diff --git a/docs/content/manual/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
index 183e4a5d45..ae02b31221 100644
--- a/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
+++ b/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
@@ -1426,10 +1426,15 @@ sections:
             input: '[{"foo":1, "bar":10}, {"foo":3, "bar":100}, {"foo":1, "bar":1}]'
             output: ['[[{"foo":1, "bar":10}, {"foo":1, "bar":1}], [{"foo":3, "bar":100}]]']
 
-      - title: "`min`, `max`, `min_by(path_exp)`, `max_by(path_exp)`"
+      - title: "`min`, `max`, `min(stream)`, `max(stream)`, `min_by(path_exp)`, `max_by(path_exp)`"
         body: |
 
-          Find the minimum or maximum element of the input array.
+          `min` finds the minimum element of the input array, and
+          `min(stream)` finds the minimum item in the stream.
+           
+          `max` and `max(stream)` similarly find the maximum element.
+
+          `min(empty)` and `max(empty)` both emit nothing.
 
           The `min_by(path_exp)` and `max_by(path_exp)` functions allow
           you to specify a particular field or property to examine, e.g.
@@ -1439,10 +1444,15 @@ sections:
           - program: 'min'
             input: '[5,4,2,7]'
             output: ['2']
+
+          - program: 'min(1,2,3,0.1)'
+            input: null
+            output: ['0.1']
+
           - program: 'max_by(.foo)'
             input: '[{"foo":1, "bar":14}, {"foo":2, "bar":3}]'
             output: ['{"foo":2, "bar":3}']
-
+            
       - title: "`unique`, `unique_by(path_exp)`"
         body: |
 
diff --git a/src/builtin.jq b/src/builtin.jq
index 146a64a36b..9dc732ed86 100644
--- a/src/builtin.jq
+++ b/src/builtin.jq
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+def first(g): label $out | g | ., break $out;
 def halt_error: halt_error(5);
 def error(msg): msg|error;
 def map(f): [.[] | f];
@@ -6,6 +7,19 @@ def sort_by(f): _sort_by_impl(map([f]));
 def group_by(f): _group_by_impl(map([f]));
 def unique: group_by(.) | map(.[0]);
 def unique_by(f): group_by(f) | map(.[0]);
+# max(s) and min(s) use boxing technique for the sake of `input`:
+def max(s):
+  reduce (s|[.]) as $x (null;
+    if . == null then $x
+    else if $x > . then $x end # for speed
+    end )
+  | select(.)[0];
+def min(s):
+  reduce (s|[.]) as $x (null;
+    if . == null then $x
+    else if $x < . then $x end # for speed
+    end )
+  | select(.)[0];
 def max_by(f): _max_by_impl(map([f]));
 def min_by(f): _min_by_impl(map([f]));
 def add: reduce .[] as $x (null; . + $x);
@@ -154,7 +168,6 @@ def range($init; $upto; $by):
     if $by > 0 then $init|while(. < $upto; . + $by)
   elif $by < 0 then $init|while(. > $upto; . + $by)
   else empty end;
-def first(g): label $out | g | ., break $out;
 def isempty(g): first((g|false), true);
 def all(generator; condition): isempty(generator|condition and empty);
 def any(generator; condition): isempty(generator|condition or empty)|not;
@@ -181,14 +194,8 @@ def combinations(n):
       | combinations;
 # transpose a possibly jagged matrix, quickly;
 # rows are padded with nulls so the result is always rectangular.
-def transpose:
-  if . == [] then []
-  else . as $in
-  | (map(length) | max) as $max
-  | length as $length
-  | reduce range(0; $max) as $j
-      ([]; . + [reduce range(0;$length) as $i ([]; . + [ $in[$i][$j] ] )] )
-  end;
+# Using map(length) turns out to be faster than using max/1
+def transpose: [range(0; map(length)|max) as $i | [.[][$i]]];
 def in(xs): . as $x | xs | has($x);
 def inside(xs): . as $x | xs | contains($x);
 def repeat(exp):
diff --git a/tests/jq.test b/tests/jq.test
index 4e693452bd..fb03d2f383 100644
--- a/tests/jq.test
+++ b/tests/jq.test
@@ -1352,6 +1352,15 @@ unique
 []
 [null,null,null,null]
 
+[min(1,2,0.1), max(1,2,0.1)]
+null
+[0.1,2]
+
+
+[min(empty),max(empty)]
+null
+[]
+
 .foo[.baz]
 {"foo":{"bar":4},"baz":"bar"}
 4