diff --git a/test/test_ops.py b/test/test_ops.py
index ea690c87..32f5a554 100644
--- a/test/test_ops.py
+++ b/test/test_ops.py
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ import timeit
 import functools
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor, GPU, ANE, Device
 
-def helper_test_op(shps, torch_fxn, tinygrad_fxn, atol=0, rtol=1e-6, grad_atol=0, grad_rtol=1e-6, device=Device.CPU, forward_only=False):
+def helper_test_op(shps, torch_fxn, tinygrad_fxn, atol=0, rtol=1e-6, grad_atol=0, grad_rtol=1e-6, device=Device.CPU, forward_only=False, vals=None):
   torch.manual_seed(0)
-  ts = [torch.rand(x, requires_grad=True) for x in shps]
+  if shps is None:
+    ts = [torch.tensor(x, requires_grad=True) for x in vals]
+  else:
+    ts = [torch.rand(x, requires_grad=True) for x in shps]
   tst = [Tensor(x.detach().numpy()) for x in ts]
   if device==Device.GPU:
     tst = [x.gpu() for x in tst]
@@ -85,8 +88,10 @@ class TestOps(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_max(self):
     helper_test_op([(45,3)], lambda x: x.max(), Tensor.max, device=self.device)
     helper_test_op([(45,3)], lambda x: x.max().mul(0.5), lambda x: Tensor.max(x).mul(0.5), device=self.device)
-    helper_test_op([(3,4,5,6)], lambda x: x.max(axis=1)[0], lambda x: Tensor.max(x, axis=1), device=self.device)
-    helper_test_op([(3,4,5,6)], lambda x: x.max(axis=1)[0].mul(0.5), lambda x: Tensor.max(x, axis=1).mul(0.5), device=self.device)
+    helper_test_op(None, lambda x: x.max().mul(0.5), lambda x: Tensor.max(x).mul(0.5), device=self.device,
+            vals=[
+                [[1.0,1.0,0.0,1.0]],
+                ])
     helper_test_op([(3,4,5,6)], lambda x: x.max(axis=1)[0], lambda x: Tensor.max(x, axis=1), device=self.device)
   def test_mean_axis(self):
     helper_test_op([(3,4,5,6)], lambda x: x.mean(axis=(1,2)), lambda x: Tensor.mean(x, axis=(1,2)), device=self.device)
diff --git a/tinygrad/ops_cpu.py b/tinygrad/ops_cpu.py
index 78691ca4..5fd8c787 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ops_cpu.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ops_cpu.py
@@ -115,18 +115,21 @@ register('sum', Sum)
 
 class Max(Function):
   @staticmethod
-  def forward(ctx, input, axis=None):
-    am = input.argmax(axis=axis)
-    am = np.expand_dims(am, axis=axis) if axis is not None else np.array([am])
-    ctx.save_for_backward(input.shape, am, axis)
-    return np.take_along_axis(input, am, axis=axis).squeeze(axis=axis)
+  def forward(ctx, inp, axis=None):
+    axis = [axis] if type(axis) == int else axis
+    ret = np.amax(inp, axis=None if axis is None else tuple(axis), keepdims=True) 
+    ctx.save_for_backward(inp, axis, ret)
+    if axis is not None:
+      ret = ret.reshape([inp.shape[i] for i in range(len(inp.shape)) if i not in axis])
+    return ret
 
   @staticmethod
   def backward(ctx, grad_output):
-    shape, am, axis = ctx.saved_tensors
-    ret = np.zeros(shape, dtype=np.float32)
-    np.put_along_axis(ret, am, grad_output.reshape(am.shape), axis=axis)
-    return ret
+    input, axis, ret = ctx.saved_tensors
+    shape = [1 if axis is None or i in axis else input.shape[i] for i in range(len(input.shape))]
+    ret2 = (input==ret.reshape(shape))
+    div = ret2.sum(axis=None if axis is None else tuple(axis), keepdims=True) 
+    return ret2*grad_output.reshape(shape)/div
 register('max', Max)
 
 # ************* movement ops *************
diff --git a/tinygrad/ops_gpu.py b/tinygrad/ops_gpu.py
index 51746cd1..d9b34aee 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ops_gpu.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ops_gpu.py
@@ -242,8 +242,10 @@ class Max(Function):
   def backward(ctx, grad_output):
     input, axis, ret = ctx.saved_tensors
     shape = [1 if axis is None or i in axis else input.shape[i] for i in range(len(input.shape))]
-    ret2 = binary_op(ctx, "1.0*(a == b)", input, GPUBuffer(shape, ret))
-    return binary_op(ctx, 'a*b', ret2, GPUBuffer(shape, grad_output))
+    ret2 = binary_op(ctx, "1.0*(a==b)", input, GPUBuffer(shape, ret))
+    div = reduce_op(ctx, "out += a", "out+1e-10", ret2, axis=axis)
+    ret3 = binary_op(ctx, "a/b", ret2, GPUBuffer(shape, div))
+    return binary_op(ctx, 'a*b', ret3, GPUBuffer(shape, grad_output))
 register('max', Max, device=Device.GPU)
 
 class Matmul(Function):