diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Amount.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Amount.hs
index 48b67d0ba..758835403 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Amount.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Amount.hs
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ instance Num MixedAmount where
     negate (Mixed as) = Mixed $ map negateAmountPreservingPrice as
         where negateAmountPreservingPrice a = (-a){price=price a}
     (+) (Mixed as) (Mixed bs) = normaliseMixedAmount $ Mixed $ as ++ bs
+    -- (+) (Mixed as) (Mixed bs) = normaliseMixedAmountPreservingHighestPrecision $ Mixed $ as ++ bs
     (*)    = error' "programming error, mixed amounts do not support multiplication"
     abs    = error' "programming error, mixed amounts do not support abs"
     signum = error' "programming error, mixed amounts do not support signum"
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index e53b2feb0..21cb032ca 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -415,6 +415,10 @@ postingsByAccount ps = m'
       groupedps = groupBy (\p1 p2 -> paccount p1 == paccount p2) sortedps
       m' = Map.fromList [(paccount $ head g, g) | g <- groupedps]
 
+-- debug helpers
+traceAmountPrecision a = trace (show $ map (precision . commodity) $ amounts a) a
+tracePostingsCommodities ps = trace (show $ map ((map (precision . commodity) . amounts) . pamount) ps) ps
+
 tests_Hledger_Data_Journal = TestList [
  ]
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
index 34a1477b7..3a0aa20f2 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import Hledger.Data.Types
 import Hledger.Utils
 import Hledger.Data.Posting
 import Hledger.Data.Dates (getCurrentYear)
-import Hledger.Data.Journal (nullctx, nulljournal, journalFinalise)
+import Hledger.Data.Journal
 
 
 juSequence :: [JournalUpdate] -> JournalUpdate
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
index 297183ac5..aaa6150b8 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
@@ -153,32 +153,30 @@ accountsReportItemAsText opts format (_, accountName, depth, Mixed amounts) =
     case amounts of
       [] -> []
       [a] -> [formatAccountsReportItem opts (Just accountName) depth a format]
-      (as) -> asText as
+      (as) -> multiline as
     where
-      asText :: [Amount] -> [String]
-      asText []     = []
-      asText [a]    = [formatAccountsReportItem opts (Just accountName) depth a format]
-      asText (a:as) = (formatAccountsReportItem opts Nothing depth a format) : asText as
+      multiline :: [Amount] -> [String]
+      multiline []     = []
+      multiline [a]    = [formatAccountsReportItem opts (Just accountName) depth a format]
+      multiline (a:as) = (formatAccountsReportItem opts Nothing depth a format) : multiline as
 
 formatAccountsReportItem :: ReportOpts -> Maybe AccountName -> Int -> Amount -> [FormatString] -> String
 formatAccountsReportItem _ _ _ _ [] = ""
 formatAccountsReportItem opts accountName depth amount (fmt:fmts) =
-  s ++ (formatAccountsReportItem opts accountName depth amount fs)
+  s ++ (formatAccountsReportItem opts accountName depth amount fmts)
   where
     s = case fmt of
          FormatLiteral l -> l
          FormatField ljust min max field  -> formatField opts accountName depth amount ljust min max field
 
 formatField :: ReportOpts -> Maybe AccountName -> Int -> Amount -> Bool -> Maybe Int -> Maybe Int -> Field -> String
-formatField opts accountName depth balance ljust min max field = case field of
-        Format.Account     -> formatValue ljust min max a
+formatField opts accountName depth total ljust min max field = case field of
+        Format.Account     -> formatValue ljust min max $ maybe "" (accountNameDrop (drop_ opts)) accountName
         Format.DepthSpacer -> case min of
                                Just m  -> formatValue ljust Nothing max $ replicate (depth * m) ' '
                                Nothing -> formatValue ljust Nothing max $ replicate depth ' '
-        Format.Total       -> formatValue ljust min max $ showAmountWithoutPrice balance
+        Format.Total       -> formatValue ljust min max $ showAmountWithoutPrice total
         _                  -> ""
-    where
-      a = maybe "" (accountNameDrop (drop_ opts)) accountName
 
 tests_Hledger_Cli_Balance = TestList
  [
diff --git a/tests/balance-precision.test b/tests/balance-precision.test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..848961d59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/balance-precision.test
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+bin/hledger -f- bal
+<<<
+1/1
+  a   1.00
+  b  -1
+>>>
+                1.00  a
+               -1.00  b
+--------------------
+                   0
+>>>=0