@@ -242,19 +242,19 @@ def platform(self):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _normalize_platform(platform):
-        if platform is None:
-            return None
-
-        if isinstance(platform, str):
-            return platform
-
-        try:
-            return platform.getName()
-        except (AttributeError, TypeError) as err:
-            raise TypeError(
-                "platform must be None, a platform name string, or an "
-                "openmm.Platform instance"
-            ) from err
+        match platform:
+            case None:
+                return None
+            case str() as name:
+                return name
+            case candidate if isinstance(candidate, openmm.Platform):
+                return candidate.getName()
+            case _:
+                raise TypeError(
+                    "platform must be None, a platform name string, or an "
+                    "openmm.Platform instance. "
+                    f"Got {type(platform)} instead"
+                )
 
     @property
     def simulation(self):
 
@@ -339,10 +339,10 @@ def test_initialize_uses_exact_platform_object(self):
         assert self.uninitialized_engine._platform is None
         assert self.uninitialized_engine.to_dict()['platform'] is None
 
-    def test_bad_platform_get_name_raises_typeerror(self):
-        class BadPlatform(object):
+    def test_duck_typed_platform_like_object_raises_typeerror(self):
+        class PlatformLikeObject(object):
             def getName(self):
-                raise TypeError("bad getName")
+                return 'CPU'
 
         integrator = mm.LangevinIntegrator(
             300*u.kelvin,
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def getName(self):
                 system,
                 integrator,
                 options={'n_steps_per_frame': 2, 'n_frames_max': 5},
-                platform=BadPlatform()
+                platform=PlatformLikeObject()
             )
 
     def test_from_dict_without_platform_key_is_backward_compatible(self):