diff --git a/examples/1701-atomics-rmw.sx b/examples/1701-atomics-rmw.sx
index 60a65b8f..fde74aa6 100644
--- a/examples/1701-atomics-rmw.sx
+++ b/examples/1701-atomics-rmw.sx
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 // Atomic($T) read-modify-write: fetch_add/sub/and/or/xor/min/max → LLVM atomicrmw.
 // Each returns the OLD value. Stream A (atomics) A.1. Single-thread.
+// Also covers signed min/max with NEGATIVES at BOTH comptime (#run) and runtime —
+// they must agree (regression: comptime once did an unsigned compare).
 #import "modules/std.sx";
 #import "modules/std/atomic.sx";
 
+// comptime (#run) signed min/max with a negative — must match runtime.
+c_max :: () -> i64 { a := Atomic(i64).init(-5); _ := a.fetch_max(3, .seq_cst); return a.load(.seq_cst); }
+c_min :: () -> i64 { a := Atomic(i64).init(-5); _ := a.fetch_min(3, .seq_cst); return a.load(.seq_cst); }
+G_MAX :: #run c_max();
+G_MIN :: #run c_min();
+
 main :: () {
     a := Atomic(i64).init(10);
     print("old add: {}\n", a.fetch_add(5, .seq_cst));   // returns 10, now 15
@@ -19,4 +27,13 @@ main :: () {
     print("old min: {}\n", m.fetch_min(8, .seq_cst));   // returns 20, now 8
     print("old max: {}\n", m.fetch_max(15, .seq_cst));  // returns 8, now 15
     print("now: {}\n", m.load(.seq_cst));               // 15
+
+    // signed min/max with a negative — comptime (#run) and runtime must agree.
+    s := Atomic(i64).init(-5);
+    _ := s.fetch_max(3, .seq_cst);
+    print("runtime signed max(-5,3): {}\n", s.load(.seq_cst));  // 3
+    s.store(-5, .seq_cst);
+    _ := s.fetch_min(3, .seq_cst);
+    print("runtime signed min(-5,3): {}\n", s.load(.seq_cst));  // -5
+    print("comptime signed max(-5,3)={} min(-5,3)={}\n", G_MAX, G_MIN);  // 3 / -5
 }
diff --git a/examples/expected/1701-atomics-rmw.stdout b/examples/expected/1701-atomics-rmw.stdout
index cdd2ff55..56046b61 100644
--- a/examples/expected/1701-atomics-rmw.stdout
+++ b/examples/expected/1701-atomics-rmw.stdout
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@ now: 60
 old min: 20
 old max: 8
 now: 15
+runtime signed max(-5,3): 3
+runtime signed min(-5,3): -5
+comptime signed max(-5,3)=3 min(-5,3)=-5
diff --git a/src/ir/comptime_vm.zig b/src/ir/comptime_vm.zig
index 47a588bd..3c1ecc82 100644
--- a/src/ir/comptime_vm.zig
+++ b/src/ir/comptime_vm.zig
@@ -699,13 +699,17 @@ pub const Vm = struct {
                     .@"or" => old | operand,
                     .xor => old ^ operand,
                     .min, .max => blk: {
+                        // `Reg` is u64, so `@max`/`@min` on it is an UNSIGNED
+                        // compare. For a signed type, reinterpret as i64 first so
+                        // a negative value loses to a positive one — matching LLVM
+                        // `atomicrmw min`/`max` (signed) and the emit side.
                         const want_max = a.kind == .max;
                         if (table.isUnsignedInt(vty)) {
-                            const uo: u64 = @bitCast(old);
-                            const up: u64 = @bitCast(operand);
-                            break :blk @bitCast(if (want_max) @max(uo, up) else @min(uo, up));
+                            break :blk if (want_max) @max(old, operand) else @min(old, operand);
                         }
-                        break :blk if (want_max) @max(old, operand) else @min(old, operand);
+                        const so: i64 = @bitCast(old);
+                        const sp: i64 = @bitCast(operand);
+                        break :blk @bitCast(if (want_max) @max(so, sp) else @min(so, sp));
                     },
                 };
                 try self.writeField(table, frame.get(a.ptr.index()), vty, new_val);