diff --git a/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js b/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
index 27e5f643ca..b97663a8a7 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/minimongo.js
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ LocalCollection.prototype.update = function (selector, mod, options, callback) {
   }
   if (!options) options = {};
 
-  var matcher = new Minimongo.Matcher(selector);
+  var matcher = new Minimongo.Matcher(selector, true);
 
   // Save the original results of any query that we might need to
   // _recomputeResults on, because _modifyAndNotify will mutate the objects in
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js b/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
index ad38b97131..57b006e03e 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
@@ -2301,13 +2301,6 @@ Tinytest.add("minimongo - modify", function (test) {
                   {'a.x': 1, 'a.y': 3},
                   {$set: {'a.$.z': 5}},
                   {a: [{x: 1}, {y: 3, z: 5}]});
-  // with $near, make sure it finds the closest one
-  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [1,1]},
-                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
-                       {b: [9,9]}]},
-                  {'a.b': {$near: [5, 5]}},
-                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
-                  {a: [{b: [1,1]}, {b: 'k'}, {b: [9,9]}]});
   modifyWithQuery({a: [{x: 1}, {y: 1}, {x: 1, y: 1}]},
                   {a: {$elemMatch: {x: 1, y: 1}}},
                   {$set: {'a.$.x': 2}},
@@ -2316,6 +2309,56 @@ Tinytest.add("minimongo - modify", function (test) {
                   {'a.b': {$elemMatch: {x: 1, y: 1}}},
                   {$set: {'a.$.b': 3}},
                   {a: [{b: 3}]});
+  // with $near, make sure it does not find the closest one (#3599)
+  modifyWithQuery({a: []},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [5, 5]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[]});
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [5, 5]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"b":"k"}]});
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [1,1]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [9,9]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [5, 5]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"b":"k"},{"b":[[3,3],[4,4]]},{"b":[9,9]}]}); 
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [1,1]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [9,9]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [9, 9], $maxDistance: 1}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"b":"k"},{"b":[[3,3],[4,4]]},{"b":[9,9]}]}); 
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [1,1]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [9,9]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [9, 9]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"b":"k"},{"b":[[3,3],[4,4]]},{"b":[9,9]}]});
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b: [9,9]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [9,9]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [9, 9]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"b":"k"},{"b":[[3,3],[4,4]]},{"b":[9,9]}]});
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{b:[4,3]},
+                       {c: [1,1]}]},
+                  {'a.c': {$near: [1, 1]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.c': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"c": "k", "b":[4,3]},{"c":[1,1]}]});
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{c: [9,9]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [1,1]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [1, 1]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"c": [9,9], "b":"k"},{"b": [ [3,3], [4,4]]},{"b":[1,1]}]});  
+  modifyWithQuery({a: [{c: [9,9], b:[4,3]},
+                       {b: [ [3,3], [4,4] ]},
+                       {b: [1,1]}]},
+                  {'a.b': {$near: [1, 1]}},
+                  {$set: {'a.$.b': 'k'}},
+                  {"a":[{"c": [9,9], "b":"k"},{"b": [ [3,3], [4,4]]},{"b":[1,1]}]});
 
   // $inc
   modify({a: 1, b: 2}, {$inc: {a: 10}}, {a: 11, b: 2});
@@ -3220,13 +3263,14 @@ Tinytest.add("minimongo - $near operator tests", function (test) {
   // 'y'.
   testNear([2, 2], 1000, ['x', 'y']);
 
-  // Ensure that distance is used as a tie-breaker for sort.
+  // issue #3599
+  // Ensure that distance is not used as a tie-breaker for sort.
   test.equal(
     _.pluck(coll.find({'a.b': {$near: [1, 1]}}, {sort: {k: 1}}).fetch(), '_id'),
     ['x', 'y']);
   test.equal(
     _.pluck(coll.find({'a.b': {$near: [5, 5]}}, {sort: {k: 1}}).fetch(), '_id'),
-    ['y', 'x']);
+    ['x', 'y']);
 
   var operations = [];
   var cbs = log_callbacks(operations);
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/selector.js b/packages/minimongo/selector.js
index f3034094d1..7088fa751a 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/selector.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/selector.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 // Main entry point.
 //   var matcher = new Minimongo.Matcher({a: {$gt: 5}});
 //   if (matcher.documentMatches({a: 7})) ...
-Minimongo.Matcher = function (selector) {
+Minimongo.Matcher = function (selector, isUpdate = false) {
   var self = this;
   // A set (object mapping string -> *) of all of the document paths looked
   // at by the selector. Also includes the empty string if it may look at any
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ Minimongo.Matcher = function (selector) {
   // Sorter._useWithMatcher.
   self._selector = null;
   self._docMatcher = self._compileSelector(selector);
+  // Set to true if selection is done for an update operation
+  // Default is false
+  // Used for $near array update (issue #3599)
+  self._isUpdate = isUpdate;
 };
 
 _.extend(Minimongo.Matcher.prototype, {
@@ -484,23 +488,29 @@ var VALUE_OPERATORS = {
       // each within-$maxDistance branching point.
       branchedValues = expandArraysInBranches(branchedValues);
       var result = {result: false};
-      _.each(branchedValues, function (branch) {
-        if (!(typeof branch.value === "object")){
-          return;
+      _.every(branchedValues, function (branch) {
+        // if operation is an update, don't skip branches, just return the first one (#3599)
+        if (!matcher._isUpdate){
+          if (!(typeof branch.value === "object")){
+            return true;
+          }
+          var curDistance = distance(branch.value);
+          // Skip branches that aren't real points or are too far away.
+          if (curDistance === null || curDistance > maxDistance)
+            return true;
+          // Skip anything that's a tie.
+          if (result.distance !== undefined && result.distance <= curDistance)
+            return true;
         }
-        var curDistance = distance(branch.value);
-        // Skip branches that aren't real points or are too far away.
-        if (curDistance === null || curDistance > maxDistance)
-          return;
-        // Skip anything that's a tie.
-        if (result.distance !== undefined && result.distance <= curDistance)
-          return;
         result.result = true;
         result.distance = curDistance;
         if (!branch.arrayIndices)
           delete result.arrayIndices;
         else
           result.arrayIndices = branch.arrayIndices;
+        if (matcher._isUpdate)
+          return false;
+        return true;
       });
       return result;
     };
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/sort.js b/packages/minimongo/sort.js
index 7c90b8f650..aebbcc2d4f 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/sort.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/sort.js
@@ -81,23 +81,25 @@ _.extend(Minimongo.Sorter.prototype, {
   getComparator: function (options) {
     var self = this;
 
-    // If we have no distances, just use the comparator from the source
-    // specification (which defaults to "everything is equal".
-    if (!options || !options.distances) {
+    // If sort is specified or have no distances, just use the comparator from 
+    // the source specification (which defaults to "everything is equal".
+    // issue #3599
+    // https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/reference/operator/query/near/#sort-operation
+    // sort effectively overrides $near
+    if (self._sortSpecParts.length || !options || !options.distances) {
       return self._getBaseComparator();
     }
 
     var distances = options.distances;
 
-    // Return a comparator which first tries the sort specification, and if that
-    // says "it's equal", breaks ties using $near distances.
-    return composeComparators([self._getBaseComparator(), function (a, b) {
+    // Return a comparator which compares using $near distances.
+    return function (a, b) {
       if (!distances.has(a._id))
         throw Error("Missing distance for " + a._id);
       if (!distances.has(b._id))
         throw Error("Missing distance for " + b._id);
       return distances.get(a._id) - distances.get(b._id);
-    }]);
+    };
   },
 
   _getPaths: function () {