diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils.hs
index a55cc5763..90028771f 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils.hs
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ strip = lstrip . rstrip
 lstrip = dropWhile (`elem` " \t") :: String -> String
 rstrip = reverse . lstrip . reverse
 
+stripbrackets = dropWhile (`elem` "([") . reverse . dropWhile (`elem` "])") . reverse
+
 elideLeft width s =
     if length s > width then ".." ++ reverse (take (width - 2) $ reverse s) else s
 
@@ -445,4 +447,3 @@ expandPath curdir p = (if isRelative p then (curdir </>) else id) `liftM` expand
 firstJust ms = case dropWhile (==Nothing) ms of
     [] -> Nothing
     (md:_) -> md
-
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Add.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Add.hs
index 44788a794..a55a12a12 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Add.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Add.hs
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ getPostings st enteredps = do
       postingtype ('[':_) = BalancedVirtualPosting
       postingtype ('(':_) = VirtualPosting
       postingtype _ = RegularPosting
-      stripbrackets = dropWhile (`elem` "([") . reverse . dropWhile (`elem` "])") . reverse
       validateamount = Just $ \s -> (null s && not (null enteredrealps))
                                    || isRight (runParser (amountp >> many spacenonewline >> eof) ctx "" s)