diff --git a/collects/racket/place.rkt b/collects/racket/place.rkt
index 595bde5cd2..1d57e3cb0c 100644
--- a/collects/racket/place.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/place.rkt
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
         (apply make-prefab-struct 
                key 
                (map dcw (cdr (vector->list (struct->vector o)))))]
-      [else (error "Error not place serializable ~a" o)]))
+      [else (raise-mismatch-error 'place-channel-send "cannot transmit a message containing " o)]))
 
   (dcw x))
 
diff --git a/collects/tests/racket/place-channel.rktl b/collects/tests/racket/place-channel.rktl
index 33a802a80f..473b33cfcd 100644
--- a/collects/tests/racket/place-channel.rktl
+++ b/collects/tests/racket/place-channel.rktl
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 (load-relative "loadtest.rktl")
 (Section 'place-channel)
-(require racket/flonum)
+(require racket/flonum
+         rackunit)
 
 (define (splat txt fn)
   (call-with-output-file fn #:exists 'replace
@@ -103,5 +104,10 @@ END
   (place-channel-send pl pc5)
   (test "Ready5" sync pc6)
 
+  (check-exn exn:fail? (λ () (place-channel-send pl (open-output-string))))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (place-channel-send pl "Test String")))
+  (check-not-exn (λ () (place-channel-send pl (string->path "C:\\Windows"))))
+
   (place-wait pl)
 )
+