diff --git a/jax/_src/lax/lax.py b/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
index 9a63de13890f..729a31c04b1b 100644
--- a/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
+++ b/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
@@ -7724,13 +7724,13 @@ def _reduce_tree(*xs, axis=0):
       n = xs[0].shape[axis]
       n1 = (n + 1) // 2
       n2 = n - n1
-      xs1 = [slicing.slice_in_dim(x, 0, n1) for x in xs]
-      xs2 = [slicing.slice_in_dim(x, n1, None) for x in xs]
+      xs1 = [slicing.slice_in_dim(x, stride=2) for x in xs]
+      xs2 = [slicing.slice_in_dim(x, 1, stride=2) for x in xs]
       if n2 != n1:
         paddings = [(0, 0, 0)] * len(xs[0].shape)
         paddings[axis] = (0, 1, 0)
         xs2 = [pad(x2, i, paddings) for x2, i in zip(xs2, init_values)]
-      xs = reducer(*(xs1 + xs2))
+      xs = reducer(*xs1, *xs2)
     if xs[0].shape[axis] == 0:
       return [full(input_shape[non_axes], i) for i in init_values]
     return tuple(squeeze(x, (axis,)) for x in xs)
diff --git a/jax/_src/lax/slicing.py b/jax/_src/lax/slicing.py
index 9878e8ed9435..51777db24a99 100644
--- a/jax/_src/lax/slicing.py
+++ b/jax/_src/lax/slicing.py
@@ -939,8 +939,8 @@ def index_take(src: Array, idxs: Array, axes: Sequence[int]) -> Array:
 
 ### convenience wrappers around traceables
 
-def slice_in_dim(operand: Array | np.ndarray, start_index: int | None,
-                 limit_index: int | None,
+def slice_in_dim(operand: Array | np.ndarray, start_index: int | None = 0,
+                 limit_index: int | None = None,
                  stride: int = 1, axis: int = 0) -> Array:
   """Convenience wrapper around :func:`lax.slice` applying to only one dimension.
 
diff --git a/tests/lax_autodiff_test.py b/tests/lax_autodiff_test.py
index a6398e402df9..3a9b9a4e7f2d 100644
--- a/tests/lax_autodiff_test.py
+++ b/tests/lax_autodiff_test.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 import jax
+import jax.numpy as jnp
 from jax import dtypes
 from jax import lax
 from jax._src import test_util as jtu
@@ -765,6 +766,15 @@ def op(xs, ys):
     reduce = lambda xs, ys: lax.reduce((xs, ys), init_vals, op, dims)
     check_grads(reduce, operands, 2, ["fwd", "rev"], tol, tol)
 
+  def test_reduce_grad_doesnt_reorder(self):
+    # https://github.com/jax-ml/jax/issues/32474
+    def f(arr):
+      return jax.lax.reduce(arr, 1.0, lambda x, y: x * y ** jnp.sign(x), [0])
+    inp = jnp.array([1,-2,3,-4], dtype=float)
+    ans, _ = jax.jvp(f, (inp,), (inp,))
+    expected = f(inp)
+    self.assertAllClose(ans, expected, check_dtypes=False)
+
   @jtu.sample_product(
     [dict(init_val=init_val, op=op, dtype=dtype, rng_factory=rng_factory,
           shape=shape, dims=dims, strides=strides, padding=padding,