diff --git a/std/algorithm/searching.d b/std/algorithm/searching.d
index 2767c8145bb..0ab5871a62f 100644
--- a/std/algorithm/searching.d
+++ b/std/algorithm/searching.d
@@ -1245,45 +1245,90 @@ private auto extremum(alias map = "a", alias selector = "a < b", Range,
     if (isInputRange!Range && !isInfinite!Range &&
         !is(CommonType!(ElementType!Range, RangeElementType) == void))
 {
-    alias mapFun = unaryFun!map;
-    alias selectorFun = binaryFun!selector;
+    enum isMappingFirst = __traits(compiles, unaryFun!map(seedElement));
+
+    // check for identity ("a")
+    static if (isSomeString!(typeof(map)))
+        enum isIdentity = map == "a";
+    else
+        enum isIdentity = false;
+
+    // shorthand: if a binary function is given, it is the selector
+    static if (isMappingFirst || isIdentity)
+    {
+        alias selectorFun = binaryFun!selector;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        alias selectorFun = binaryFun!map;
+    }
 
     alias Element = ElementType!Range;
     alias CommonElement = CommonType!(Element, RangeElementType);
-    alias MapType = Unqual!(typeof(mapFun(CommonElement.init)));
-
     Unqual!CommonElement extremeElement = seedElement;
-    MapType extremeElementMapped = mapFun(extremeElement);
 
-    static if (isRandomAccessRange!Range && hasLength!Range)
+    // - direct access via a random access range is faster
+    // - if we only have one statement in the loop it can be optimized a lot better
+    static if (isIdentity || !isMappingFirst)
     {
-        foreach (const i; 0 .. r.length)
+        static if (isRandomAccessRange!Range && hasLength!Range)
         {
-            MapType mapElement = mapFun(r[i]);
-            if (selectorFun(mapElement, extremeElementMapped))
+            foreach (const i; 0 .. r.length)
             {
-                extremeElement = r[i];
-                extremeElementMapped = mapElement;
+                if (selectorFun(r[i], extremeElement))
+                {
+                    extremeElement = r[i];
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            while (!r.empty)
+            {
+                if (selectorFun(r.front, extremeElement))
+                {
+                    extremeElement = r.front;
+                }
+                r.popFront();
             }
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        while (!r.empty)
+        alias mapFun = unaryFun!map;
+
+        alias MapType = Unqual!(typeof(mapFun(CommonElement.init)));
+        MapType extremeElementMapped = mapFun(extremeElement);
+        static if (isRandomAccessRange!Range && hasLength!Range)
         {
-            MapType mapElement = mapFun(r.front);
-            if (selectorFun(mapElement, extremeElementMapped))
+            foreach (const i; 0 .. r.length)
             {
-                extremeElement = r.front;
-                extremeElementMapped = mapElement;
+                MapType mapElement = mapFun(r[i]);
+                if (selectorFun(mapElement, extremeElementMapped))
+                {
+                    extremeElement = r[i];
+                    extremeElementMapped = mapElement;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            while (!r.empty)
+            {
+                MapType mapElement = mapFun(r.front);
+                if (selectorFun(mapElement, extremeElementMapped))
+                {
+                    extremeElement = r.front;
+                    extremeElementMapped = mapElement;
+                }
+                r.popFront();
             }
-            r.popFront();
         }
     }
     return extremeElement;
 }
 
-@safe pure nothrow unittest
+@safe pure unittest
 {
     // allows a custom map to select the extremum
     assert([[0, 4], [1, 2]].extremum!"a[0]" == [0, 4]);
@@ -1292,14 +1337,25 @@ private auto extremum(alias map = "a", alias selector = "a < b", Range,
     // allows a custom selector for comparison
     assert([[0, 4], [1, 2]].extremum!("a[0]", "a > b") == [1, 2]);
     assert([[0, 4], [1, 2]].extremum!("a[1]", "a > b") == [0, 4]);
-}
 
-@safe pure nothrow unittest
-{
-    // allow seeds
+    // use a custom comparator
+    import std.math: cmp;
+    assert([-2., 0, 5].extremum!cmp == 5.0);
+    assert([-2., 0, 2].extremum!`cmp(a, b) < 0` == -2.0);
+
+    // combine with map
+    import std.range: enumerate;
+    assert([-3., 0, 5].enumerate.extremum!(`a.value`, cmp) == tuple(2, 5.0));
+    assert([-2., 0, 2].enumerate.extremum!(`a.value`, `cmp(a, b) < 0`) == tuple(0, -2.0));
+
+    // seed with a custom value
     int[] arr;
     assert(arr.extremum(1) == 1);
+}
 
+@safe pure nothrow unittest
+{
+    // 2d seeds
     int[][] arr2d;
     assert(arr2d.extremum([1]) == [1]);
 
@@ -1307,6 +1363,43 @@ private auto extremum(alias map = "a", alias selector = "a < b", Range,
     assert(extremum([2, 3, 4], 1.5) == 1.5);
 }
 
+@safe pure unittest
+{
+    import std.range: enumerate, iota;
+
+    // forward ranges
+    assert(iota(1, 5).extremum() == 1);
+    assert(iota(2, 5).enumerate.extremum!"a.value" == tuple(0, 2));
+
+    // should work with const
+    const(int)[] immArr = [2, 1, 3];
+    assert(immArr.extremum == 1);
+
+    // should work with immutable
+    immutable(int)[] immArr2 = [2, 1, 3];
+    assert(immArr2.extremum == 1);
+
+    // with strings
+    assert(["b", "a", "c"].extremum == "a");
+
+    // with all dummy ranges
+    import std.internal.test.dummyrange;
+    foreach (DummyType; AllDummyRanges)
+    {
+        DummyType d;
+        assert(d.extremum == 1);
+    }
+}
+
+@nogc @safe nothrow pure unittest
+{
+    static immutable arr = [7, 3, 4, 2, 1, 8];
+    assert(arr.extremum == 1);
+
+    static immutable arr2d = [[1, 9], [3, 1], [4, 2]];
+    assert(arr2d.extremum!"a[1]" == arr2d[1]);
+}
+
 // find
 /**
 Finds an individual element in an input range. Elements of $(D