diff --git a/base/reduce.jl b/base/reduce.jl
index 2b5602553d285..cae8b6fd906c7 100644
--- a/base/reduce.jl
+++ b/base/reduce.jl
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ pairwise_blocksize(::typeof(abs2), ::typeof(+)) = 4096
 _empty_reduce_error() = throw(ArgumentError("reducing over an empty collection is not allowed"))
 mr_empty(f, op, T) = _empty_reduce_error()
 # use zero(T)::T to improve type information when zero(T) is not defined
+# f::Callable = Union{Type, Function}; when f::Type, we can do better
+mr_empty(S::Type, op::typeof(+), T) = r_promote(op, zero(S)::S)
+mr_empty(S::Type, op::typeof(*), T) = r_promote(op, one(S)::S)
 mr_empty(::typeof(identity), op::typeof(+), T) = r_promote(op, zero(T)::T)
 mr_empty(::typeof(abs), op::typeof(+), T) = r_promote(op, abs(zero(T)::T))
 mr_empty(::typeof(abs2), op::typeof(+), T) = r_promote(op, abs2(zero(T)::T))