diff --git a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/min.rb b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/min.rb
index a2ec99f44..712902dc3 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/min.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/min.rb
@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
     # Sometimes we get numbers as numerics and sometimes as strings.
     # We try to compare them as numbers when possible
     return args.min do |a, b|
-      a.to_f <=> b.to_f if a.to_s =~ %r{\A^-?\d+(.\d+)?\z} && b.to_s =~ %r{\A-?\d+(.\d+)?\z}
-      a.to_s <=> b.to_s
+      if a.to_s =~ %r{\A^-?\d+(.\d+)?\z} && b.to_s =~ %r{\A-?\d+(.\d+)?\z}
+        a.to_f <=> b.to_f
+      else
+        a.to_s <=> b.to_s
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/functions/min_spec.rb b/spec/functions/min_spec.rb
index fd2c9227e..2c325a4eb 100755
--- a/spec/functions/min_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/functions/min_spec.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params(1, 2).and_return(1) }
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params(1, 2, 3).and_return(1) }
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params(3, 2, 1).and_return(1) }
+  it { is_expected.to run.with_params(12, 8).and_return(8) }
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params('one').and_return('one') }
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params('one', 'two').and_return('one') }
   it { is_expected.to run.with_params('one', 'two', 'three').and_return('one') }