diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/collects.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/collects.scrbl
index 80897a79d9..89aa10bead 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/collects.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/collects.scrbl
@@ -249,11 +249,13 @@ initialized @racket[current-library-collection-links], as follows:
 
 
 @defproc*[([(collection-file-path [file path-string?] [collection path-string?] ...+
-                                  [#:check-compiled? check-compiled? any/c #f])
+                                  [#:check-compiled? check-compiled? any/c
+                                                     (regexp-match? #rx"[.]rkt$" file)])
             path?]
            [(collection-file-path [file path-string?] [collection path-string?] ...+
                                   [#:fail fail-proc (string? . -> . any)]
-                                  [#:check-compiled? check-compiled? any/c #f])
+                                  [#:check-compiled? check-compiled? any/c
+                                                     (regexp-match? #rx"[.]rkt$" file)])
             any])]{
 
 Returns the path to the file indicated by @racket[file] in the
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/pre-base.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/pre-base.rkt
index 264cbd3313..cb913ae63d 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/pre-base.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/pre-base.rkt
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@
   (define-values (new:collection-file-path)
     (let ([collection-file-path (new-lambda (file-name 
                                              collection
-                                             #:check-compiled? [check-compiled? #f]
+                                             #:check-compiled? [check-compiled?
+                                                                (and (path-string? file-name)
+                                                                     (regexp-match? #rx"[.]rkt$" file-name))]
                                              #:fail [fail (lambda (s)
                                                             (raise
                                                              (exn:fail:filesystem