diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index 7fa4813dc..d544559a0 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ module Hledger.Data.Journal (
   journalConvertAmountsToCost,
   journalFinalise,
   -- * Filtering
-  filterJournalPostings,
   filterJournalTransactions,
+  filterJournalPostings,
+  filterJournalPostingAmounts,
+  filterPostingAmount,
   -- * Querying
   journalAccountNames,
   journalAccountNamesUsed,
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ module Hledger.Data.Journal (
   journalAmounts,
   -- journalCanonicalCommodities,
   journalDateSpan,
+  journalDescriptions,
   journalFilePath,
   journalFilePaths,
   journalPostings,
@@ -153,13 +156,19 @@ addHistoricalPrice h l0 = l0 { historical_prices = h : historical_prices l0 }
 addTimeLogEntry :: TimeLogEntry -> Journal -> Journal
 addTimeLogEntry tle l0 = l0 { open_timelog_entries = tle : open_timelog_entries l0 }
 
+-- | Unique transaction descriptions used in this journal.
+journalDescriptions :: Journal -> [String]
+journalDescriptions = nub . sort . map tdescription . jtxns
+
+-- | All postings from this journal's transactions, in order.
 journalPostings :: Journal -> [Posting]
 journalPostings = concatMap tpostings . jtxns
 
--- | All account names used in this journal.
+-- | Unique account names posted to in this journal.
 journalAccountNamesUsed :: Journal -> [AccountName]
 journalAccountNamesUsed = sort . accountNamesFromPostings . journalPostings
 
+-- | Unique account names in this journal, including parent accounts containing no postings.
 journalAccountNames :: Journal -> [AccountName]
 journalAccountNames = sort . expandAccountNames . journalAccountNamesUsed
 
@@ -228,6 +237,17 @@ filterJournalPostings q j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = j{jtxns=map filtertransactionposti
     where
       filtertransactionpostings t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=filter (q `matchesPosting`) ps}
 
+-- Within each posting's amount, keep only the parts matching the query.
+-- This can leave unbalanced transactions.
+filterJournalPostingAmounts :: Query -> Journal -> Journal
+filterJournalPostingAmounts q j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = j{jtxns=map filtertransactionpostings ts}
+    where
+      filtertransactionpostings t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (filterPostingAmount q) ps}
+
+-- | Filter out all parts of this posting's amount which do not match the query.
+filterPostingAmount :: Query -> Posting -> Posting
+filterPostingAmount q p@Posting{pamount=Mixed as} = p{pamount=Mixed $ filter (q `matchesAmount`) as}
+
 -- | Keep only transactions matching the query expression.
 filterJournalTransactions :: Query -> Journal -> Journal
 filterJournalTransactions q j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = j{jtxns=filter (q `matchesTransaction`) ts}
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
index 24bf175ba..dfd73dd90 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import Hledger.Data.Account
 import Hledger.Data.Journal
 import Hledger.Data.Posting
 import Hledger.Query
+import Hledger.Utils
 
 
 instance Show Ledger where
@@ -35,16 +36,19 @@ nullledger = Ledger {
   laccounts = []
   }
 
--- | Filter a journal's transactions with the given query, then derive a
--- ledger containing the chart of accounts and balances. If the query
--- includes a depth limit, that will affect the ledger's journal but not
--- the account tree.
+-- | Filter a journal's transactions with the given query, then derive
+-- a ledger containing the chart of accounts and balances. If the
+-- query includes a depth limit, that will affect the this ledger's
+-- journal but not the ledger's account tree.
 ledgerFromJournal :: Query -> Journal -> Ledger
 ledgerFromJournal q j = nullledger{ljournal=j'', laccounts=as}
   where
     (q',depthq)  = (filterQuery (not . queryIsDepth) q, filterQuery queryIsDepth q)
-    j' = filterJournalPostings q' j
-    as = accountsFromPostings $ journalPostings j'
+    j'  = 
+        dbg "ledgerFromJournal1" $
+        filterJournalPostingAmounts (filterQuery queryIsSym q) $ -- remove amount parts which the query's sym: terms would exclude
+        filterJournalPostings q' j
+    as  = accountsFromPostings $ journalPostings j'
     j'' = filterJournalPostings depthq j'
 
 -- | List a ledger's account names.
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Query.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Query.hs
index 2f26806a4..8ed2d0551 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Query.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Query.hs
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ module Hledger.Query (
   filterQuery,
   -- * accessors
   queryIsNull,
+  queryIsAcct,
   queryIsDepth,
   queryIsDate,
   queryIsStartDateOnly,
+  queryIsSym,
   queryStartDate,
   queryDateSpan,
   queryDepth,
@@ -26,9 +28,10 @@ module Hledger.Query (
   inAccount,
   inAccountQuery,
   -- * matching
-  matchesAccount,
-  matchesPosting,
   matchesTransaction,
+  matchesPosting,
+  matchesAccount,
+  matchesAmount,
   -- * tests
   tests_Hledger_Query
 )
@@ -391,6 +394,10 @@ queryIsAcct :: Query -> Bool
 queryIsAcct (Acct _) = True
 queryIsAcct _ = False
 
+queryIsSym :: Query -> Bool
+queryIsSym (Sym _) = True
+queryIsSym _ = False
+
 -- | Does this query specify a start date and nothing else (that would
 -- filter postings prior to the date) ?
 -- When the flag is true, look for a starting secondary date instead.
@@ -517,6 +524,25 @@ tests_matchesAccount = [
     assertBool "" $ not $ (Tag "a" Nothing) `matchesAccount` "a"
  ]
 
+-- | Does the match expression match this (simple) amount ?
+matchesAmount :: Query -> Amount -> Bool
+matchesAmount (Not q) a = not $ q `matchesAmount` a
+matchesAmount (Any) _ = True
+matchesAmount (None) _ = False
+matchesAmount (Or qs) a = any (`matchesAmount` a) qs
+matchesAmount (And qs) a = all (`matchesAmount` a) qs
+matchesAmount (Amt op n) a = compareMixedAmount op n (Mixed [a])
+matchesAmount (Sym r) a = regexMatchesCI ("^" ++ r ++ "$") $ acommodity a
+matchesAmount _ _ = True
+
+-- | Is this simple mixed amount's quantity less than, equal to, or greater than this number ?
+-- For complext mixed amounts (with multiple commodities), this is always true.
+compareMixedAmount :: Ordering -> Quantity -> MixedAmount -> Bool
+compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [])  = compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [amount])
+-- compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [a]) = strace (compare (strace $ aquantity a) (strace q)) == op
+compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [a]) = compare (aquantity a) q == op
+compareMixedAmount _ _ _            = True
+
 -- | Does the match expression match this posting ?
 matchesPosting :: Query -> Posting -> Bool
 matchesPosting (Not q) p = not $ q `matchesPosting` p
@@ -542,14 +568,6 @@ matchesPosting (Tag n Nothing) p = isJust $ lookupTagByName n $ postingAllTags p
 matchesPosting (Tag n (Just v)) p = isJust $ lookupTagByNameAndValue (n,v) $ postingAllTags p
 -- matchesPosting _ _ = False
 
--- | Is this simple mixed amount's quantity less than, equal to, or greater than this number ?
--- For complext mixed amounts (with multiple commodities), this is always true.
-compareMixedAmount :: Ordering -> Quantity -> MixedAmount -> Bool
-compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [])  = compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [amount])
--- compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [a]) = strace (compare (strace $ aquantity a) (strace q)) == op
-compareMixedAmount op q (Mixed [a]) = compare (aquantity a) q == op
-compareMixedAmount _ _ _            = True
-
 tests_matchesPosting = [
    "matchesPosting" ~: do
     -- matching posting status..
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports.hs
index 85fe18979..d56f0e2d0 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports.hs
@@ -315,11 +315,19 @@ postingsReport opts q j = -- trace ("q: "++show q++"\nq': "++show q') $
       wd = whichDateFromOpts opts
       -- delay depth filtering until the end
       (depth, q') = (queryDepth q, filterQuery (not . queryIsDepth) q)
-      (precedingps, displayableps, _) =   dbg "ps4" $ postingsMatchingDisplayExpr displayexpr opts
-                                        $ dbg "ps3" $ (if related_ opts then concatMap relatedPostings else id)
-                                        $ dbg "ps2" $ filter (q' `matchesPosting`)
-                                        $ dbg "ps1" $ journalPostings j'
-      -- enable to debug just this function
+      (precedingps, displayableps, _) =
+          dbg "ps5" $
+          postingsMatchingDisplayExpr displayexpr opts $ -- filter and group by the -d display expression
+          dbg "ps4" $
+          map (filterPostingAmount (filterQuery queryIsSym q)) $ -- remove amount parts which the query's sym: terms would exclude
+          dbg "ps3" $
+          (if related_ opts then concatMap relatedPostings else id) $ -- with --related, replace each with its sibling postings
+          dbg "ps2" $ 
+          filter (q' `matchesPosting`) $ -- filter postings by the query, ignoring depth
+          dbg "ps1" $ 
+          journalPostings j'
+
+      -- to debug just this function without the noise of --debug, uncomment:
       -- dbg :: Show a => String -> a -> a
       -- dbg = lstrace
 
@@ -530,6 +538,10 @@ filterTransactionsReportByCommodity c (label,items) =
 filterMixedAmountByCommodity :: Commodity -> MixedAmount -> MixedAmount
 filterMixedAmountByCommodity c (Mixed as) = Mixed $ filter ((==c). acommodity) as
 
+-- -- | Filter out all parts of this amount which do not match the query.
+-- filterMixedAmount :: Query -> MixedAmount -> MixedAmount
+-- filterMixedAmount q (Mixed as) = Mixed $ filter (q `matchesAmount`) as
+
 -- | Select transactions from the whole journal. This is similar to a
 -- "postingsReport" except with transaction-based report items which
 -- are ordered most recent first. This is used by eg hledger-web's journal view.
@@ -649,7 +661,10 @@ balanceReport :: ReportOpts -> Query -> Journal -> BalanceReport
 balanceReport opts q j = (items, total)
     where
       l =  ledgerFromJournal q $ journalSelectingAmountFromOpts opts j
-      accts = clipAccounts (queryDepth q) $ ledgerRootAccount l
+      accts =
+          dbg "accts1" $ 
+          clipAccounts (queryDepth q) $ -- exclude accounts deeper than specified depth
+          ledgerRootAccount l
       accts'
           | flat_ opts = filterzeros $ tail $ flattenAccounts accts
           | otherwise  = filter (not.aboring) $ tail $ flattenAccounts $ markboring $ prunezeros accts
@@ -664,6 +679,11 @@ balanceReport opts q j = (items, total)
       total = sum [amt | (a,_,indent,amt) <- items, if flat_ opts then accountNameLevel a == 1 else indent == 0]
               -- XXX check account level == 1 is valid when top-level accounts excluded
 
+-- -- | Filter out parts of this accounts balance amounts which do not match the query.
+-- filterAccountAmounts :: Query -> Account -> Account
+-- filterAccountAmounts q acc@Account{..} =
+--     acc{aebalance=filterMixedAmount q aebalance, aibalance=filterMixedAmount q aibalance}
+
 -- | In an account tree with zero-balance leaves removed, mark the
 -- elidable parent accounts (those with one subaccount and no balance
 -- of their own).