diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
index 97a3663df..6e3ea77a6 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import Data.Time.Calendar
 import Test.HUnit
 import Text.Printf
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
-import Text.Parsec.Pos
 
 import Hledger.Utils
 import Hledger.Data.Types
@@ -56,8 +55,8 @@ instance Show ModifierTransaction where
 instance Show PeriodicTransaction where
     show t = "~ " ++ ptperiodicexpr t ++ "\n" ++ unlines (map show (ptpostings t))
 
-nullsourcepos :: SourcePos
-nullsourcepos = initialPos ""
+nullsourcepos :: GenericSourcePos
+nullsourcepos = GenericSourcePos "" 1 1
 
 nulltransaction :: Transaction
 nulltransaction = Transaction {
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
index c45641661..34f9b5668 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
@@ -143,8 +143,13 @@ data Posting = Posting {
 instance Eq Posting where
     (==) (Posting a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1 i1 _) (Posting a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2 i2 _) =  a1==a2 && b1==b2 && c1==c2 && d1==d2 && e1==e2 && f1==f2 && g1==g2 && h1==h2 && i1==i2
 
+-- | The position of parse errors (eg), like parsec's SourcePos but generic.
+-- File name, 1-based line number and 1-based column number.
+data GenericSourcePos = GenericSourcePos FilePath Int Int
+  deriving (Eq, Read, Show, Ord, Data, Typeable)
+
 data Transaction = Transaction {
-      tsourcepos :: SourcePos,
+      tsourcepos :: GenericSourcePos,
       tdate :: Day,
       tdate2 :: Maybe Day,
       tstatus :: ClearedStatus,
@@ -169,7 +174,7 @@ data PeriodicTransaction = PeriodicTransaction {
 data TimeLogCode = SetBalance | SetRequiredHours | In | Out | FinalOut deriving (Eq,Ord,Typeable,Data)
 
 data TimeLogEntry = TimeLogEntry {
-      tlsourcepos :: SourcePos,
+      tlsourcepos :: GenericSourcePos,
       tlcode :: TimeLogCode,
       tldatetime :: LocalTime,
       tlaccount :: String,
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
index 264b20720..dc9f540cf 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ import Text.Printf (hPrintf,printf)
 import Hledger.Data
 import Hledger.Utils.UTF8IOCompat (getContents)
 import Hledger.Utils
-import Hledger.Read.JournalReader (amountp, statusp)
+import Hledger.Read.JournalReader (amountp, statusp, genericSourcePos)
 
 
 reader :: Reader
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ transactionFromCsvRecord sourcepos rules record = t
 
     -- build the transaction
     t = nulltransaction{
-      tsourcepos               = sourcepos,
+      tsourcepos               = genericSourcePos sourcepos,
       tdate                    = date',
       tdate2                   = mdate2',
       tstatus                  = status,
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index c7a8f9e2e..dfb97b4bc 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module Hledger.Read.JournalReader (
   reader,
   -- * Parsers used elsewhere
   parseJournalWith,
+  genericSourcePos,
   getParentAccount,
   journal,
   directive,
@@ -97,6 +98,9 @@ parse _ = parseJournalWith journal
 
 -- parsing utils
 
+genericSourcePos :: SourcePos -> GenericSourcePos
+genericSourcePos p = GenericSourcePos (sourceName p) (sourceLine p) (sourceColumn p)
+
 -- | Flatten a list of JournalUpdate's into a single equivalent one.
 combineJournalUpdates :: [JournalUpdate] -> JournalUpdate
 combineJournalUpdates us = liftM (foldl' (\acc new x -> new (acc x)) id) $ sequence us
@@ -366,7 +370,7 @@ periodictransaction = do
 transaction :: ParsecT [Char] JournalContext (ExceptT String IO) Transaction
 transaction = do
   -- ptrace "transaction"
-  sourcepos <- getPosition
+  sourcepos <- genericSourcePos <$> getPosition
   date <- datep <?> "transaction"
   edate <- optionMaybe (secondarydatep date) <?> "secondary date"
   lookAhead (spacenonewline <|> newline) <?> "whitespace or newline"
@@ -481,7 +485,7 @@ datep :: Stream [Char] m t => ParsecT [Char] JournalContext m Day
 datep = do
   -- hacky: try to ensure precise errors for invalid dates
   -- XXX reported error position is not too good
-  -- pos <- getPosition
+  -- pos <- genericSourcePos <$> getPosition
   datestr <- many1 $ choice' [digit, datesepchar]
   let sepchars = nub $ sort $ filter (`elem` datesepchars) datestr
   when (length sepchars /= 1) $ fail $ "bad date, different separators used: " ++ datestr
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
index f8abe885d..cdef3198d 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ import Hledger.Data
 -- XXX too much reuse ?
 import Hledger.Read.JournalReader (
   directive, historicalpricedirective, defaultyeardirective, emptyorcommentlinep, datetimep,
-  parseJournalWith, modifiedaccountname
+  parseJournalWith, modifiedaccountname, genericSourcePos
   )
 import Hledger.Utils
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ timelogFile = do items <- many timelogItem
 -- | Parse a timelog entry.
 timelogentry :: ParsecT [Char] JournalContext (ExceptT String IO) TimeLogEntry
 timelogentry = do
-  sourcepos <- getPosition
+  sourcepos <- genericSourcePos <$> getPosition
   code <- oneOf "bhioO"
   many1 spacenonewline
   datetime <- datetimep