diff --git a/base/linalg/dense.jl b/base/linalg/dense.jl
index 3f32927d21a224..fa0326252398c2 100644
--- a/base/linalg/dense.jl
+++ b/base/linalg/dense.jl
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ function sqrtm{T<:Real}(A::StridedMatrix{T})
     SchurF = schurfact(complex(A))
     R = full(sqrtm(UpperTriangular(SchurF[:T])))
     retmat = SchurF[:vectors]*R*SchurF[:vectors]'
-    all(imag(retmat) .== 0) ? real(retmat) : retmat
+    return retmat
 end
 function sqrtm{T<:Complex}(A::StridedMatrix{T})
     if ishermitian(A)
diff --git a/base/linalg/triangular.jl b/base/linalg/triangular.jl
index 7c8dd9f393d8ee..82dc33e7ca6bc6 100644
--- a/base/linalg/triangular.jl
+++ b/base/linalg/triangular.jl
@@ -1108,11 +1108,25 @@ end
 logm(A::LowerTriangular) = logm(A.').'
 
 function sqrtm{T}(A::UpperTriangular{T})
-    n = size(A, 1)
-    TT = typeof(sqrt(zero(T)))
+    n = chksquare(A)
+    realmatrix = false
+    if isreal(A)
+        realmatrix = true
+        for i = 1:n
+            if real(A[i,i]) < 0
+                realmatrix = false
+                break
+            end
+        end
+    end
+    if realmatrix
+        TT = typeof(sqrt(zero(T)))
+    else
+        TT = typeof(sqrt(complex(-one(T))))
+    end
     R = zeros(TT, n, n)
     for j = 1:n
-        R[j,j] = sqrt(A[j,j])
+        R[j,j] = realmatrix?sqrt(A[j,j]):sqrt(complex(A[j,j]))
         for i = j-1:-1:1
             r = A[i,j]
             for k = i+1:j-1
@@ -1124,7 +1138,7 @@ function sqrtm{T}(A::UpperTriangular{T})
     return UpperTriangular(R)
 end
 function sqrtm{T}(A::UnitUpperTriangular{T})
-    n = size(A, 1)
+    n = chksquare(A)
     TT = typeof(sqrt(zero(T)))
     R = zeros(TT, n, n)
     for j = 1:n