diff --git a/extras/sparse.jl b/extras/sparse.jl
index 30741e308c8d7..71bb0344bf643 100644
--- a/extras/sparse.jl
+++ b/extras/sparse.jl
@@ -144,23 +144,19 @@ full{T}(S::SparseMatrixCSC{T}) = convert(Matrix{T}, S)
 
 function sparse(A::Matrix)
     m, n = size(A)
-    colptr = [int32(1):int32(m):int32(m*n+1)]
-    rowval = repmat([int32(1):int32(m)], 1, n)[:]
-    nzval = A[:]
-    return SparseMatrixCSC(m, n, colptr, rowval, nzval)
+    (I, J, V) = findn_nzs(A)
+    return _jl_sparse_sorted!(I,J,V,m,n,+)
 end
 
-# _jl_sparse_sortbased uses sort to rearrange the input and construct the sparse matrix
-
-_jl_sparse_sortbased(I,J,V) = _jl_sparse_sortbased(I, J, V, int(max(I)), int(max(J)), +)
+# _jl_sparse_sort uses sort to rearrange the input and construct the sparse matrix
 
-_jl_sparse_sortbased(I,J,V,m,n) = _jl_sparse_sortbased(I, J, V, m, n, +)
+_jl_sparse_sort(I,J,V) = _jl_sparse_sort(I, J, V, int(max(I)), int(max(J)), +)
 
-_jl_sparse_sortbased(I,J,V,m,n,combine) = _jl_sparse_sortbased(I, J, V, m, n, combine)
+_jl_sparse_sort(I,J,V,m,n) = _jl_sparse_sort(I, J, V, m, n, +)
 
-function _jl_sparse_sortbased{Ti<:Union(Int32,Int64)}(I::AbstractVector{Ti}, J::AbstractVector{Ti},
-                                            V::Union(Number, AbstractVector),
-                                            m::Int, n::Int, combine::Function)
+function _jl_sparse_sort{Ti<:Union(Int32,Int64)}(I::AbstractVector{Ti}, J::AbstractVector{Ti},
+                                                 V::Union(Number, AbstractVector),
+                                                 m::Int, n::Int, combine::Function)
 
     if length(I) == 0; return spzeros(eltype(V),m,n); end
 
@@ -190,6 +186,15 @@ function _jl_sparse_sortbased{Ti<:Union(Int32,Int64)}(I::AbstractVector{Ti}, J::
 
     if isa(V, Number); V = fill(V, length(I)); end
 
+    return _jl_sparse_sorted!(I,J,V,m,n,combine)
+end
+
+_jl_sparse_sorted!(I,J,V,m,n) = _jl_sparse_sorted!(I,J,V,m,n,+)
+
+function _jl_sparse_sorted!{Ti<:Union(Int32,Int64)}(I::AbstractVector{Ti}, J::AbstractVector{Ti},
+                                                    V::AbstractVector,
+                                                    m::Int, n::Int, combine::Function)
+
     cols = zeros(Ti, n+1)
     cols[1] = 1  # For cumsum purposes
     cols[J[1] + 1] = 1
@@ -336,8 +341,37 @@ function sparse{Tv,Ti<:Union(Int32,Int64)}(I::AbstractVector{Ti}, J::AbstractVec
     return SparseMatrixCSC(nrow, ncol, RpT, RiT, RxT)
 end
 
+function find(S::SparseMatrixCSC)
+    sz = size(S)
+    I, J = findn(S)
+    return sub2ind(sz, I, J)
+end
+
+function findn{Tv,Ti}(S::SparseMatrixCSC{Tv,Ti})
+    numnz = nnz(S)
+    I = Array(Ti, numnz)
+    J = Array(Ti, numnz)
+
+    count = 1
+    for col = 1 : S.n, k = S.colptr[col] : (S.colptr[col+1]-1)
+        if S.nzval[k] != 0
+            I[count] = S.rowval[k]
+            J[count] = col
+            count += 1
+        else
+            println("Warning: sparse matrix contains explicit stored zeros.")
+        end
+    end
+
+    if numnz != count-1
+        I = I[1:count]
+        J = J[1:count]
+    end
+
+    return (I, J)
+end
 
-function find{Tv,Ti}(S::SparseMatrixCSC{Tv,Ti})
+function findn_nzs{Tv,Ti}(S::SparseMatrixCSC{Tv,Ti})
     numnz = nnz(S)
     I = Array(Ti, numnz)
     J = Array(Ti, numnz)
@@ -351,7 +385,7 @@ function find{Tv,Ti}(S::SparseMatrixCSC{Tv,Ti})
             V[count] = S.nzval[k]
             count += 1
         else
-            println("Warning: sparse matrix has explicit stored zeros.")
+            println("Warning: sparse matrix contains explicit stored zeros.")
         end
     end