diff --git a/cli/meta.go b/cli/meta.go
index 74d1816c7..dc22b3724 100644
--- a/cli/meta.go
+++ b/cli/meta.go
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ Input/Output
   \warn [-n] [STRING]    write string to standard error (-n for no newline)
 
 Informational
-  \d                     list tables
+  \d                     list tables, including system tables
   \d NAME                describe table
   \dt                    list tables
   \dv                    list views
@@ -504,8 +504,17 @@ func (m *metaDescribe) execute(cmd *Command) (responseAction, error) {
 	switch len(m.args) {
 	case 0:
 		// Describe with no args should list all relations (tables, views,
-		// etc.). For now, we're just going to list the tables.
-		return newMetaListTables().execute(cmd)
+		// etc.). For now, we're just going to list the tables, including system
+		// tables.
+		qry := []queryPart{
+			newPartRaw("SHOW TABLES WITH SYSTEM"),
+		}
+
+		if err := cmd.executeAndWriteQuery(qry); err != nil {
+			return actionNone, errors.Wrap(err, "executing query")
+		}
+
+		return actionReset, nil
 
 	case 1:
 		// Describe with a single arg will assume the arg is a table name, so it
diff --git a/cli/testdata/table b/cli/testdata/table
index ec7a1cb01..713a4aaf8 100644
--- a/cli/testdata/table
+++ b/cli/testdata/table
@@ -11,6 +11,19 @@ EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |
 EXPECT:+-------------------------+-------------------------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
 EXPECT:
 
+// Show tables for database using \d.
+SEND:\d
+EXPECT:+-------------------------+-------------------------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
+EXPECT:| _id                     | name                    | owner | updated_by | created_at           | updated_at           | keys  | space_used | description |
+EXPECT:+-------------------------+-------------------------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| fb_____________________ | fb_____________________ |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECT:+-------------------------+-------------------------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
+EXPECT:
+
 // Show tables for database using SHOW TABLES.
 SEND:SHOW TABLES;
 EXPECT:+-----+------+-------+------------+------------+------------+------+------------+-------------+
@@ -40,7 +53,7 @@ SEND:\dt
 EXPECT:+-------+-------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
 EXPECT:| _id   | name  | owner | updated_by | created_at           | updated_at           | keys  | space_used | description |
 EXPECT:+-------+-------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
-EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| users | users |       |            | 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z | 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z | false |          0 |             |
+EXPECTCOMP:WithFormat:| users | users |       |            | {timestamp} | {timestamp} | false |          0 |             |
 EXPECT:+-------+-------+-------+------------+----------------------+----------------------+-------+------------+-------------+
 EXPECT: