diff --git a/cpp/include/cudf/detail/reduction_functions.hpp b/cpp/include/cudf/detail/reduction_functions.hpp
index 0fd57eba8d1..d8f23e8d7cb 100644
--- a/cpp/include/cudf/detail/reduction_functions.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/cudf/detail/reduction_functions.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <cudf/column/column_view.hpp>
 #include <cudf/scalar/scalar.hpp>
 
+#include "cudf/lists/lists_column_view.hpp"
 #include <rmm/cuda_stream_view.hpp>
 
 namespace cudf {
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<scalar> collect_list(
  * @return merged list as scalar
  */
 std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_lists(
-  column_view const& col,
+  lists_column_view const& col,
   rmm::cuda_stream_view stream        = rmm::cuda_stream_default,
   rmm::mr::device_memory_resource* mr = rmm::mr::get_current_device_resource());
 
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<scalar> collect_set(
  * @return collected list with unique elements as scalar
  */
 std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_sets(
-  column_view const& col,
+  lists_column_view const& col,
   null_equality nulls_equal,
   nan_equality nans_equal,
   rmm::cuda_stream_view stream        = rmm::cuda_stream_default,
diff --git a/cpp/src/reductions/collect_ops.cu b/cpp/src/reductions/collect_ops.cu
index 07d3dbe04eb..c9bd06a1171 100644
--- a/cpp/src/reductions/collect_ops.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/reductions/collect_ops.cu
@@ -57,13 +57,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<scalar> collect_list(column_view const& col,
   }
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_lists(column_view const& col,
+std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_lists(lists_column_view const& col,
                                     rmm::cuda_stream_view stream,
                                     rmm::mr::device_memory_resource* mr)
 {
-  CUDF_EXPECTS(col.type().id() == type_id::LIST,
-               "input column of merge_lists must be a list column");
-  auto flatten_col = lists_column_view(col).get_sliced_child(stream);
+  auto flatten_col = col.get_sliced_child(stream);
   return make_list_scalar(flatten_col, stream, mr);
 }
 
@@ -79,15 +77,13 @@ std::unique_ptr<scalar> collect_set(column_view const& col,
   return drop_duplicates(*ls, nulls_equal, nans_equal, stream, mr);
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_sets(column_view const& col,
+std::unique_ptr<scalar> merge_sets(lists_column_view const& col,
                                    null_equality nulls_equal,
                                    nan_equality nans_equal,
                                    rmm::cuda_stream_view stream,
                                    rmm::mr::device_memory_resource* mr)
 {
-  CUDF_EXPECTS(col.type().id() == type_id::LIST,
-               "input column of merge_lists must be a list column");
-  auto flatten_col = lists_column_view(col).get_sliced_child(stream);
+  auto flatten_col = col.get_sliced_child(stream);
   auto scalar      = std::make_unique<list_scalar>(flatten_col, true, stream, mr);
   return drop_duplicates(*scalar, nulls_equal, nans_equal, stream, mr);
 }