diff --git a/src/builtin.jq b/src/builtin.jq
index dd29a953..3e981d67 100644
--- a/src/builtin.jq
+++ b/src/builtin.jq
@@ -63,9 +63,11 @@ def strings: select(type == "string");
 def nulls: select(. == null);
 def values: select(. != null);
 def scalars: select(type|. != "array" and . != "object");
+# Keep the accumulator the only reference on the left of + so the string is
+# appended in place; a nested + or a // inside the reduce copies it every step.
 def join($x): reduce .[] as $i (null;
-            (if .==null then "" else .+$x end) +
-            ($i | if type=="boolean" or type=="number" then tostring else .//"" end)
+            (if .==null then "" else .+$x end) |
+            . + ($i | if type=="boolean" or type=="number" then tostring end)
         ) // "";
 def _flatten($x): reduce .[] as $i ([]; if $i | type == "array" and $x != 0 then . + ($i | _flatten($x-1)) else . + [$i] end);
 def flatten($x): if $x < 0 then error("flatten depth must not be negative") else _flatten($x) end;
diff --git a/tests/jq.test b/tests/jq.test
index 39f8368a..11b3e007 100644
--- a/tests/jq.test
+++ b/tests/jq.test
@@ -2076,6 +2076,14 @@ try join(",") catch .
 ["1","2",[3,4,5]]
 "string (\"1,2,\") and array ([3,4,5]) cannot be added"
 
+join("-")
+{"a":"x","b":1,"c":null,"d":false}
+"x-1--false"
+
+try join(1) catch .
+["a","b"]
+"string (\"a\") and number (1) cannot be added"
+
 {if:0,and:1,or:2,then:3,else:4,elif:5,end:6,as:7,def:8,reduce:9,foreach:10,try:11,catch:12,label:13,import:14,include:15,module:16}
 null
 {"if":0,"and":1,"or":2,"then":3,"else":4,"elif":5,"end":6,"as":7,"def":8,"reduce":9,"foreach":10,"try":11,"catch":12,"label":13,"import":14,"include":15,"module":16}