diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
index b443f199f..d59dd516a 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import Hledger
 import Hledger.Cli hiding (progname,prognameandversion)
 import Hledger.UI.UIOptions
 import Hledger.UI.UITypes
-import Hledger.UI.UIState (toggleHistorical)
 import Hledger.UI.Theme
 import Hledger.UI.AccountsScreen
 import Hledger.UI.RegisterScreen
@@ -110,8 +109,7 @@ runBrickUi uopts@UIOpts{cliopts_=copts@CliOpts{inputopts_=_iopts,reportspec_=rsp
                depth_ =queryDepth $ _rsQuery rspec,  -- query's depth part
                period_=periodfromoptsandargs,       -- query's date part
                no_elide_=True,  -- avoid squashing boring account names, for a more regular tree (unlike hledger)
-               empty_=not $ empty_ ropts,  -- show zero items by default, hide them with -E (unlike hledger)
-               balanceaccum_=Historical  -- show historical balances by default (unlike hledger)
+               empty_=not $ empty_ ropts  -- show zero items by default, hide them with -E (unlike hledger)
                }
             }
          }
@@ -155,7 +153,6 @@ runBrickUi uopts@UIOpts{cliopts_=copts@CliOpts{inputopts_=_iopts,reportspec_=rsp
 
     ui =
       (sInit scr) d True $
-        (if change_ uopts' then toggleHistorical else id) -- XXX
           UIState{
            astartupopts=uopts'
           ,aopts=uopts'
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
index da0c95e62..e480bf130 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@
 module Hledger.UI.UIOptions
 where
 
-import Data.Default
+import Data.Default (def)
 import Data.List (intercalate)
-import System.Environment
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
+import Lens.Micro (set)
+import System.Environment (getArgs)
 
 import Hledger.Cli hiding (packageversion, progname, prognameandversion)
 import Hledger.UI.Theme (themeNames)
@@ -64,13 +66,11 @@ uimode =  (mode "hledger-ui" (setopt "command" "ui" def)
 -- hledger-ui options, used in hledger-ui and above
 data UIOpts = UIOpts {
      watch_       :: Bool
-    ,change_      :: Bool
     ,cliopts_     :: CliOpts
  } deriving (Show)
 
 defuiopts = UIOpts
   { watch_   = False
-  , change_  = False
   , cliopts_ = def
   }
 
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ defuiopts = UIOpts
 
 rawOptsToUIOpts :: RawOpts -> IO UIOpts
 rawOptsToUIOpts rawopts = checkUIOpts <$> do
-  cliopts <- rawOptsToCliOpts rawopts
+  -- show historical balance by default (unlike hledger)
+  let accum = fromMaybe Historical $ balanceAccumulationOverride rawopts
+  cliopts <- set balanceaccum accum <$> rawOptsToCliOpts rawopts
   return defuiopts {
               watch_       = boolopt "watch" rawopts
-             ,change_      = boolopt "change" rawopts
              ,cliopts_     = cliopts
              }