diff --git a/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/testing/RemoteSpannerHelper.java b/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/testing/RemoteSpannerHelper.java
index 674c2f171e79..12778b4e46cf 100644
--- a/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/testing/RemoteSpannerHelper.java
+++ b/google-cloud-spanner/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/spanner/testing/RemoteSpannerHelper.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public String getUniqueDatabaseId() {
    * statement generated accordingly.
    */
   public Database createTestDatabase(Iterable<String> statements) throws SpannerException {
-    String dbId = String.format("testdb_%04d", dbSeq++);
+    String dbId = getUniqueDatabaseId();
     Operation<Database, CreateDatabaseMetadata> op =
         client.getDatabaseAdminClient().createDatabase(instanceId.getInstance(), dbId, statements);
     op = op.waitFor();