diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
index 320713dd4..7f1ed0d07 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ balanceReport :: [Opt] -> FilterSpec -> Journal -> BalanceReport
 balanceReport opts filterspec j = (items, total)
     where
       items = map mkitem interestingaccts
-      interestingaccts = filter (isInteresting opts l) acctnames
+      interestingaccts | NoElide `elem` opts = acctnames
+                       | otherwise = filter (isInteresting opts l) acctnames
       acctnames = sort $ tail $ flatten $ treemap aname accttree
       accttree = ledgerAccountTree (fromMaybe 99999 $ depthFromOpts opts) l
       total = sum $ map abalance $ ledgerTopAccounts l
@@ -254,6 +255,7 @@ exclusiveBalance :: Account -> MixedAmount
 exclusiveBalance = sumPostings . apostings
 
 -- | Is the named account considered interesting for this ledger's balance report ?
+-- We follow the style of ledger's balance command.
 isInteresting :: [Opt] -> Ledger -> AccountName -> Bool
 isInteresting opts l a | Flat `elem` opts = isInterestingFlat opts l a
                        | otherwise = isInterestingIndented opts l a
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
index 3765a5fe1..109aec333 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ options_cli = [
                                                        "EXPR is 'dOP[DATE]' and OP is <, <=, =, >=, >)")
  ,Option ""  ["effective"]    (NoArg  Effective)     "use transactions' effective dates, if any"
  ,Option "E" ["empty"]        (NoArg  Empty)         "show empty/zero things which are normally elided"
+ ,Option ""  ["no-elide"]     (NoArg  NoElide)       "no eliding at all, stronger than -E (eg for balance report)"
  ,Option "R" ["real"]         (NoArg  Real)          "report only on real (non-virtual) transactions"
  ,Option ""  ["flat"]         (NoArg  Flat)          "balance: show full account names, unindented"
  ,Option ""  ["drop"]         (ReqArg Drop "N")      "balance: with --flat, elide first N account name components"
@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ data Opt =
     | Display     {value::String}
     | Effective
     | Empty
+    | NoElide
     | Real
     | Flat
     | Drop        {value::String}