diff --git a/packages/cli-repl/test/e2e-direct.spec.ts b/packages/cli-repl/test/e2e-direct.spec.ts
index eb93620c9a..ca3dd4bab5 100644
--- a/packages/cli-repl/test/e2e-direct.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-repl/test/e2e-direct.spec.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ describe('e2e direct connection', () => {
     });
 
     context('after rs.initiate()', () => {
+      let dbname: string;
+
       before(async() => {
         const replSetConfig = {
           _id: replSetId,
@@ -50,6 +52,15 @@ describe('e2e direct connection', () => {
           shell.assertContainsOutput(`me: '${await rs0.hostport()}'`);
           shell.assertContainsOutput(`setName: '${replSetId}'`);
         });
+        dbname = `test-${Date.now()}-${(Math.random() * 100000) | 0}`;
+        await shell.executeLine(`use ${dbname}`);
+        await shell.executeLine('db.testcollection.insertOne({})');
+        shell.writeInputLine('exit');
+      });
+      after(async() => {
+        const shell = TestShell.start({ args: [await rs0.connectionString()] });
+        await shell.executeLine(`db.getSiblingDB("${dbname}").dropDatabase()`);
+        shell.writeInputLine('exit');
       });
 
       context('connecting to secondary members directly', () => {
@@ -103,6 +114,14 @@ describe('e2e direct connection', () => {
           expect(await shell.executeLine('show collections')).to.include('system.version');
           expect(await shell.executeLine('show dbs')).to.include('admin');
         });
+        it('autocompletes collection names', async() => {
+          const shell = TestShell.start({ args: [`${await rs1.connectionString()}/${dbname}`], forceTerminal: true });
+          await shell.waitForPrompt();
+          shell.writeInput('db.testc\u0009\u0009');
+          await eventually(() => {
+            shell.assertContainsOutput('db.testcollection');
+          });
+        });
       });
 
       context('connecting to primary', () => {
@@ -139,6 +158,14 @@ describe('e2e direct connection', () => {
           expect(await shell.executeLine('show collections')).to.include('system.version');
           expect(await shell.executeLine('show dbs')).to.include('admin');
         });
+        it('autocompletes collection names', async() => {
+          const shell = TestShell.start({ args: [`${await rs1.connectionString()}/${dbname}`], forceTerminal: true });
+          await shell.waitForPrompt();
+          shell.writeInput('db.testc\u0009\u0009');
+          await eventually(() => {
+            shell.assertContainsOutput('db.testcollection');
+          });
+        });
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/shell-api/src/database.ts b/packages/shell-api/src/database.ts
index 693e6a1c85..0d0c1fdde2 100644
--- a/packages/shell-api/src/database.ts
+++ b/packages/shell-api/src/database.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export default class Database extends ShellApiClass {
   async _getCollectionNamesForCompletion(): Promise<string[]> {
     return await Promise.race([
       (async() => {
-        return await this._getCollectionNames();
+        return await this._getCollectionNames({ readPreference: 'primaryPreferred' });
       })(),
       (async() => {
         // 200ms should be a good compromise between giving the server a chance
diff --git a/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.spec.ts b/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.spec.ts
index 8868ebe261..d029586884 100644
--- a/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.spec.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ describe('ShellInternalState', () => {
       serviceProvider.listCollections
         .resolves([ { name: 'coll1' }, { name: 'coll2' } ]);
       expect(run('db = db.getSiblingDB("moo"); db.getName()')).to.equal('moo');
-      expect(serviceProvider.listCollections.calledWith('moo', {}, { nameOnly: true })).to.equal(true);
+      expect(serviceProvider.listCollections.calledWith('moo', {}, {
+        readPreference: 'primaryPreferred',
+        nameOnly: true
+      })).to.equal(true);
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.ts b/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.ts
index c7ef94a1bc..bc5984e94e 100644
--- a/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.ts
+++ b/packages/shell-api/src/shell-internal-state.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export default class ShellInternalState {
     this.context.sh = new Shard(this.currentDb);
     this.fetchConnectionInfo().catch(err => this.messageBus.emit('mongosh:error', err));
     // Pre-fetch for autocompletion.
-    this.currentDb._getCollectionNames().catch(err => this.messageBus.emit('mongosh:error', err));
+    this.currentDb._getCollectionNamesForCompletion().catch(err => this.messageBus.emit('mongosh:error', err));
     return newDb;
   }