp.go
index 1585dff362..ca5b3fc1eb 100644
--- a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp.go
+++ b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp.go
@@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ func snmp_oid(host, community, oid string) (*big.Int, error) {
 	return v, err
 }
 
+func snmpOidString(host, community, oid string) (string, error) {
+	var v []byte
+	err := snmp.Get(host, community, oid, &v)
+	return string(v), err
+}
+
 func snmp_convertToFloat(v interface{}) (float64, error) {
 	switch val := v.(type) {
 	case int:
diff --git a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_cisco.go b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_cisco.go
index 57909d29eb..10c185e2ce 100644
--- a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_cisco.go
+++ b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_cisco.go
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ func SNMPCiscoASA(cfg conf.SNMP) {
 			Interval: time.Second * 30,
 			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-asa-%s", cfg.Host),
 		},
+		&IntervalCollector{
+			F: func() (opentsdb.MultiDataPoint, error) {
+				return c_cisco_desc(cfg.Host, cfg.Community)
+			},
+			Interval: time.Minute * 5,
+			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-desc-%s", cfg.Host),
+		},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -40,6 +47,13 @@ func SNMPCiscoIOS(cfg conf.SNMP) {
 			Interval: time.Second * 30,
 			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-ios-%s", cfg.Host),
 		},
+		&IntervalCollector{
+			F: func() (opentsdb.MultiDataPoint, error) {
+				return c_cisco_desc(cfg.Host, cfg.Community)
+			},
+			Interval: time.Minute * 5,
+			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-desc-%s", cfg.Host),
+		},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -54,6 +68,13 @@ func SNMPCiscoNXOS(cfg conf.SNMP) {
 			Interval: time.Second * 30,
 			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-nxos-%s", cfg.Host),
 		},
+		&IntervalCollector{
+			F: func() (opentsdb.MultiDataPoint, error) {
+				return c_cisco_desc(cfg.Host, cfg.Community)
+			},
+			Interval: time.Minute * 5,
+			name:     fmt.Sprintf("snmp-cisco-desc-%s", cfg.Host),
+		},
 	)
 }
 
@@ -218,3 +239,16 @@ func c_cisco_nxos(host, community string, cpuIntegrator tsIntegrator) (opentsdb.
 	}
 	return md, nil
 }
+
+func c_cisco_desc(host, community string) (opentsdb.MultiDataPoint, error) {
+	var md opentsdb.MultiDataPoint
+	desc, err := getSNMPDesc(host, community)
+	if err != nil {
+		return md, err
+	}
+	if desc == "" {
+		return md, fmt.Errorf("empty description string (used to get OS version) for cisco host %v", host)
+	}
+	metadata.AddMeta("", opentsdb.TagSet{"host": host}, "versionCaption", desc, false)
+	return md, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_sys.go b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_sys.go
index fa93a9fe6a..1055ae760e 100644
--- a/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_sys.go
+++ b/cmd/scollector/collectors/snmp_sys.go
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ import (
 	"bosun.org/opentsdb"
 )
 
-const sysUpTime = ".1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0" // "The time (in hundredths of a second) since the network management portion of the system was last re-initialized."
+const (
+	sysUpTime = ".1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0" // "The time (in hundredths of a second) since the network management portion of the system was last re-initialized."
+	sysDescr  = ".1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0"
+)
 
 // SNMPSys registers a SNMP system data collector for the given community and host.
 func SNMPSys(cfg conf.SNMP) {
@@ -32,3 +35,13 @@ func c_snmp_sys(host, community string) (opentsdb.MultiDataPoint, error) {
 	Add(&md, osSystemUptime, uptime.Int64()/big.NewInt(100).Int64(), opentsdb.TagSet{"host": host}, metadata.Gauge, metadata.Second, osSystemUptimeDesc)
 	return md, nil
 }
+
+// Description may mean different things so it isn't called in sys, for example
+// with cisco it is the os version
+func getSNMPDesc(host, community string) (description string, err error) {
+	description, err = snmpOidString(host, community, sysDescr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return description, fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch description for host %v: %v", host, err)
+	}
+	return
+}