diff --git a/database.py b/database.py
index 2290797d3..09f839d06 100644
--- a/database.py
+++ b/database.py
@@ -111,4 +111,9 @@ class Database(object):
     def collection_names(self):
         """Get a list of all the collection names in this database.
         """
-        raise Exception("unimplemented")
+        results = self.system.namespaces.find()
+        names = [r["name"] for r in results]
+        names = [n[len(self.__name) + 1:] for n in names
+                 if n.startswith(self.__name + ".")]
+        names = [n for n in names if "$" not in n]
+        return names
diff --git a/test/test_database.py b/test/test_database.py
index aff462329..306709e6e 100644
--- a/test/test_database.py
+++ b/test/test_database.py
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ class TestDatabase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertNotEqual(db.test, Collection(db, "mike"))
         self.assertEqual(db.test.mike, db["test.mike"])
 
+    def test_collection_names(self):
+        db = Database(self.connection, "test")
+        db.test.save({"dummy": u"object"})
+        db.test.mike.save({"dummy": u"object"})
+
+        colls = db.collection_names()
+        self.assertTrue("test" in colls)
+        self.assertTrue("test.mike" in colls)
+        for coll in colls:
+            self.assertTrue("$" not in coll)
+
     def test_save_find_one(self):
         db = Database(self.connection, "test")
         db.test.remove({})