diff --git a/base/abstractarray.jl b/base/abstractarray.jl
index d40f0ae4ac140d..5700c601e1e35f 100644
--- a/base/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/base/abstractarray.jl
@@ -796,50 +796,8 @@ function hvcat(nbc::Integer, as...)
     hvcat(ntuple(i->nbc, nbr), as...)
 end
 
-function hvcat{T}(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, as::AbstractMatrix{T}...)
-    nbr = length(rows)  # number of block rows
-
-    nc = 0
-    for i=1:rows[1]
-        nc += size(as[i],2)
-    end
-
-    nr = 0
-    a = 1
-    for i = 1:nbr
-        nr += size(as[a],1)
-        a += rows[i]
-    end
-
-    out = similar(full(as[1]), T, nr, nc)
-
-    a = 1
-    r = 1
-    for i = 1:nbr
-        c = 1
-        szi = size(as[a],1)
-        for j = 1:rows[i]
-            Aj = as[a+j-1]
-            szj = size(Aj,2)
-            if size(Aj,1) != szi
-                throw(ArgumentError("mismatched height in block row $(i) (expected $szi, got $(size(Aj,1)))"))
-            end
-            if c-1+szj > nc
-                throw(ArgumentError("block row $(i) has mismatched number of columns (expected $nc, got $(c-1+szj))"))
-            end
-            out[r:r-1+szi, c:c-1+szj] = Aj
-            c += szj
-        end
-        if c != nc+1
-            throw(ArgumentError("block row $(i) has mismatched number of columns (expected $nc, got $(c-1))"))
-        end
-        r += szi
-        a += rows[i]
-    end
-    out
-end
-
 hvcat(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}) = []
+typed_hvcat(T::Type, rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}) = []
 
 function hvcat{T<:Number}(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::T...)
     nr = length(rows)
@@ -874,6 +832,8 @@ function hvcat_fill(a::Array, xs::Tuple)
     a
 end
 
+hvcat(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::Number...) = typed_hvcat(promote_typeof(xs...), rows, xs...)
+
 function typed_hvcat(T::Type, rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::Number...)
     nr = length(rows)
     nc = rows[1]
@@ -889,9 +849,50 @@ function typed_hvcat(T::Type, rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::Number...)
     hvcat_fill(Array{T}(nr, nc), xs)
 end
 
-function hvcat(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::Number...)
-    T = promote_typeof(xs...)
-    typed_hvcat(T, rows, xs...)
+hvcat(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::AbstractMatrix...) = typed_hvcat(promote_eltype(xs...), rows, xs...)
+hvcat{T}(rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, xs::AbstractMatrix{T}...) = typed_hvcat(T, rows, xs...)
+
+function typed_hvcat{T}(TT::Type{T}, rows::Tuple{Vararg{Int}}, as::AbstractMatrix{T}...)
+    nbr = length(rows)  # number of block rows
+
+    nc = 0
+    for i=1:rows[1]
+        nc += size(as[i],2)
+    end
+
+    nr = 0
+    a = 1
+    for i = 1:nbr
+        nr += size(as[a],1)
+        a += rows[i]
+    end
+
+    out = similar(full(as[1]), T, nr, nc)
+
+    a = 1
+    r = 1
+    for i = 1:nbr
+        c = 1
+        szi = size(as[a],1)
+        for j = 1:rows[i]
+            Aj = as[a+j-1]
+            szj = size(Aj,2)
+            if size(Aj,1) != szi
+                throw(ArgumentError("mismatched height in block row $(i) (expected $szi, got $(size(Aj,1)))"))
+            end
+            if c-1+szj > nc
+                throw(ArgumentError("block row $(i) has mismatched number of columns (expected $nc, got $(c-1+szj))"))
+            end
+            out[r:r-1+szi, c:c-1+szj] = Aj
+            c += szj
+        end
+        if c != nc+1
+            throw(ArgumentError("block row $(i) has mismatched number of columns (expected $nc, got $(c-1))"))
+        end
+        r += szi
+        a += rows[i]
+    end
+    out
 end
 
 # fallback definition of hvcat in terms of hcat and vcat