diff --git a/capa/features/common.py b/capa/features/common.py
index 221f15c1..b3a0735a 100644
--- a/capa/features/common.py
+++ b/capa/features/common.py
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ ARCH_X32 = "x32"
 ARCH_X64 = "x64"
 VALID_ARCH = (ARCH_X32, ARCH_X64)
 
+OS_WINDOWS = "os/windows"
+OS_LINUX = "os/linux"
+OS_MACOS = "os/macos"
+VALID_OS = (OS_WINDOWS, OS_LINUX, OS_MACOS)
+
 
 def bytes_to_str(b: bytes) -> str:
     return str(codecs.encode(b, "hex").decode("utf-8"))
@@ -131,6 +136,7 @@ class MatchedRule(Feature):
 
 class Characteristic(Feature):
     def __init__(self, value: str, description=None):
+
         super(Characteristic, self).__init__(value, description=description)
 
 
diff --git a/capa/rules.py b/capa/rules.py
index 479a0773..3d62b7f5 100644
--- a/capa/rules.py
+++ b/capa/rules.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import capa.features.insn
 import capa.features.common
 import capa.features.basicblock
 from capa.engine import Statement, FeatureSet
-from capa.features.common import MAX_BYTES_FEATURE_SIZE, Feature
+from capa.features.common import OS_LINUX, OS_MACOS, OS_WINDOWS, MAX_BYTES_FEATURE_SIZE, Feature
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ SUPPORTED_FEATURES = {
         capa.features.file.FunctionName,
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("embedded pe"),
         capa.features.common.String,
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_WINDOWS),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_LINUX),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_MACOS),
     },
     FUNCTION_SCOPE: {
         # plus basic block scope features, see below
@@ -86,6 +89,9 @@ SUPPORTED_FEATURES = {
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("calls to"),
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("loop"),
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("recursive call"),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_WINDOWS),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_LINUX),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_MACOS),
     },
     BASIC_BLOCK_SCOPE: {
         capa.features.common.MatchedRule,
@@ -103,6 +109,9 @@ SUPPORTED_FEATURES = {
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("tight loop"),
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("stack string"),
         capa.features.common.Characteristic("indirect call"),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_WINDOWS),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_LINUX),
+        capa.features.common.Characteristic(OS_MACOS),
     },
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_rules.py b/tests/test_rules.py
index 12791d2e..6b57b89a 100644
--- a/tests/test_rules.py
+++ b/tests/test_rules.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import capa.engine
 import capa.features.common
 from capa.features.file import FunctionName
 from capa.features.insn import Number, Offset
-from capa.features.common import ARCH_X32, ARCH_X64, String
+from capa.features.common import ARCH_X32, ARCH_X64, OS_WINDOWS, String, Characteristic
 
 
 def test_rule_ctor():
@@ -944,3 +944,20 @@ def test_function_name_features():
     assert (FunctionName("strcpy") in children) == True
     assert (FunctionName("strcmp", description="copy from here to there") in children) == True
     assert (FunctionName("strdup", description="duplicate a string") in children) == True
+
+
+def test_os_features():
+    rule = textwrap.dedent(
+        """
+        rule:
+            meta:
+                name: test rule
+                scope: file
+            features:
+                - and:
+                    - characteristic: os/windows
+        """
+    )
+    r = capa.rules.Rule.from_yaml(rule)
+    children = list(r.statement.get_children())
+    assert (Characteristic(OS_WINDOWS) in children) == True