diff --git a/lib/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.js b/lib/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.js
index 93fbbdc87..dbe9c1fbb 100644
--- a/lib/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.js
+++ b/lib/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.js
@@ -505,22 +505,15 @@ function factory (type, config, load, typed) {
   
   var _getValueIndex = function(i, top, bottom, index) {
     // check row is on the bottom side
-    if (bottom - top === 0 || i > index[bottom - 1])
+    if (bottom - top === 0)
       return bottom;
-    // loop until we find row index
-    while (top < bottom) {
-      // point in the middle (fast integer division)
-      var p = ~~((top + bottom) / 2);
-      // row @ p
-      var r = index[p];
-      // check we have to look on the top side, bottom side or we found the row
-      if (i < r)
-        bottom = p;
-      else if (i > r)
-        top = p + 1;
-      else
-        return p;
+    // loop rows [top, bottom[
+    for (var r = top; r < bottom; r++) {
+      // check we found value index
+      if (index[r] === i)
+        return r;
     }
+    // we did not find row
     return top;
   };
 
diff --git a/test/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.test.js b/test/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.test.js
index 38f5bf4ad..7915943fc 100644
--- a/test/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.test.js
+++ b/test/type/matrix/SparseMatrix.test.js
@@ -631,6 +631,24 @@ describe('SparseMatrix', function() {
       assert.equal(m.get([5, 1]), 4);
       assert.equal(m.get([5, 5]), -1);
     });
+    
+    it('should get matrix element - Issue #450', function () {
+      var m = new SparseMatrix({
+        mathjs: 'SparseMatrix',
+        values: [ 3, 10, 3, 9, 7, 4, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 9, -2, 5, 9, 2, 3, -1, 13 ],
+        index:  [ 1,  0, 3, 1, 2, 5, 4, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4,  0, 3, 4, 5, 1,  5,  4 ],
+        ptr: [ 0, 3, 7, 9, 12, 16, 19 ],
+        size: [ 6, 6 ],
+        datatype: undefined 
+      });
+
+      assert.equal(m.get([0, 0]), 10);
+      assert.equal(m.get([1, 0]), 3);
+      assert.equal(m.get([4, 1]), 8);
+      assert.equal(m.get([5, 1]), 4);
+      assert.equal(m.get([4, 5]), 13);
+      assert.equal(m.get([5, 5]), -1);
+    });
   });
   
   describe('set', function () {