diff --git a/_pytest/mark/evaluate.py b/_pytest/mark/evaluate.py
index f84d7455d..295373e17 100644
--- a/_pytest/mark/evaluate.py
+++ b/_pytest/mark/evaluate.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import six
 import sys
+import platform
 import traceback
 
 from . import MarkDecorator, MarkInfo
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ class MarkEvaluator(object):
                  pytrace=False)
 
     def _getglobals(self):
-        d = {'os': os, 'sys': sys, 'config': self.item.config}
+        d = {'os': os, 'sys': sys, 'platform': platform, 'config': self.item.config}
         if hasattr(self.item, 'obj'):
             d.update(self.item.obj.__globals__)
         return d
diff --git a/changelog/3236.trivial.rst b/changelog/3236.trivial.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0fd9c9b58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/3236.trivial.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The builtin module ``platform`` is now available for use in expressions in ``pytest.mark``.
diff --git a/testing/test_skipping.py b/testing/test_skipping.py
index db4e6d3f7..fc9230eda 100644
--- a/testing/test_skipping.py
+++ b/testing/test_skipping.py
@@ -156,6 +156,21 @@ class TestXFail(object):
         assert callreport.passed
         assert callreport.wasxfail == "this is an xfail"
 
+    def test_xfail_using_platform(self, testdir):
+        """
+        Verify that platform can be used with xfail statements.
+        """
+        item = testdir.getitem("""
+            import pytest
+            @pytest.mark.xfail("platform.platform() == platform.platform()")
+            def test_func():
+                assert 0
+        """)
+        reports = runtestprotocol(item, log=False)
+        assert len(reports) == 3
+        callreport = reports[1]
+        assert callreport.wasxfail
+
     def test_xfail_xpassed_strict(self, testdir):
         item = testdir.getitem("""
             import pytest
@@ -612,6 +627,16 @@ class TestSkipif(object):
         ])
         assert result.ret == 0
 
+    def test_skipif_using_platform(self, testdir):
+        item = testdir.getitem("""
+            import pytest
+            @pytest.mark.skipif("platform.platform() == platform.platform()")
+            def test_func():
+                pass
+        """)
+        pytest.raises(pytest.skip.Exception, lambda:
+                      pytest_runtest_setup(item))
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('marker, msg1, msg2', [
         ('skipif', 'SKIP', 'skipped'),
         ('xfail', 'XPASS', 'xpassed'),