diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl.go
index 60722292e..52d9748fd 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl.go
@@ -897,6 +897,8 @@ func (s *ImageServiceImpl) CopyImage(ctx context.Context, input *ec2.CopyImageIn
 		ImageOwnerAlias: accountID,
 		CreationDate:    time.Now().UTC(),
 		BootMode:        srcMeta.BootMode,
+		Distro:          srcMeta.Distro,
+		DistroFamily:    srcMeta.DistroFamily,
 		Tags:            tags,
 		SourceDigest:    srcMeta.SourceDigest,
 		// Zero-copy: the new config shares the source's already-durable
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl_test.go
index 29b285f34..e00b814f2 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/image/service_impl_test.go
@@ -1781,6 +1781,8 @@ func TestCopyImage_InheritsSourceFields(t *testing.T) {
 		RootDeviceType:  "ebs",
 		Description:     "arm source",
 		BootMode:        "uefi",
+		Distro:          "debian-12",
+		DistroFamily:    "debian",
 		SourceDigest:    digest,
 	})
 
@@ -1796,6 +1798,8 @@ func TestCopyImage_InheritsSourceFields(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, uint64(32), newMeta.VolumeSizeGiB)
 	assert.Equal(t, "ebs", newMeta.RootDeviceType)
 	assert.Equal(t, "uefi", newMeta.BootMode, "CopyImage must propagate BootMode from source")
+	assert.Equal(t, "debian-12", newMeta.Distro, "CopyImage must propagate Distro from source")
+	assert.Equal(t, "debian", newMeta.DistroFamily, "cloud-init family detection reads DistroFamily")
 	assert.Equal(t, digest, newMeta.SourceDigest, "a zero-copy share still holds the source artifact")
 	assert.False(t, newMeta.CreationDate.Before(before), "CreationDate must be refreshed on copy, not inherited")
 }