diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
index 5be0b3ba9..fdf636576 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ module Hledger.Cli.Commands.Balance (
 ) where
 
 import Data.Default (def)
-import Data.List (transpose, foldl', transpose)
+import Data.List (transpose, transpose)
 import qualified Data.Set as S
 import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ balanceReportAsText' opts ((items, total)) =
         , Cell TopLeft (fmap wbFromText cs)
         , Cell TopLeft (replicate (length damts - 1) mempty ++ [wbFromText dispname]) ]
       where dopts = oneLine{displayColour=color_ opts, displayOrder=Just cs}
-            cs    = S.toList $ maCommodities amt
+            cs    = if mixedAmountLooksZero amt then [""] else S.toList $ maCommodities amt
             dispname = T.replicate ((depth - 1) * 2) " " <> acctname
             damts = showMixedAmountLinesB dopts amt
     lines = fmap render items
@@ -703,14 +703,14 @@ balanceReportAsTable opts@ReportOpts{average_, row_total_, balanceaccum_}
 multiBalanceRowAsWbs :: AmountDisplayOpts -> ReportOpts -> [DateSpan] -> PeriodicReportRow a MixedAmount -> [[WideBuilder]]
 multiBalanceRowAsWbs bopts ReportOpts{..} colspans (PeriodicReportRow _ as rowtot rowavg) =
     case layout_ of
-      LayoutWide width -> [fmap (showMixedAmountB bopts{displayMaxWidth=width}) all]
+      LayoutWide width -> [fmap (showMixedAmountB bopts{displayMaxWidth=width}) allamts]
       LayoutTall       -> paddedTranspose mempty
                            . fmap (showMixedAmountLinesB bopts{displayMaxWidth=Nothing})
-                           $ all
+                           $ allamts
       LayoutBare       -> zipWith (:) (fmap wbFromText cs)  -- add symbols
                            . transpose                         -- each row becomes a list of Text quantities
                            . fmap (showMixedAmountLinesB bopts{displayOrder=Just cs, displayMinWidth=Nothing})
-                           $ all
+                           $ allamts
       LayoutTidy       -> concat
                            . zipWith (map . addDateColumns) colspans
                            . fmap ( zipWith (\c a -> [wbFromText c, a]) cs
@@ -719,10 +719,8 @@ multiBalanceRowAsWbs bopts ReportOpts{..} colspans (PeriodicReportRow _ as rowto
                                  -- complicates the data representation and can be easily calculated
   where
     totalscolumn = row_total_ && balanceaccum_ `notElem` [Cumulative, Historical]
-    cs = S.toList . foldl' S.union mempty $ fmap maCommodities all
-    all = as
-        ++ [rowtot | totalscolumn && not (null as)]
-        ++ [rowavg | average_     && not (null as)]
+    cs = if all mixedAmountLooksZero allamts then [""] else S.toList $ foldMap maCommodities allamts
+    allamts = as ++ [rowtot | totalscolumn && not (null as)] ++ [rowavg | average_ && not (null as)]
     addDateColumns span@(DateSpan s e) = (wbFromText (showDateSpan span) :)
                                        . (wbFromText (maybe "" showDate s) :)
                                        . (wbFromText (maybe "" (showDate . addDays (-1)) e) :)
diff --git a/hledger/test/balance/layout.test b/hledger/test/balance/layout.test
index f39c22620..1be112d6d 100644
--- a/hledger/test/balance/layout.test
+++ b/hledger/test/balance/layout.test
@@ -267,3 +267,28 @@ $ hledger -f bcexample.hledger bal -T assets.*etrade -3 -O csv --layout=tidy
 "Assets:US:ETrade","2012-01-01..2014-10-11","2012-01-01","2014-10-11","VEA","36.00"
 "Assets:US:ETrade","2012-01-01..2014-10-11","2012-01-01","2014-10-11","VHT","294.00"
 >=0
+
+<
+2021-01-01 Test
+    Assets:Bank           INR 1.00
+    Equity:Opening       INR -1.00
+
+# 15. Should omit commodity from totals row when the sum is zero with --layout=bare. (#1789)
+$ hledger -f - bal --layout=bare
+  1.00  INR  Assets:Bank    
+ -1.00  INR  Equity:Opening 
+ ----- 
+     0                      
+>=0
+
+# 16. The same with -M. (#1789)
+$ hledger -f - bal --layout=bare -M
+Balance changes in 2021-01:
+
+                || Commodity    Jan 
+================++==================
+ Assets:Bank    || INR         1.00 
+ Equity:Opening || INR        -1.00 
+----------------++------------------
+                ||                0 
+>=0