diff --git a/doc/teapot.lyx b/doc/teapot.lyx
index f30270d..694bdf7 100644
--- a/doc/teapot.lyx
+++ b/doc/teapot.lyx
@@ -6338,7 +6338,46 @@ location
 
 l2
 \emph default
-) 
+)
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph default
+|
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\series default
+\emph default
+max
+\series medium
+(
+\emph on
+v1
+\emph default
+,
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph on
+v2
+\emph default
+,
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph default
+...)
 \series default
  evaluates to the maximum in the same way min does for the minimum.
  
@@ -6376,9 +6415,48 @@ location
 l2
 \emph default
 )
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph default
+|
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
 \series default
-  evaluates to the location of the minimum of all values in the block marked
- by the corners pointed to by 
+\emph default
+min
+\series medium
+(
+\emph on
+v1
+\emph default
+,
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph on
+v2
+\emph default
+,
+\emph on
+
+\begin_inset space ~
+\end_inset
+
+
+\emph default
+...)
+\series default
+ The first form evaluates to the location of the minimum of all values in
+ the block marked by the corners pointed to by 
 \emph on
 l1
 \emph default
@@ -6399,7 +6477,9 @@ l1
 l2
 \emph default
 )).
- 
+ The second form simply returns the smallest of the specified values, returning
+ an error if it encounters two that are not comparable (like a string and
+ an integer).
 \end_layout
 
 \begin_layout Description
diff --git a/src/common/func.c b/src/common/func.c
index db1d801..8621a9f 100644
--- a/src/common/func.c
+++ b/src/common/func.c
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ static Token log_func(int argc, const Token argv[])
 static Token minmax_func(int argc, const Token argv[], int min)
 {
   /* variables */ /*{{{*/
-  Token result;
+  Token result, tmp;
   Location minloc;
   /*}}}*/
 
@@ -926,7 +926,6 @@ static Token minmax_func(int argc, const Token argv[], int min)
     Location w;
     int x1,y1,z1;
     int x2,y2,z2;
-    Token tmp;
     /*}}}*/
 
     x1=argv[0].u.location[0]; x2=argv[1].u.location[0]; posorder(&x1,&x2);
@@ -972,11 +971,27 @@ static Token minmax_func(int argc, const Token argv[], int min)
     return result;
   }
   /*}}}*/
+  else if (argc > 0) /* try to take min/max of all arguments */
+  {
+    size_t i, mini;
+    mini = 0;
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
+      tmp = (min ? tlt(argv[i], argv[mini]) : tgt(argv[i], argv[mini]));
+      if (tmp.type == INT) /* comparison succeeded */
+      {
+	if (tmp.u.integer) mini = i;
+	tfree(&tmp);
+      }
+      else /* failed comparison, return the error */
+	return tmp;
+    }
+    return argv[mini];
+  }
   else
   /* result is min/max type error */ /*{{{*/
   {
     result.type=EEK;
-    result.u.err=mystrmalloc(min ? _("Usage: min(location,location)") : _("Usage: max(location,location)"));
+    result.u.err=mystrmalloc(min ? _("Usage: min(location,location) or min(val1, val2,...)") : _("Usage: max(location,location) or max(val1,val2,...)"));
     return result;
   }
   /*}}}*/