diff --git a/Commands/Register.hs b/Commands/Register.hs
index 3b3bd0147..f97deb996 100644
--- a/Commands/Register.hs
+++ b/Commands/Register.hs
@@ -106,9 +106,13 @@ showtxns (t:ts) tprev bal = this ++ showtxns ts t bal'
 showtxn :: Bool -> Transaction -> MixedAmount -> String
 showtxn omitdesc t b = concatBottomPadded [entrydesc ++ p ++ " ", bal] ++ "\n"
     where
-      entrydesc = if omitdesc then replicate 32 ' ' else printf "%s %s " date desc
+      ledger3ishlayout = False
+      datedescwidth = if ledger3ishlayout then 34 else 32
+      entrydesc = if omitdesc then replicate datedescwidth ' ' else printf "%s %s " date desc
       date = showDate da
-      desc = printf "%-20s" $ elideRight 20 de :: String
+      datewidth = 10
+      descwidth = datedescwidth - datewidth - 2
+      desc = printf ("%-"++(show descwidth)++"s") $ elideRight descwidth de :: String
       p = showPostingWithoutPrice $ Posting s a amt "" tt
       bal = padleft 12 (showMixedAmountOrZeroWithoutPrice b)
       Transaction{tstatus=s,tdate=da,tdescription=de,taccount=a,tamount=amt,ttype=tt} = t
diff --git a/Ledger/Posting.hs b/Ledger/Posting.hs
index abd5e2f2f..9f2942767 100644
--- a/Ledger/Posting.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Posting.hs
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ showPosting :: Posting -> String
 showPosting (Posting _ a amt com ttype) = 
     concatTopPadded [showaccountname a ++ " ", showamount amt, comment]
     where
-      showaccountname = printf "%-22s" . bracket . elideAccountName width
+      ledger3ishlayout = False
+      acctnamewidth = if ledger3ishlayout then 25 else 22
+      showaccountname = printf ("%-"++(show acctnamewidth)++"s") . bracket . elideAccountName width
       (bracket,width) = case ttype of
-                          BalancedVirtualPosting -> (\s -> "["++s++"]", 20)
-                          VirtualPosting -> (\s -> "("++s++")", 20)
-                          _ -> (id,22)
+                          BalancedVirtualPosting -> (\s -> "["++s++"]", acctnamewidth-2)
+                          VirtualPosting -> (\s -> "("++s++")", acctnamewidth-2)
+                          _ -> (id,acctnamewidth)
       showamount = padleft 12 . showMixedAmountOrZero
       comment = if null com then "" else "  ; " ++ com
 -- XXX refactor