diff --git a/base/linalg/dense.jl b/base/linalg/dense.jl
index 757de7c8d51cb..3c02b3395e0ae 100644
--- a/base/linalg/dense.jl
+++ b/base/linalg/dense.jl
@@ -874,6 +874,8 @@ function sylvester{T<:BlasFloat}(A::StridedMatrix{T},B::StridedMatrix{T},C::Stri
 end
 sylvester{T<:Integer}(A::StridedMatrix{T},B::StridedMatrix{T},C::StridedMatrix{T}) = sylvester(float(A), float(B), float(C))
 
+sylvester(a::Union{Real,Complex},b::Union{Real,Complex},c::Union{Real,Complex}) = -c / (a + b)
+
 # AX + XA' + C = 0
 
 """
diff --git a/base/linalg/triangular.jl b/base/linalg/triangular.jl
index 61c8ffe34dc35..71a238fbdde2d 100644
--- a/base/linalg/triangular.jl
+++ b/base/linalg/triangular.jl
@@ -1867,48 +1867,51 @@ function logm{T<:Union{Float64,Complex{Float64}}}(A0::UpperTriangular{T})
 end
 logm(A::LowerTriangular) = logm(A.').'
 
-function sqrtm{T}(A::UpperTriangular{T})
-    n = checksquare(A)
+function sqrtm(A::UpperTriangular)
     realmatrix = false
     if isreal(A)
         realmatrix = true
-        for i = 1:n
+        for i = 1:checksquare(A)
             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] = realmatrix?sqrt(A[j,j]):sqrt(complex(A[j,j]))
+    sqrtm(A,Val{realmatrix})
+end
+function sqrtm{T,realmatrix}(A::UpperTriangular{T},::Type{Val{realmatrix}})
+    B = A.data
+    n = checksquare(B)
+    t = realmatrix ? typeof(sqrt(zero(T))) : typeof(sqrt(complex(zero(T))))
+    R = zeros(t, n, n)
+    tt = typeof(zero(t)*zero(t))
+    @inbounds for j = 1:n
+        R[j,j] = realmatrix ? sqrt(B[j,j]) : sqrt(complex(B[j,j]))
         for i = j-1:-1:1
-            r = A[i,j]
-            for k = i+1:j-1
+            r::tt = B[i,j]
+            @simd for k = i+1:j-1
                 r -= R[i,k]*R[k,j]
             end
-            r==0 || (R[i,j] = r / (R[i,i] + R[j,j]))
+            r==0 || (R[i,j] = sylvester(R[i,i],R[j,j],-r))
         end
     end
     return UpperTriangular(R)
 end
 function sqrtm{T}(A::UnitUpperTriangular{T})
-    n = checksquare(A)
-    TT = typeof(sqrt(zero(T)))
-    R = zeros(TT, n, n)
-    for j = 1:n
-        R[j,j] = one(T)
+    B = A.data
+    n = checksquare(B)
+    t = typeof(sqrt(zero(T)))
+    R = eye(t, n, n)
+    tt = typeof(zero(t)*zero(t))
+    half = inv(R[1,1]+R[1,1]) # for general, algebraic cases. PR#20214
+    @inbounds for j = 1:n
         for i = j-1:-1:1
-            r = A[i,j]
-            for k = i+1:j-1
+            r::tt = B[i,j]
+            @simd for k = i+1:j-1
                 r -= R[i,k]*R[k,j]
             end
-            r==0 || (R[i,j] = r / (R[i,i] + R[j,j]))
+            r==0 || (R[i,j] = half*r)
         end
     end
     return UnitUpperTriangular(R)