diff --git a/jax/_src/lax/lax.py b/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
index 50d6a468b23e..095d84d32690 100644
--- a/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
+++ b/jax/_src/lax/lax.py
@@ -421,14 +421,17 @@ def convert_element_type(operand: Array, new_dtype: DType = None,
   Returns:
     An array with the same shape as `operand`, cast elementwise to `new_dtype`.
   """
-  new_dtype = dtypes.canonicalize_dtype(new_dtype or _dtype(operand))
   if hasattr(operand, '__jax_array__'):
     operand = operand.__jax_array__()
-  new_weak_type = bool(weak_type)
 
-  old_dtype = dtypes.canonicalize_dtype(_dtype(operand))
+  # Note: don't canonicalize old_dtype because x64 context might
+  # cause un-canonicalized operands to be passed in.
+  old_dtype = np.result_type(operand)
   old_weak_type = dtypes.is_weakly_typed(operand)
 
+  new_dtype = dtypes.canonicalize_dtype(new_dtype or old_dtype)
+  new_weak_type = bool(weak_type)
+
   if (dtypes.issubdtype(old_dtype, np.complexfloating) and
       not dtypes.issubdtype(new_dtype, np.complexfloating)):
     msg = "Casting complex values to real discards the imaginary part"
diff --git a/tests/lax_test.py b/tests/lax_test.py
index 85a7e7c1083e..4b81c2c486e0 100644
--- a/tests/lax_test.py
+++ b/tests/lax_test.py
@@ -1535,8 +1535,8 @@ def testReduce(self, op, init_val, shape, dtype, dims):
       for init_weak_type in [True, False]))
   def testReduceWeakType(self, op_namespace, op, arr_weak_type, init_weak_type):
     op = getattr(op_namespace, op)
-    arr = lax.convert_element_type(np.arange(10), np.int32, weak_type=arr_weak_type)
-    init = lax.convert_element_type(1, np.int32, weak_type=init_weak_type)
+    arr = lax.convert_element_type(np.arange(10), int, weak_type=arr_weak_type)
+    init = lax.convert_element_type(1, int, weak_type=init_weak_type)
     fun = lambda arr, init: lax.reduce(arr, init, op, (0,))
     out = fun(arr, init)
     self.assertEqual(dtypes.is_weakly_typed(out), arr_weak_type and init_weak_type)
diff --git a/tests/x64_context_test.py b/tests/x64_context_test.py
index 00e80abfd227..6b653e477b7f 100644
--- a/tests/x64_context_test.py
+++ b/tests/x64_context_test.py
@@ -157,5 +157,17 @@ def test_jit_cache(self):
       for _ in range(2):
         f()
 
+  def test_convert_element_type(self):
+    # Regression test for part of https://github.com/google/jax/issues/5982
+    with enable_x64():
+      x = jnp.int64(1)
+    self.assertEqual(x.dtype, jnp.int64)
+
+    y = x.astype(jnp.int32)
+    self.assertEqual(y.dtype, jnp.int32)
+
+    z = api.jit(lambda x: x.astype(jnp.int32))(x)
+    self.assertEqual(z.dtype, jnp.int32)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   absltest.main(testLoader=jtu.JaxTestLoader())