diff --git a/src/bin/psql/describe.c b/src/bin/psql/describe.c
index 8dfb5705ce..2cfacd34e3 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/describe.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/describe.c
@@ -3061,6 +3061,13 @@ listCollations(const char *pattern, bool verbose, bool showSystem)
 	printQueryOpt myopt = pset.popt;
 	static const bool translate_columns[] = {false, false, false, false, false};
 
+	if (pset.sversion < 90100)
+	{
+		fprintf(stderr, _("The server (version %d.%d) does not support collations.\n"),
+				pset.sversion / 10000, (pset.sversion / 100) % 100);
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	initPQExpBuffer(&buf);
 
 	printfPQExpBuffer(&buf,