diff --git a/src/monger/collection.clj b/src/monger/collection.clj
index 592720d..0eaa4fc 100644
--- a/src/monger/collection.clj
+++ b/src/monger/collection.clj
@@ -612,3 +612,17 @@
     ;; this is what DBCollection#distinct does. Turning a blind eye!
     (.throwOnError res)
     (map #(from-db-object % true) (.get res "result"))))
+
+
+;;
+;; Misc
+;;
+
+(def ^{:const true}
+  system-collection-pattern #"^(system|fs)")
+
+(defn- system-collection?
+  "Evaluates to true if the given collection name refers to a system collection. System collections
+   are prefixed with system. or fs. (default GridFS collection prefix)"
+  [^String coll-name]
+  (re-find system-collection-pattern coll-name))
diff --git a/test/monger/test/collection_test.clj b/test/monger/test/collection_test.clj
index 27349b2..5644cc5 100644
--- a/test/monger/test/collection_test.clj
+++ b/test/monger/test/collection_test.clj
@@ -132,3 +132,22 @@
     (mc/insert-batch collection batch)
     (is (= ["CA" "IL" "NY"] (sort (mc/distinct mg/*mongodb-database* collection :state {}))))
     (is (= ["CA" "NY"] (sort (mc/distinct collection :state {:price {$gt 100.00}}))))))
+
+
+;;
+;; miscellenous
+;;
+
+(deftest test-system-collection-predicate
+  (are [name] (is (mc/system-collection? name))
+    "system.indexes"
+    "system"
+    ;; we treat default GridFS collections as system ones,
+    ;; possibly this is a bad idea, time will tell. MK.
+    "fs.chunks"
+    "fs.files")
+  (are [name] (is (not (mc/system-collection? name)))
+    "events"
+    "accounts"
+    "megacorp_account"
+    "myapp_development"))