diff --git a/Options.hs b/Options.hs
index 73b522984..b3af69ae8 100644
--- a/Options.hs
+++ b/Options.hs
@@ -192,9 +192,9 @@ intervalFromOpts opts
       -- doesn't affect the interval, but parsePeriodExpr needs something
       refdate = parsedate "0001/01/01"
 
--- | Get the value of the (last) depth option, if any.
-depthFromOpts :: [Opt] -> Maybe Int
-depthFromOpts opts = listtomaybeint $ optValuesForConstructor Depth opts
+-- | Get the value of the (last) depth option, if any, otherwise a large number.
+depthFromOpts :: [Opt] -> Int
+depthFromOpts opts = fromMaybe 9999 $ listtomaybeint $ optValuesForConstructor Depth opts
     where
       listtomaybeint [] = Nothing
       listtomaybeint vs = Just $ read $ last vs
diff --git a/RegisterCommand.hs b/RegisterCommand.hs
index 70562ebbc..a61a242da 100644
--- a/RegisterCommand.hs
+++ b/RegisterCommand.hs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ showRegisterReport opts args l
 -- 
 -- The showempty flag forces the display of a zero-transaction span
 -- and also zero-transaction accounts within the span.
-summariseTransactionsInDateSpan :: DateSpan -> Int -> Maybe Int -> Bool -> [Transaction] -> [Transaction]
+summariseTransactionsInDateSpan :: DateSpan -> Int -> Int -> Bool -> [Transaction] -> [Transaction]
 summariseTransactionsInDateSpan (DateSpan b e) entryno depth showempty ts
     | null ts && showempty = [txn]
     | null ts = []
@@ -86,14 +86,13 @@ summariseTransactionsInDateSpan (DateSpan b e) entryno depth showempty ts
       -- aggregate balances by account, like cacheLedger, then do depth-clipping
       (_,_,exclbalof,inclbalof) = groupTransactions ts
       clippedanames = clipAccountNames depth txnanames
-      isclipped a = accountNameLevel a >= fromMaybe 9999 depth
+      isclipped a = accountNameLevel a >= depth
       balancetoshowfor a =
           (if isclipped a then inclbalof else exclbalof) (if null a then "top" else a)
       summaryts = [txn{account=a,amount=balancetoshowfor a} | a <- clippedanames]
 
-clipAccountNames :: Maybe Int -> [AccountName] -> [AccountName]
-clipAccountNames Nothing as = as
-clipAccountNames (Just d) as = nub $ map (clip d) as 
+clipAccountNames :: Int -> [AccountName] -> [AccountName]
+clipAccountNames d as = nub $ map (clip d) as 
     where clip d = accountNameFromComponents . take d . accountNameComponents
 
 -- | Does the given transaction fall within the given date span ?
diff --git a/Tests.hs b/Tests.hs
index d975457e5..fddb5a36f 100644
--- a/Tests.hs
+++ b/Tests.hs
@@ -683,27 +683,27 @@ tests = [
             ,nulltxn{description="desc",account="expenses:food",          amount=Mixed [dollars 4]}
             ,nulltxn{description="desc",account="expenses:food:dining",   amount=Mixed [dollars 8]}
             ]
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Nothing,False,[]) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,9999,False,[]) `gives` 
      []
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Nothing,True,[]) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,9999,True,[]) `gives` 
      [
       nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31"}
      ]
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Nothing,False,ts) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,9999,False,ts) `gives` 
      [
       nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="expenses:food",          amount=Mixed [dollars 4]}
      ,nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="expenses:food:dining",   amount=Mixed [dollars 10]}
      ,nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="expenses:food:groceries",amount=Mixed [dollars 1]}
      ]
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Just 2,False,ts) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,2,False,ts) `gives` 
      [
       nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="expenses:food",amount=Mixed [dollars 15]}
      ]
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Just 1,False,ts) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,1,False,ts) `gives` 
      [
       nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="expenses",amount=Mixed [dollars 15]}
      ]
-    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,Just 0,False,ts) `gives` 
+    ("2008/01/01","2009/01/01",0,0,False,ts) `gives` 
      [
       nulltxn{date=parsedate "2008/01/01",description="- 2008/12/31",account="",amount=Mixed [dollars 15]}
      ]