diff --git a/collects/2htdp/private/universe.rkt b/collects/2htdp/private/universe.rkt
index 0ad17b9084..5e77845d5c 100644
--- a/collects/2htdp/private/universe.rkt
+++ b/collects/2htdp/private/universe.rkt
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
       (field 
        [universe 
         (new checked-cell% [msg "UniSt"] [value0 universe0] [ok? check-with] 
-             [display (and state "your server's state")])])
+             [display (if (string? state) state (and state  "your server's state"))])])
  
       ;; -----------------------------------------------------------------------
       ;; dealing with events
diff --git a/collects/2htdp/universe.rkt b/collects/2htdp/universe.rkt
index e9514bf968..03ca287b99 100644
--- a/collects/2htdp/universe.rkt
+++ b/collects/2htdp/universe.rkt
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
                 (num> 'on-tick rate (lambda (x) (and (real? x) (positive? x)))
                       "positive number" "rate"))])]
   ;; -- state specifies whether to display the current state 
-  [state DEFAULT #'#f (expr-with-check bool> "expected a boolean")]
+  [state DEFAULT #'#f (expr-with-check any> "expected a boolean or a string")]
   ;; Any -> Boolean 
   ;; -- check-with: all states should specify this predicate 
   [check-with DEFAULT #'True (function-with-arity 1)])