diff --git a/firestore/google/cloud/firestore_v1/client.py b/firestore/google/cloud/firestore_v1/client.py
index 56356d97911b..54e2585bed3a 100644
--- a/firestore/google/cloud/firestore_v1/client.py
+++ b/firestore/google/cloud/firestore_v1/client.py
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ def collections(self):
                 iterator of subcollections of the current document.
         """
         iterator = self._firestore_api.list_collection_ids(
-            self._database_string, metadata=self._rpc_metadata
+            "{}/documents".format(self._database_string), metadata=self._rpc_metadata
         )
         iterator.client = self
         iterator.item_to_value = _item_to_collection_ref
diff --git a/firestore/tests/system.py b/firestore/tests/system.py
index 4d9de9be43be..01e89844291c 100644
--- a/firestore/tests/system.py
+++ b/firestore/tests/system.py
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ def cleanup():
         operation()
 
 
+def test_collections(client):
+    collections = list(client.collections())
+    assert isinstance(collections, list)
+
+
 def test_create_document(client, cleanup):
     now = datetime.datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=UTC)
     collection_id = "doc-create" + unique_resource_id("-")
diff --git a/firestore/tests/unit/v1/test_client.py b/firestore/tests/unit/v1/test_client.py
index 737d2313656a..be054d8ce775 100644
--- a/firestore/tests/unit/v1/test_client.py
+++ b/firestore/tests/unit/v1/test_client.py
@@ -292,8 +292,9 @@ def _next_page(self):
             self.assertEqual(collection.parent, None)
             self.assertEqual(collection.id, collection_id)
 
+        base_path = client._database_string + "/documents"
         firestore_api.list_collection_ids.assert_called_once_with(
-            client._database_string, metadata=client._rpc_metadata
+            base_path, metadata=client._rpc_metadata
         )
 
     def _get_all_helper(self, client, references, document_pbs, **kwargs):