diff --git a/pycsw/core/repository.py b/pycsw/core/repository.py
index d0d599f7f..a4d9d9db2 100644
--- a/pycsw/core/repository.py
+++ b/pycsw/core/repository.py
@@ -347,15 +347,18 @@ def query_ids(self, ids):
         query = self.session.query(self.dataset).filter(column.in_(ids))
         return self._get_repo_filter(query).all()
 
-    def query_collections(self, filters=None, limit=10):
+    def query_collections(self, collection=None, filters=None, limit=10):
         ''' Query for parent collections '''
 
         column = getattr(self.dataset,
                          self.context.md_core_model['mappings']['pycsw:ParentIdentifier'])
 
-        collections = self.session.query(column).distinct()
+        if collection is not None:
+            collections = self.session.query(column).filter(column==collection)
+        else:
+            collections = self.session.query(column)
 
-        results = self._get_repo_filter(collections).all()
+        results = self._get_repo_filter(collections).distinct().all()
 
         ids = [res[0] for res in results if res[0] is not None]
 
diff --git a/pycsw/ogc/api/records.py b/pycsw/ogc/api/records.py
index 1652eb2c3..003676981 100644
--- a/pycsw/ogc/api/records.py
+++ b/pycsw/ogc/api/records.py
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ def queryables(self, headers_, args, collection='metadata:main'):
         if 'json' in headers_['Content-Type']:
             headers_['Content-Type'] = 'application/schema+json'
 
-        if collection not in self.get_all_collections():
+        if collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection):
             msg = 'Invalid collection'
             LOGGER.exception(msg)
             return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ def items(self, headers_, json_post_data, args, collection='metadata:main'):
         collections = []
         cql_ops_list = []
 
-        if collection not in self.get_all_collections():
+        if collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection):
             msg = 'Invalid collection'
             LOGGER.exception(msg)
             return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)
@@ -968,7 +968,7 @@ def item(self, headers_, args, collection, item):
         record = None
         headers_['Content-Type'] = self.get_content_type(headers_, args)
 
-        if collection not in self.get_all_collections():
+        if collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection):
             msg = 'Invalid collection'
             LOGGER.exception(msg)
             return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)
@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ def federated_catalogue(self, headers_, args, collection, catalogue):
 
         return self.get_response(200, headers_, response, template)
 
-    def get_all_collections(self) -> list:
+    def get_collections(self, collection=None) -> list:
         """
         Get all collections
 
@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ def get_all_collections(self) -> list:
         """
 
         default_collection = 'metadata:main'
-        virtual_collections = self.repository.query_collections(limit=self.limit)
+        virtual_collections = self.repository.query_collections(collection=collection, limit=self.limit)
 
         return [default_collection] + [vc.identifier for vc in virtual_collections]
 
diff --git a/pycsw/stac/api.py b/pycsw/stac/api.py
index 0852afd9d..eab8ef388 100644
--- a/pycsw/stac/api.py
+++ b/pycsw/stac/api.py
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def collections(self, headers_, args):
             filters = to_filter(ast, self.repository.dbtype, self.repository.query_mappings)
             LOGGER.debug(f'Filter: {filters}')
 
-        virtual_collections = self.repository.query_collections(filters, limit)
+        virtual_collections = self.repository.query_collections(filters=filters, limit=limit)
 
         for virtual_collection in virtual_collections:
             virtual_collection_info = self.get_collection_info(
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ def items(self, headers_, json_post_data, args, collection='metadata:main'):
             distributed_search_args = deepcopy(args)
             distributed_search_args.pop('type', None)
 
-        if collection not in self.get_all_collections():
+        if collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection):
             msg = 'Invalid collection'
             LOGGER.exception(msg)
             return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ def item(self, headers_, args, collection, item):
         :returns: tuple of headers, status code, content
         """
 
-        if collection not in self.get_all_collections():
+        if collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection):
             msg = 'Invalid collection'
             LOGGER.exception(msg)
             return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ def get_collection_info(self, collection_name: str = 'metadata:main',
     def manage_collection_item(self, headers_, action='create', item=None, data=None, collection=None):
         if action in ['create', 'update']:
             if (data is not None and data.get('type', '') == 'Feature' and
-                    collection not in self.get_all_collections()):
+                    collection not in self.get_collections(collection=collection)):
                 msg = 'Invalid collection'
                 LOGGER.exception(msg)
                 return self.get_exception(400, headers_, 'InvalidParameterValue', msg)