diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 674f6ed0..7e86a902 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 val sparkVersion = "2.2.0"
-val catsCoreVersion = "1.0.0-MF"
-val catsEffectVersion = "0.4"
-val catsMtlVersion = "0.0.2"
+val catsCoreVersion = "1.0.1"
+val catsEffectVersion = "0.7"
+val catsMtlVersion = "0.2.2"
 val scalatest = "3.0.3"
 val shapeless = "2.3.2"
 val scalacheck = "1.13.5"
@@ -27,11 +27,12 @@ lazy val cats = project
     scalacOptions += "-Ypartial-unification"
   )
   .settings(libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
-    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-core"     % catsCoreVersion,
-    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-effect"   % catsEffectVersion,
-    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-mtl-core" % catsMtlVersion,
-    "org.apache.spark" %% "spark-core"    % sparkVersion % "provided",
-    "org.apache.spark" %% "spark-sql"     % sparkVersion % "provided"))
+    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-core"      % catsCoreVersion,
+    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-effect"    % catsEffectVersion,
+    "org.typelevel"    %% "cats-mtl-core"  % catsMtlVersion,
+    "org.typelevel"    %% "alleycats-core" % catsCoreVersion,
+    "org.apache.spark" %% "spark-core"     % sparkVersion % "provided",
+    "org.apache.spark" %% "spark-sql"      % sparkVersion % "provided"))
   .dependsOn(dataset % "test->test;compile->compile")
 
 lazy val dataset = project
diff --git a/cats/src/main/scala/frameless/cats/implicits.scala b/cats/src/main/scala/frameless/cats/implicits.scala
index f8ca73a5..f5de3576 100644
--- a/cats/src/main/scala/frameless/cats/implicits.scala
+++ b/cats/src/main/scala/frameless/cats/implicits.scala
@@ -1,21 +1,45 @@
 package frameless
 package cats
 
-import _root_.cats.implicits._
 import _root_.cats._
+import _root_.cats.kernel.{CommutativeMonoid, CommutativeSemigroup}
+import _root_.cats.implicits._
+import alleycats.Empty
 
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 import org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD
 
 object implicits extends FramelessSyntax with SparkDelayInstances {
   implicit class rddOps[A: ClassTag](lhs: RDD[A]) {
-    def csum(implicit m: Monoid[A]): A = lhs.reduce(_ |+| _)
-    def cmin(implicit o: Order[A]): A = lhs.reduce(_ min _)
-    def cmax(implicit o: Order[A]): A = lhs.reduce(_ max _)
+    def csum(implicit m: CommutativeMonoid[A]): A =
+      lhs.fold(m.empty)(_ |+| _)
+    def csumOption(implicit m: CommutativeSemigroup[A]): Option[A] =
+      lhs.aggregate[Option[A]](None)(
+        (acc, a) => Some(acc.fold(a)(_ |+| a)),
+        (l, r) => l.fold(r)(x => r.map(_ |+| x) orElse Some(x))
+      )
+
+    def cmin(implicit o: Order[A], e: Empty[A]): A = {
+      if (lhs.isEmpty) e.empty
+      else lhs.reduce(_ min _)
+    }
+    def cminOption(implicit o: Order[A]): Option[A] =
+      csumOption(new CommutativeSemigroup[A] {
+        def combine(l: A, r: A) = l min r
+      })
+
+    def cmax(implicit o: Order[A], e: Empty[A]): A = {
+      if (lhs.isEmpty) e.empty
+      else lhs.reduce(_ max _)
+    }
+    def cmaxOption(implicit o: Order[A]): Option[A] =
+      csumOption(new CommutativeSemigroup[A] {
+        def combine(l: A, r: A) = l max r
+      })
   }
 
   implicit class pairRddOps[K: ClassTag, V: ClassTag](lhs: RDD[(K, V)]) {
-    def csumByKey(implicit m: Monoid[V]): RDD[(K, V)] = lhs.reduceByKey(_ |+| _)
+    def csumByKey(implicit m: CommutativeSemigroup[V]): RDD[(K, V)] = lhs.reduceByKey(_ |+| _)
     def cminByKey(implicit o: Order[V]): RDD[(K, V)] = lhs.reduceByKey(_ min _)
     def cmaxByKey(implicit o: Order[V]): RDD[(K, V)] = lhs.reduceByKey(_ max _)
   }
diff --git a/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/FramelessSyntaxTests.scala b/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/FramelessSyntaxTests.scala
index 7df912ce..cd4eabd2 100644
--- a/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/FramelessSyntaxTests.scala
+++ b/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/FramelessSyntaxTests.scala
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class FramelessSyntaxTests extends TypedDatasetSuite {
       def pure[A](x: A): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.pure(x)
       def handleErrorWith[A](fa: ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A])(f: Throwable => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] =
         ReaderT(r => fa.run(r).handleErrorWith(e => f(e).run(r)))
-      def raiseError[A](e: Throwable): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.lift(IO.raiseError(e))
+      def raiseError[A](e: Throwable): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.liftF(IO.raiseError(e))
       def flatMap[A, B](fa: ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A])(f: A => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B] = fa.flatMap(f)
       def tailRecM[A, B](a: A)(f: A => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, Either[A, B]]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B] =
         ReaderT.catsDataMonadForKleisli[IO, SparkSession].tailRecM(a)(f)
diff --git a/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/test.scala b/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/test.scala
index 288dc8d1..2aa2d11e 100644
--- a/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/test.scala
+++ b/cats/src/test/scala/frameless/cats/test.scala
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 package frameless
 package cats
 
+import _root_.cats.Foldable
 import _root_.cats.implicits._
+
 import org.apache.spark.SparkContext
 import org.apache.spark.sql.SparkSession
-import org.scalatest.Matchers
-import org.scalacheck.Arbitrary
-import Arbitrary._
 import org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD
-import org.scalatest._
-import prop._
 import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkContext => SC}
+
 import org.scalatest.compatible.Assertion
 import org.scalactic.anyvals.PosInt
+import org.scalatest.Matchers
+import org.scalacheck.Arbitrary
+import org.scalatest._
+import Arbitrary._
+import prop._
 
+import scala.collection.immutable.SortedMap
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 
 trait SparkTests {
@@ -74,25 +78,52 @@ class Test extends PropSpec with Matchers with PropertyChecks with SparkTests {
     }
   }
 
-  property("rdd simple numeric monoid example") {
+  property("rdd simple numeric commutative semigroup") {
     import frameless.cats.implicits._
-    val theSeq = 1 to 20
-    val toy = theSeq.toRdd
-    toy.cmin shouldBe 1
-    toy.cmax shouldBe 20
-    toy.csum shouldBe theSeq.sum
+
+    forAll { seq: List[Int] =>
+      val expectedSum = if (seq.isEmpty) None else Some(seq.sum)
+      val expectedMin = if (seq.isEmpty) None else Some(seq.min)
+      val expectedMax = if (seq.isEmpty) None else Some(seq.max)
+
+      val rdd = seq.toRdd
+
+      rdd.cmin shouldBe expectedMin.getOrElse(0)
+      rdd.cminOption shouldBe expectedMin
+
+      rdd.cmax shouldBe expectedMax.getOrElse(0)
+      rdd.cmaxOption shouldBe expectedMax
+
+      rdd.csum shouldBe expectedSum.getOrElse(0)
+      rdd.csumOption shouldBe expectedSum
+    }
   }
 
-  property("rdd Map[Int,Int] monoid example") {
+  property("rdd of SortedMap[Int,Int] commutative monoid") {
     import frameless.cats.implicits._
-    val rdd: RDD[Map[Int, Int]] = 1.to(20).zip(1.to(20)).toRdd.map(Map(_))
-    rdd.csum shouldBe 1.to(20).zip(1.to(20)).toMap
+    forAll { seq: List[SortedMap[Int, Int]] =>
+      val rdd = seq.toRdd
+      rdd.csum shouldBe Foldable[List].fold(seq)
+    }
+  }
+
+  property("rdd tuple commutative semigroup example") {
+    import frameless.cats.implicits._
+    forAll { seq: List[(Int, Int)] =>
+      val expectedSum = if (seq.isEmpty) None else Some(Foldable[List].fold(seq))
+      val rdd = seq.toRdd
+
+      rdd.csum shouldBe expectedSum.getOrElse(0 -> 0)
+      rdd.csumOption shouldBe expectedSum
+    }
   }
 
-  property("rdd tuple monoid example") {
+  property("pair rdd numeric commutative semigroup example") {
     import frameless.cats.implicits._
-    val seq = Seq( (1,2), (2,3), (5,6) )
+    val seq = Seq( ("a",2), ("b",3), ("d",6), ("b",2), ("d",1) )
     val rdd = seq.toRdd
-    rdd.csum shouldBe seq.reduce(_|+|_)
+    rdd.cminByKey.collect.toSeq should contain theSameElementsAs Seq( ("a",2), ("b",2), ("d",1) )
+    rdd.cmaxByKey.collect.toSeq should contain theSameElementsAs Seq( ("a",2), ("b",3), ("d",6) )
+    rdd.csumByKey.collect.toSeq should contain theSameElementsAs Seq( ("a",2), ("b",5), ("d",7) )
   }
 }
diff --git a/docs/src/main/tut/Cats.md b/docs/src/main/tut/Cats.md
index df35e6b2..d485b4fd 100644
--- a/docs/src/main/tut/Cats.md
+++ b/docs/src/main/tut/Cats.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ implicit val sync: Sync[ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, ?]] = new Sync[ReaderT[IO, Spa
   def pure[A](x: A): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.pure(x)
   def handleErrorWith[A](fa: ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A])(f: Throwable => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] =
     ReaderT(r => fa.run(r).handleErrorWith(e => f(e).run(r)))
-  def raiseError[A](e: Throwable): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.lift(IO.raiseError(e))
+  def raiseError[A](e: Throwable): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A] = ReaderT.liftF(IO.raiseError(e))
   def flatMap[A, B](fa: ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, A])(f: A => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B] = fa.flatMap(f)
   def tailRecM[A, B](a: A)(f: A => ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, Either[A, B]]): ReaderT[IO, SparkSession, B] =
     ReaderT.catsDataMonadForKleisli[IO, SparkSession].tailRecM(a)(f)
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ And now, we can set the description for the computation being run:
 val resultWithDescription: Action[(Seq[(Int, String)], Long)] = for {
   r <- result.withDescription("fancy cats")
   session <- ReaderT.ask[IO, SparkSession]
-  _ <- ReaderT.lift {
+  _ <- ReaderT.liftF {
          IO {
            println(s"Description: ${session.sparkContext.getLocalProperty("spark.job.description")}")
          }
@@ -131,6 +131,21 @@ println(data.cmax)
 println(data.cmin)
 ```
 
+In case the RDD is empty, the `csum`, `cmax` and `cmin` will use the default values for the type of
+elements inside the RDD. There are counterpart operations to those that have an `Option` return type
+to deal with the case of an empty RDD:
+
+```tut:book
+val data: RDD[(Int, Int, Int)] = sc.emptyRDD
+
+println(data.csum)
+println(data.csumOption)
+println(data.cmax)
+println(data.cmaxOption)
+println(data.cmin)
+println(data.cminOption)
+``` 
+
 The following example aggregates all the elements with a common key.
 
 ```tut:book
@@ -148,9 +163,11 @@ totalPerUser.collectAsMap
 The same example would work for more complex keys.
 
 ```tut:book
+import scala.collection.immutable.SortedMap
+
 val allDataComplexKeu =
-   sc.makeRDD( ("Bob", Map("task1" -> 10)) ::
-    ("Joe", Map("task1" -> 1, "task2" -> 3)) :: ("Bob", Map("task1" -> 10, "task2" -> 1)) :: ("Joe", Map("task3" -> 4)) :: Nil )
+   sc.makeRDD( ("Bob", SortedMap("task1" -> 10)) ::
+    ("Joe", SortedMap("task1" -> 1, "task2" -> 3)) :: ("Bob", SortedMap("task1" -> 10, "task2" -> 1)) :: ("Joe", SortedMap("task3" -> 4)) :: Nil )
 
 val overalTasksPerUser = allDataComplexKeu.csumByKey