diff --git a/datafusion/functions/benches/signum.rs b/datafusion/functions/benches/signum.rs
index 08a197a60eb75..b34e52d7f2e19 100644
--- a/datafusion/functions/benches/signum.rs
+++ b/datafusion/functions/benches/signum.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use arrow::{
     util::bench_util::create_primitive_array,
 };
 use criterion::{Criterion, criterion_group, criterion_main};
+use datafusion_common::ScalarValue;
 use datafusion_common::config::ConfigOptions;
 use datafusion_expr::{ColumnarValue, ScalarFunctionArgs};
 use datafusion_functions::math::signum;
@@ -88,6 +89,51 @@ fn criterion_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
                 )
             })
         });
+
+        // Scalar benchmarks (the optimization we added)
+        let scalar_f32_args =
+            vec![ColumnarValue::Scalar(ScalarValue::Float32(Some(-42.5)))];
+        let scalar_f32_arg_fields =
+            vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Float32, false).into()];
+        let return_field_f32 = Field::new("f", DataType::Float32, false).into();
+
+        c.bench_function(&format!("signum f32 scalar: {size}"), |b| {
+            b.iter(|| {
+                black_box(
+                    signum
+                        .invoke_with_args(ScalarFunctionArgs {
+                            args: scalar_f32_args.clone(),
+                            arg_fields: scalar_f32_arg_fields.clone(),
+                            number_rows: 1,
+                            return_field: Arc::clone(&return_field_f32),
+                            config_options: Arc::clone(&config_options),
+                        })
+                        .unwrap(),
+                )
+            })
+        });
+
+        let scalar_f64_args =
+            vec![ColumnarValue::Scalar(ScalarValue::Float64(Some(-42.5)))];
+        let scalar_f64_arg_fields =
+            vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Float64, false).into()];
+        let return_field_f64 = Field::new("f", DataType::Float64, false).into();
+
+        c.bench_function(&format!("signum f64 scalar: {size}"), |b| {
+            b.iter(|| {
+                black_box(
+                    signum
+                        .invoke_with_args(ScalarFunctionArgs {
+                            args: scalar_f64_args.clone(),
+                            arg_fields: scalar_f64_arg_fields.clone(),
+                            number_rows: 1,
+                            return_field: Arc::clone(&return_field_f64),
+                            config_options: Arc::clone(&config_options),
+                        })
+                        .unwrap(),
+                )
+            })
+        });
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/datafusion/functions/src/math/signum.rs b/datafusion/functions/src/math/signum.rs
index e217088c64c2e..8a3769a12f294 100644
--- a/datafusion/functions/src/math/signum.rs
+++ b/datafusion/functions/src/math/signum.rs
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@
 use std::any::Any;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-use arrow::array::{ArrayRef, AsArray};
+use arrow::array::AsArray;
 use arrow::datatypes::DataType::{Float32, Float64};
 use arrow::datatypes::{DataType, Float32Type, Float64Type};
 
-use datafusion_common::{Result, exec_err};
+use datafusion_common::utils::take_function_args;
+use datafusion_common::{Result, ScalarValue, internal_err};
 use datafusion_expr::sort_properties::{ExprProperties, SortProperties};
 use datafusion_expr::{
     ColumnarValue, Documentation, ScalarFunctionArgs, ScalarUDFImpl, Signature,
@@ -30,8 +31,6 @@ use datafusion_expr::{
 };
 use datafusion_macros::user_doc;
 
-use crate::utils::make_scalar_function;
-
 #[user_doc(
     doc_section(label = "Math Functions"),
     description = r#"Returns the sign of a number.
@@ -98,7 +97,53 @@ impl ScalarUDFImpl for SignumFunc {
     }
 
     fn invoke_with_args(&self, args: ScalarFunctionArgs) -> Result<ColumnarValue> {
-        make_scalar_function(signum, vec![])(&args.args)
+        let return_type = args.return_type().clone();
+        let [arg] = take_function_args(self.name(), args.args)?;
+
+        match arg {
+            ColumnarValue::Scalar(scalar) => {
+                if scalar.is_null() {
+                    return ColumnarValue::Scalar(ScalarValue::Null)
+                        .cast_to(&return_type, None);
+                }
+
+                match scalar {
+                    ScalarValue::Float64(Some(v)) => {
+                        let result = if v == 0.0 { 0.0 } else { v.signum() };
+                        Ok(ColumnarValue::Scalar(ScalarValue::Float64(Some(result))))
+                    }
+                    ScalarValue::Float32(Some(v)) => {
+                        let result = if v == 0.0 { 0.0 } else { v.signum() };
+                        Ok(ColumnarValue::Scalar(ScalarValue::Float32(Some(result))))
+                    }
+                    _ => {
+                        internal_err!(
+                            "Unexpected scalar type for signum: {:?}",
+                            scalar.data_type()
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            ColumnarValue::Array(array) => match array.data_type() {
+                Float64 => Ok(ColumnarValue::Array(Arc::new(
+                    array.as_primitive::<Float64Type>().unary::<_, Float64Type>(
+                        |x: f64| {
+                            if x == 0.0 { 0.0 } else { x.signum() }
+                        },
+                    ),
+                ))),
+                Float32 => Ok(ColumnarValue::Array(Arc::new(
+                    array.as_primitive::<Float32Type>().unary::<_, Float32Type>(
+                        |x: f32| {
+                            if x == 0.0 { 0.0 } else { x.signum() }
+                        },
+                    ),
+                ))),
+                other => {
+                    internal_err!("Unsupported data type {other:?} for function signum")
+                }
+            },
+        }
     }
 
     fn documentation(&self) -> Option<&Documentation> {
@@ -106,33 +151,6 @@ impl ScalarUDFImpl for SignumFunc {
     }
 }
 
-/// signum SQL function
-fn signum(args: &[ArrayRef]) -> Result<ArrayRef> {
-    match args[0].data_type() {
-        Float64 => Ok(Arc::new(
-            args[0]
-                .as_primitive::<Float64Type>()
-                .unary::<_, Float64Type>(
-                    |x: f64| {
-                        if x == 0_f64 { 0_f64 } else { x.signum() }
-                    },
-                ),
-        ) as ArrayRef),
-
-        Float32 => Ok(Arc::new(
-            args[0]
-                .as_primitive::<Float32Type>()
-                .unary::<_, Float32Type>(
-                    |x: f32| {
-                        if x == 0_f32 { 0_f32 } else { x.signum() }
-                    },
-                ),
-        ) as ArrayRef),
-
-        other => exec_err!("Unsupported data type {other:?} for function signum"),
-    }
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use std::sync::Arc;