diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
index 9fc13e6c7..2038d7890 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ module Hledger.Data.Dates (
   spansSpan,
   spanIntersect,
   spansIntersect,
+  spanDefaultsFrom,
   spanUnion,
   spansUnion,
-  orDatesFrom,
   smartdate,
   splitSpan,
   fixSmartDate,
@@ -169,14 +169,6 @@ spanContainsDate (DateSpan Nothing (Just e))  d = d < e
 spanContainsDate (DateSpan (Just b) Nothing)  d = d >= b
 spanContainsDate (DateSpan (Just b) (Just e)) d = d >= b && d < e
     
--- | Combine two datespans, filling any unspecified dates in the first
--- with dates from the second. Not a clip operation, just uses the
--- second's start/end dates as defaults when the first does not
--- specify them.
-orDatesFrom (DateSpan a1 b1) (DateSpan a2 b2) = DateSpan a b
-    where a = if isJust a1 then a1 else a2
-          b = if isJust b1 then b1 else b2
-
 -- | Calculate the intersection of a number of datespans.
 spansIntersect [] = nulldatespan
 spansIntersect [d] = d
@@ -188,6 +180,12 @@ spanIntersect (DateSpan b1 e1) (DateSpan b2 e2) = DateSpan b e
       b = latest b1 b2
       e = earliest e1 e2
 
+-- | Fill any unspecified dates in the first span with the dates from
+-- the second one. Sort of a one-way spanIntersect.
+spanDefaultsFrom (DateSpan a1 b1) (DateSpan a2 b2) = DateSpan a b
+    where a = if isJust a1 then a1 else a2
+          b = if isJust b1 then b1 else b2
+
 -- | Calculate the union of a number of datespans.
 spansUnion [] = nulldatespan
 spansUnion [d] = d
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
index b4e44bf49..10b29d32e 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ postingsReport opts q j = -- trace ("q: "++show q++"\nq': "++show q') $
       displayspan = postingsDateSpan ps
           where (_,ps,_) = postingsMatchingDisplayExpr displayexpr opts $ journalPostings j'
       matchedspan = postingsDateSpan displayableps
-      reportspan | empty     = requestedspan `orDatesFrom` journalspan
+      reportspan | empty     = requestedspan `spanDefaultsFrom` journalspan
                  | otherwise = requestedspan `spanIntersect` matchedspan
       startbal = sumPostings precedingps
       runningcalcfn | average_ opts = \i avg amt -> avg + (amt - avg) `divideMixedAmount` (fromIntegral i)
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Histogram.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Histogram.hs
index c61a0dc50..48fb515c7 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Histogram.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Histogram.hs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ showHistogram opts q j = concatMap (printDayWith countBar) spanps
       i = intervalFromOpts opts
       interval | i == NoInterval = Days 1
                | otherwise = i
-      span = queryDateSpan (date2_ opts) q `orDatesFrom` journalDateSpan j
+      span = queryDateSpan (date2_ opts) q `spanDefaultsFrom` journalDateSpan j
       spans = filter (DateSpan Nothing Nothing /=) $ splitSpan interval span
       spanps = [(s, filter (isPostingInDateSpan s) ps) | s <- spans]
       -- same as Register
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Stats.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Stats.hs
index be9738588..4c274bc92 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Stats.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Stats.hs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ stats CliOpts{reportopts_=reportopts_} j = do
   d <- getCurrentDay
   let q = queryFromOpts d reportopts_
       l = ledgerFromJournal q j
-      reportspan = (ledgerDateSpan l) `orDatesFrom` (queryDateSpan False q)
+      reportspan = (ledgerDateSpan l) `spanDefaultsFrom` (queryDateSpan False q)
       intervalspans = splitSpan (intervalFromOpts reportopts_) reportspan
       showstats = showLedgerStats l d
       s = intercalate "\n" $ map showstats intervalspans