diff --git a/Distribution/Helper.hs b/Distribution/Helper.hs
--- a/Distribution/Helper.hs
+++ b/Distribution/Helper.hs
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
   , ChComponentName(..)
   , ChEntrypoint(..)
 
+  -- * General information
+  , buildPlatform
+
   -- * Managing @dist/@
   , reconfigure
   , writeAutogenFiles
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@
 import Control.Monad.State.Strict
 import Control.Monad.Reader
 import Control.Exception as E
+import Data.Char
 import Data.Monoid
 import Data.List
 import Data.Default
@@ -202,8 +206,17 @@
                   -> m ()
 writeAutogenFiles distdir = liftIO $ do
   exe  <- findLibexecExe "cabal-helper-wrapper"
-  callProcess' exe [distdir, "write-autogen-files"]
+  void $ readProcess exe [distdir, "write-autogen-files"] ""
 
+buildPlatform :: IO String
+buildPlatform = do
+  exe  <- findLibexecExe "cabal-helper-wrapper"
+  dropWhileEnd isSpace <$> readProcess exe ["print-build-platform"] ""
+ where
+   -- dropWhileEnd is not provided prior to base 4.5.0.0.
+   dropWhileEnd :: (a -> Bool) -> [a] -> [a]
+   dropWhileEnd p = foldr (\x xs -> if p x && null xs then [] else x : xs) []
+
 -- | This exception is thrown by all 'runQuery' functions if the internal
 -- wrapper executable cannot be found. You may catch this and present the user
 -- an appropriate error message however the default is to print
@@ -275,11 +288,4 @@
     getExecutablePath
 #else
     getProgName
-#endif
-
-callProcess' exe args =
-#if MIN_VERSION_process(1,2,0)
-    callProcess exe args
-#else
-    void $ readProcess exe args ""
 #endif
diff --git a/cabal-helper.cabal b/cabal-helper.cabal
--- a/cabal-helper.cabal
+++ b/cabal-helper.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                cabal-helper
-version:             0.3.0.0
+version:             0.3.1.0
 synopsis:            Simple interface to Cabal's configuration state used by ghc-mod
 description:
     @cabal-helper@ provides a library which wraps the internal use of executables
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
     Furthermore the wrapper supports one special case namely reading a state
     file for Cabal itself. This is needed as Cabal compiles it's Setup.hs using
     itself and not using any version of Cabal installed in any package database.
+    .
+    @cabal-helper@ can compile with @Cabal >= 1.14@ but requires @Cabal >= 1.16@
+    at runtime.
 
 license:             AGPL-3
 license-file:        LICENSE
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@
   X-Install-Target:    $libexecdir
   Build-Depends:       base >= 4.5 && < 5
                      , bytestring
-                     , Cabal >= 1.16 && <= 1.22
+                     , Cabal >= 1.14 && < 1.23
                      , directory
                      , filepath
                      , process