diff --git a/src/runtime_intrinsics.c b/src/runtime_intrinsics.c
index 4f1601ff4c850..e871514900eda 100644
--- a/src/runtime_intrinsics.c
+++ b/src/runtime_intrinsics.c
@@ -1428,7 +1428,7 @@ float max_float(float x, float y) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT
     float diff = x - y;
     float argmax = signbit(diff) ? y : x;
     int is_nan = isnan(x) || isnan(y);
-    return is_nan ? diff : argmin;
+    return is_nan ? diff : argmax;
 }
 
 double max_double(double x, double y) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT
@@ -1436,7 +1436,7 @@ double max_double(double x, double y) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT
     double diff = x - y;
     double argmax = signbit(diff) ? y : x;
     int is_nan = isnan(x) || isnan(y);
-    return is_nan ? diff : argmin;
+    return is_nan ? diff : argmax;
 }
 
 #define _max(a, b) sizeof(a) == sizeof(float) ? max_float(a, b) : max_double(a, b)