diff --git a/lib/check.ml b/lib/check.ml
index 6331cba6..03bd3086 100644
--- a/lib/check.ml
+++ b/lib/check.ml
@@ -11583,11 +11583,12 @@ and dyn_fold ctx ~want loc name first rest =
     | "+" -> "flan_dyn_add" | "-" -> "flan_dyn_sub"
     | "*" -> "flan_dyn_mul" | "/" -> "flan_dyn_div"
     | "%" -> "flan_dyn_rem"
+    | "min" -> "flan_dyn_min" | "max" -> "flan_dyn_max"
     | _ -> dyn_bits_sym name
   in
   (* A bitwise fold takes integers on both sides, and the typed side of a
      mixed pair can be asked now rather than at run time. *)
-  let bitwise = not (List.mem name [ "+"; "-"; "*"; "/"; "%" ]) in
+  let bitwise = not (List.mem name [ "+"; "-"; "*"; "/"; "%"; "min"; "max" ]) in
   if bitwise then
     List.iter
       (fun (v : Tast.expr) ->
@@ -13239,7 +13240,10 @@ and named_call ?(qualified = false) ctx ~want loc name args =
     let x, y, rest =
       match args with x :: y :: rest -> x, y, rest | _ -> assert false
     in
-    let a, b = binary ctx name loc ~want:(numeric_want want) [ x; y ] in
+    let a, b = binary ctx ~dyn_ok:true name loc ~want:(numeric_want want) [ x; y ] in
+    if a.Tast.ty = Types.Dyn || b.Tast.ty = Types.Dyn then
+      dyn_fold ctx ~want loc name [ a; b ] rest
+    else begin
     (* [min] and [max] are [<] with a pick, so [ordered?] is what they want —
        not [numeric?]. A generic that declares [ordered?] gets both.
 
@@ -13266,15 +13270,15 @@ and named_call ?(qualified = false) ctx ~want loc name args =
       mk loc ty (Tast.Let ([ (sa, a); (sb, b) ],
                            [ mk loc ty (Tast.If (test, la, lb)) ]))
     in
-    expect ctx loc ~want
-      (List.fold_left
-         (fun acc arg ->
-            (* A dyn is refused here as it is in the first pair, rather than
-               opened at the type so far. *)
-            match fold_operand ctx ty (check ctx ~want:ty arg) with
-            | `Typed v -> pick acc v
-            | `Dyn d -> not_numeric name "numbers" d; acc)
-         (pick a b) rest)
+    let rec steps acc = function
+      | [] -> expect ctx loc ~want acc
+      | arg :: tl ->
+        match fold_operand ctx ty (check ctx ~want:ty arg) with
+        | `Typed v -> steps (pick acc v) tl
+        | `Dyn d -> dyn_fold ctx ~want loc name [ acc; d ] tl
+    in
+    steps (pick a b) rest
+    end
   (* A type handed to the prelude's slice reductions: the reach for the
      type-limit constants under the name of the reduction beside them. *)
   | ("max-of" | "min-of")
diff --git a/lib/emit.ml b/lib/emit.ml
index 2f28d53e..6247a22e 100644
--- a/lib/emit.ml
+++ b/lib/emit.ml
@@ -5113,6 +5113,8 @@ declare i64 @flan_dyn_lt(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_le(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_gt(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_ge(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
+declare i64 @flan_dyn_min(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
+declare i64 @flan_dyn_max(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_eq(i64, i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_len(i64)
 declare i64 @flan_dyn_eq_at(i64, i64, ptr, i64)
diff --git a/runtime/flan_dyn.c b/runtime/flan_dyn.c
index f7bd7c4a..889c6311 100644
--- a/runtime/flan_dyn.c
+++ b/runtime/flan_dyn.c
@@ -3382,6 +3382,30 @@ flan_dyn flan_dyn_ge(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc,
   return flan_dyn_from_bool(c == 1 || c == 0);
 }
 
+/* The pick of min and max: numbers by value, keeping the one picked as it is
+ * (an int stays an int), and chars by code point. Anything else traps, text
+ * included, since min over text has no typed counterpart. The first is picked
+ * only when it is strictly less (or greater), so a tie or a NaN answers the
+ * second, as the typed (if (< a b) a b) does. */
+static flan_dyn pick(const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen, const char *op,
+                     flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, int want) {
+  int both_chars = flan_dyn_tag(a) == FLAN_DYN_TAG_CHAR &&
+                   flan_dyn_tag(b) == FLAN_DYN_TAG_CHAR;
+  if (!both_chars && !(is_num(a) && is_num(b)))
+    trap2(loc, loclen, TYPE_TRAP, op,
+          "it picks between two numbers or two chars, and these are neither",
+          a, b);
+  return order(loc, loclen, op, a, b) == want ? a : b;
+}
+flan_dyn flan_dyn_min(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc,
+                      int64_t loclen) {
+  return pick(loc, loclen, "min", a, b, -1);
+}
+flan_dyn flan_dyn_max(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc,
+                      int64_t loclen) {
+  return pick(loc, loclen, "max", a, b, 1);
+}
+
 /* ── Equality ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  *
  * Structural, and the only operation here that never traps: two values of
diff --git a/runtime/flan_dyn.h b/runtime/flan_dyn.h
index f8591676..6b0edee3 100644
--- a/runtime/flan_dyn.h
+++ b/runtime/flan_dyn.h
@@ -231,6 +231,11 @@ flan_dyn flan_dyn_le(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen)
 flan_dyn flan_dyn_gt(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen);
 flan_dyn flan_dyn_ge(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen);
 
+/* Answer whichever of a and b is less (min) or greater (max), b on a tie:
+ * numbers by value, chars by code point; anything else traps. */
+flan_dyn flan_dyn_min(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen);
+flan_dyn flan_dyn_max(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b, const uint8_t *loc, int64_t loclen);
+
 /* Structural, and the one operation in this file that never traps: two values
  * of unrelated tags are not an error, they are unequal. */
 flan_dyn flan_dyn_eq(flan_dyn a, flan_dyn b);
diff --git a/test/programs/dyn-fold-position.flan b/test/programs/dyn-fold-position.flan
index e3e80b7f..a485509f 100644
--- a/test/programs/dyn-fold-position.flan
+++ b/test/programs/dyn-fold-position.flan
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 (defn as-i32 [x i32] i32 x)
 (defn as-f64 [x f64] f64 x)
 
-(defn main [] i32
+(defn loud [x i32] i32 (println "i" x) x)
+(defn loud-dyn [x dyn] dyn (println "d" x) x)
+
+(defn main [args [str]] i32
   (let [d (the dyn \a)
         f (the dyn 2.5)
         n (the dyn 4)
@@ -28,6 +31,17 @@
     (println (<= 2 2 f) (> 3 2 f) (>= 3 3 f) (>= 3 3 n))
     (println (= 4 4 n) (= 4 n 4) (= n 4 4) (= 4 4 f))
     (println (!= 1 2 n) (!= 1 4 n) (!= 2 f 3))
+    ;; min and max: numbers by value, the one picked kept as it is, and
+    ;; chars by code point.
+    (println (min f 3 4) (min 3 f 4) (min 3 4 f) (min 1 2 f))
+    (println (max n 1 2) (max 1 n 2) (max 1 2 n) (max 5 6 n))
+    (println (min d \c \b) (max \b d \c) (max \b \c d) (min 1.5 2.5 n))
+    ;; Each operand is evaluated once, left to right.
+    (println (min (loud 3) (loud 2) (loud-dyn n) (loud 1)))
+    (println (max (loud 3) (loud-dyn n) (loud 9)))
+    ;; With an argument, min over a number and a text traps at the form.
+    (when (> (length args) 1)
+      (println (min 1 2 (the dyn "a"))))
     ;; At a typed want the dyn answer is opened at the end.
     (println (as-i32 (+ 1 2 n)) (as-f64 (* 2 3 f))))
   0)
diff --git a/test/test_acceptance.ml b/test/test_acceptance.ml
index 522e9ae8..6b4aff4a 100644
--- a/test/test_acceptance.ml
+++ b/test/test_acceptance.ml
@@ -5615,7 +5615,8 @@ level "1"
     let fold_out =
       "d d d\n^ 5 5\n15 15 15\n0.25 1.8 1.6\n8.5 4.5\nf \\ h\n7 7 7\n\
        4 4 4\n7 7 7\ntrue true true false\ntrue false true false\n\
-       true true true false\ntrue false true\n7 15\n"
+       true true true false\ntrue false true\n2.5 2.5 2.5 1\n4 4 4 6\n\
+       a c c 1.5\ni 3\ni 2\nd 4\ni 1\n1\ni 3\nd 4\ni 9\n9\n7 15\n"
     in
     outputs "dyn: a dyn in any fold position" "programs/dyn-fold-position.flan"
       fold_out;
@@ -5623,6 +5624,19 @@ level "1"
       "programs/dyn-fold-position.flan" fold_out;
     outputs ~x86:true "dyn: a dyn in any fold position, --x86"
       "programs/dyn-fold-position.flan" fold_out;
+    List.iter
+      (fun x86 ->
+         let exe = compile ~x86 "programs/dyn-fold-position.flan" in
+         let code, text = run exe (Some "x") in
+         let want = "programs/dyn-fold-position.flan:44:16: dyn min: int and \
+                     text, and it picks between two numbers or two chars" in
+         if code <> 134 || not (contains text want) then begin
+           incr failures;
+           Printf.printf "FAIL  dyn: min over a number and a text traps%s\n        \
+                          got: %S (exit %d)\n"
+             (if x86 then ", --x86" else "") text code
+         end)
+      [ false; true ];
     List.iter
       (fun x86 ->
          let exe = compile ~x86 "programs/char-arith.flan" in
diff --git a/test/test_flan.ml b/test/test_flan.ml
index 60ede47d..2e8d3f8b 100644
--- a/test/test_flan.ml
+++ b/test/test_flan.ml
@@ -8450,14 +8450,5 @@ let () =
     "(defn f [n i32] (Option i32) (cond (= n 1) 10 (= n 2) 20))\n(defn main [] ())";
   rejects_check "a map's get takes one key" ~needle:"a map's get takes one key"
     "(defn main [] () (let [m (map-new i32 i32)] (println (get m 1 2))))";
-  (* min and max have no dyn lowering: a dyn past the first pair is refused
-     as one in it is, not opened at the type so far. *)
-  List.iter
-    (fun op ->
-       rejects_check (op ^ " refuses a dyn past its first pair")
-         ~needle:(op ^ " takes numbers, found dyn")
-         (Printf.sprintf
-            "(defn main [] () (let [f (the dyn 2.5)] (println (%s 3 4 f))))" op))
-    [ "min"; "max" ];
 
   Test_support.report ()