diff --git a/Lib/sysconfig.py b/Lib/sysconfig.py
--- a/Lib/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/sysconfig.py
@@ -661,29 +661,26 @@ def get_platform():
         cfgvars = get_config_vars()
         macver = cfgvars.get('MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET')
 
-        if True:
-            # Always calculate the release of the running machine,
-            # needed to determine if we can build fat binaries or not.
+        # Always calculate the release of the running machine,
+        # needed to determine if we can build fat binaries or not.
+        macrelease = macver
 
-            macrelease = macver
-            # Get the system version. Reading this plist is a documented
-            # way to get the system version (see the documentation for
-            # the Gestalt Manager)
+        # Get the system version. Reading this plist is a documented
+        # way to get the system version (see the documentation for
+        # the Gestalt Manager)
+        fn = '/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist'
+        if os.path.exists(fn):
+            import plistlib
+            plist = plistlib.readPlist(fn)
             try:
-                f = open('/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist')
-            except IOError:
-                # We're on a plain darwin box, fall back to the default
-                # behaviour.
+                text = plist['ProductUserVisibleVersion']
+            except KeyError:
                 pass
             else:
-                try:
-                    m = re.search(r'<key>ProductUserVisibleVersion</key>\s*'
-                                  r'<string>(.*?)</string>', f.read())
-                finally:
-                    f.close()
-                if m is not None:
-                    macrelease = '.'.join(m.group(1).split('.')[:2])
-                # else: fall back to the default behaviour
+                macrelease = '.'.join(text.split('.')[:2])
+        # else: We're on a plain darwin box, fall back to the default
+        # behaviour.
+
 
         if not macver:
             macver = macrelease