diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 0b327c3..a530bb0 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import { base64url } from 'multiformats/bases/base64'
 /**
  * Split a multiaddr into path components
  */
-const toParts = (ma: Multiaddr): string[] => {
+const toParts = (ma: Multiaddr | string): string[] => {
   return ma.toString().split('/').slice(1)
 }
 
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ const and = (...matchers: Matcher[]): Matcher => {
 }
 
 function fmt (...matchers: Matcher[]): MultiaddrMatcher {
-  function match (ma: Multiaddr): string[] | false {
+  function match (ma: Multiaddr | string): string[] | false {
     let parts = toParts(ma)
 
     for (const matcher of matchers) {
@@ -224,13 +224,13 @@ function fmt (...matchers: Matcher[]): MultiaddrMatcher {
     return parts
   }
 
-  function matches (ma: Multiaddr): boolean {
+  function matches (ma: Multiaddr | string): boolean {
     const result = match(ma)
 
     return result !== false
   }
 
-  function exactMatch (ma: Multiaddr): boolean {
+  function exactMatch (ma: Multiaddr | string): boolean {
     const result = match(ma)
 
     if (result === false) {
@@ -255,13 +255,13 @@ export interface MultiaddrMatcher {
    * Returns true if the passed multiaddr can be treated as this type of
    * multiaddr
    */
-  matches(ma: Multiaddr): boolean
+  matches(ma: Multiaddr | string): boolean
 
   /**
    * Returns true if the passed multiaddr terminates as this type of
    * multiaddr
    */
-  exactMatch(ma: Multiaddr): boolean
+  exactMatch(ma: Multiaddr | string): boolean
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/index.spec.ts b/test/index.spec.ts
index 6d81f65..70343a1 100644
--- a/test/index.spec.ts
+++ b/test/index.spec.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ describe('multiaddr matcher', () => {
 
   const goodTCP = [
     ...exactTCP,
-    '/ip4/0.0.7.6/tcp/wss',
+    '/ip4/0.0.7.6/tcp/80/wss',
     '/ip6/::/tcp/0/p2p/QmTysQQiTGMdfRsDQp516oZ9bR3FiSCDnicUnqny2q1d79/p2p-circuit/p2p/QmSoLV4Bbm51jM9C4gDYZQ9Cy3U6aXMJDAbzgu2fzaDs64',
     '/dns4/protocol.ai/tcp/80/webrtc'
   ]
@@ -299,7 +299,8 @@ describe('multiaddr matcher', () => {
   function assertMatches (p: MultiaddrMatcher, ...tests: string[][]): void {
     tests.forEach((test) => {
       test.forEach((testcase) => {
-        expect(p.matches(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(true, `${testcase} did not match`)
+        expect(p.matches(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(true, `${testcase} as Multiaddr did not match`)
+        expect(p.matches(testcase)).to.equal(true, `${testcase} as string did not match`)
       })
     })
   }
@@ -307,7 +308,8 @@ describe('multiaddr matcher', () => {
   function assertExactMatches (p: MultiaddrMatcher, ...tests: string[][]): void {
     tests.forEach((test) => {
       test.forEach((testcase) => {
-        expect(p.exactMatch(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(true, `${testcase} did not exact match`)
+        expect(p.exactMatch(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(true, `${testcase} as Multiaddr did not exact match`)
+        expect(p.exactMatch(testcase)).to.equal(true, `${testcase} as string did not exact match`)
       })
     })
   }
@@ -315,7 +317,8 @@ describe('multiaddr matcher', () => {
   function assertMismatches (p: MultiaddrMatcher, ...tests: string[][]): void {
     tests.forEach((test) => {
       test.forEach((testcase) => {
-        expect(p.matches(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(false, `${testcase} matched when it should not have`)
+        expect(p.matches(multiaddr(testcase))).to.equal(false, `${testcase} as Multiaddr matched when it should not have`)
+        expect(p.matches(testcase)).to.equal(false, `${testcase} as string matched when it should not have`)
       })
     })
   }