diff --git a/lib/meta.nix b/lib/meta.nix
index 8f4e7e2c7bf..62894aeb316 100644
--- a/lib/meta.nix
+++ b/lib/meta.nix
@@ -98,9 +98,7 @@ rec {
        2. None of `meta.badPlatforms` pattern matches the given platform.
   */
   availableOn = platform: pkg:
-    if !(pkg?meta) then true else
-    (!(pkg.meta ? platforms) ||
-      lib.any (platformMatch platform) pkg.meta.platforms) &&
+    ((!pkg?meta.platforms) || lib.any (platformMatch platform) pkg.meta.platforms) &&
     lib.all (elem: !platformMatch platform elem) (pkg.meta.badPlatforms or []);
 
   /* Get the corresponding attribute in lib.licenses
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/check-meta.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/check-meta.nix
index da2e9b135f2..751e19d1681 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/check-meta.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/check-meta.nix
@@ -57,9 +57,8 @@ let
 
   isMarkedBroken = attrs: attrs.meta.broken or false;
 
-  hasUnsupportedPlatform = attrs:
-    (!lib.lists.elem hostPlatform.system (attrs.meta.platforms or lib.platforms.all) ||
-      lib.lists.elem hostPlatform.system (attrs.meta.badPlatforms or []));
+  hasUnsupportedPlatform =
+    pkg: !(lib.meta.availableOn hostPlatform pkg);
 
   isMarkedInsecure = attrs: (attrs.meta.knownVulnerabilities or []) != [];
 
@@ -272,7 +271,7 @@ let
     sourceProvenance = listOf lib.types.attrs;
     maintainers = listOf (attrsOf anything); # TODO use the maintainer type from lib/tests/maintainer-module.nix
     priority = int;
-    platforms = listOf str;
+    platforms = listOf (either str (attrsOf anything));   # see lib.meta.platformMatch
     hydraPlatforms = listOf str;
     broken = bool;
     unfree = bool;