diff --git a/grudge/reductions.py b/grudge/reductions.py
index c719be712..4d38e4178 100644
--- a/grudge/reductions.py
+++ b/grudge/reductions.py
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@
 """
 
 
-from functools import reduce, partial
+from functools import partial
 
 from arraycontext import (
     make_loopy_program,
     map_array_container,
-    serialize_container,
+    get_container_context_recursively,
     DeviceScalar
 )
 from arraycontext.container import ArrayOrContainerT
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ def norm(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, vec, p, dd=None) -> "DeviceScalar":
     if dd is None:
         dd = dof_desc.DD_VOLUME
 
-    from arraycontext import get_container_context_recursively
     actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
 
     dd = dof_desc.as_dofdesc(dd)
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ def nodal_sum(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
 
     # NOTE: Don't move this
     from mpi4py import MPI
-    actx = vec.array_context
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
 
     return actx.from_numpy(
         comm.allreduce(actx.to_numpy(nodal_sum_loc(dcoll, dd, vec)), op=MPI.SUM))
@@ -143,15 +142,13 @@ def nodal_sum_loc(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
         :class:`~arraycontext.container.ArrayContainer` of them.
     :returns: a scalar denoting the rank-local nodal sum.
     """
-    if not isinstance(vec, DOFArray):
-        return sum(
-            nodal_sum_loc(dcoll, dd, comp)
-            for _, comp in serialize_container(vec)
-        )
-
-    actx = vec.array_context
-
-    return sum([actx.np.sum(grp_ary) for grp_ary in vec])
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
+    result = actx.np.sum(vec)
+    # Fix actx._force_device_scalars == False case
+    if np.isscalar(result):
+        return actx.from_numpy(result)
+    else:
+        return result
 
 
 def nodal_min(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
@@ -169,7 +166,7 @@ def nodal_min(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
 
     # NOTE: Don't move this
     from mpi4py import MPI
-    actx = vec.array_context
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
 
     return actx.from_numpy(
         comm.allreduce(actx.to_numpy(nodal_min_loc(dcoll, dd, vec)), op=MPI.MIN))
@@ -185,17 +182,13 @@ def nodal_min_loc(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
         :class:`~arraycontext.container.ArrayContainer` of them.
     :returns: a scalar denoting the rank-local nodal minimum.
     """
-    if not isinstance(vec, DOFArray):
-        return min(
-            nodal_min_loc(dcoll, dd, comp)
-            for _, comp in serialize_container(vec)
-        )
-
-    actx = vec.array_context
-
-    return reduce(
-            lambda acc, grp_ary: actx.np.minimum(acc, actx.np.min(grp_ary)),
-            vec, actx.from_numpy(np.array(np.inf)))
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
+    result = actx.np.min(vec)
+    # Fix actx._force_device_scalars == False case
+    if np.isscalar(result):
+        return actx.from_numpy(result)
+    else:
+        return result
 
 
 def nodal_max(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
@@ -213,7 +206,7 @@ def nodal_max(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
 
     # NOTE: Don't move this
     from mpi4py import MPI
-    actx = vec.array_context
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
 
     return actx.from_numpy(
         comm.allreduce(actx.to_numpy(nodal_max_loc(dcoll, dd, vec)), op=MPI.MAX))
@@ -229,17 +222,13 @@ def nodal_max_loc(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
         :class:`~arraycontext.container.ArrayContainer`.
     :returns: a scalar denoting the rank-local nodal maximum.
     """
-    if not isinstance(vec, DOFArray):
-        return max(
-            nodal_max_loc(dcoll, dd, comp)
-            for _, comp in serialize_container(vec)
-        )
-
-    actx = vec.array_context
-
-    return reduce(
-            lambda acc, grp_ary: actx.np.maximum(acc, actx.np.max(grp_ary)),
-            vec, actx.from_numpy(np.array(-np.inf)))
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
+    result = actx.np.max(vec)
+    # Fix actx._force_device_scalars == False case
+    if np.isscalar(result):
+        return actx.from_numpy(result)
+    else:
+        return result
 
 
 def integral(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
@@ -253,9 +242,10 @@ def integral(dcoll: DiscretizationCollection, dd, vec) -> "DeviceScalar":
     """
     from grudge.op import _apply_mass_operator
 
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
     dd = dof_desc.as_dofdesc(dd)
 
-    ones = dcoll.discr_from_dd(dd).zeros(vec.array_context) + 1.0
+    ones = dcoll.discr_from_dd(dd).zeros(actx) + 1.0
     return nodal_sum(
         dcoll, dd, vec * _apply_mass_operator(dcoll, dd, dd, ones)
     )
@@ -295,7 +285,7 @@ def _apply_elementwise_reduction(
             partial(_apply_elementwise_reduction, op_name, dcoll, dd), vec
         )
 
-    actx = vec.array_context
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
 
     if actx.supports_nonscalar_broadcasting:
         return DOFArray(
@@ -456,11 +446,12 @@ def elementwise_integral(
     else:
         raise TypeError("invalid number of arguments")
 
+    actx = get_container_context_recursively(vec)
     dd = dof_desc.as_dofdesc(dd)
 
     from grudge.op import _apply_mass_operator
 
-    ones = dcoll.discr_from_dd(dd).zeros(vec.array_context) + 1.0
+    ones = dcoll.discr_from_dd(dd).zeros(actx) + 1.0
     return elementwise_sum(
         dcoll, dd, vec * _apply_mass_operator(dcoll, dd, dd, ones)
     )
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index abf6d39fa..5aa45bfea 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ git+https://github.com/inducer/dagrt.git#egg=dagrt
 git+https://github.com/inducer/leap.git#egg=leap
 git+https://github.com/inducer/meshpy.git#egg=meshpy
 git+https://github.com/inducer/modepy.git#egg=modepy
-git+https://github.com/inducer/arraycontext.git#egg=arraycontext
+git+https://github.com/majosm/arraycontext.git@empty-subcontainers#egg=arraycontext
 git+https://github.com/inducer/meshmode.git#egg=meshmode
 git+https://github.com/inducer/pyvisfile.git#egg=pyvisfile
 git+https://github.com/inducer/pymetis.git#egg=pymetis