diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index 895106a12..ed36259dc 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ import Data.List
 import Data.Maybe
 import Data.Monoid
 import Data.Ord
--- import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Safe (headMay, headDef)
 import Data.Time.Calendar
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ journalFilePath = fst . mainfile
 journalFilePaths :: Journal -> [FilePath]
 journalFilePaths = map fst . jfiles
 
-mainfile :: Journal -> (FilePath, String)
+mainfile :: Journal -> (FilePath, Text)
 mainfile = headDef ("", "") . jfiles
 
 addTransaction :: Transaction -> Journal -> Journal
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ journalApplyAliases aliases j@Journal{jtxns=ts} =
 -- use.  Reverse parsed data to normal order, canonicalise amount
 -- formats, check/ensure that transactions are balanced, and maybe
 -- check balance assertions.
-journalFinalise :: ClockTime -> FilePath -> String -> Bool -> ParsedJournal -> Either String Journal
+journalFinalise :: ClockTime -> FilePath -> Text -> Bool -> ParsedJournal -> Either String Journal
 journalFinalise t path txt assrt j@Journal{jfiles=fs} = do
   (journalBalanceTransactions $
     journalApplyCommodityStyles $
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
index 6f6a66111..3f3a341ef 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ data Journal = Journal {
   ,jperiodictxns          :: [PeriodicTransaction]
   ,jtxns                  :: [Transaction]
   ,jfinalcommentlines     :: String                                 -- ^ any final trailing comments in the (main) journal file
-  ,jfiles                 :: [(FilePath, String)]                   -- ^ the file path and raw text of the main and
+  ,jfiles                 :: [(FilePath, Text)]                     -- ^ the file path and raw text of the main and
                                                                     --   any included journal files. The main file is first,
                                                                     --   followed by any included files in the order encountered.
   ,jlastreadtime          :: ClockTime                              -- ^ when this journal was last read from its file(s)
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index 0817b19f4..f0c705b63 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import Data.Functor.Identity
 import Data.List.Compat
 import Data.List.Split (wordsBy)
 import Data.Maybe
--- import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Time.Calendar
 import Data.Time.LocalTime
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ parseAndFinaliseJournal parser assrt f s = do
   y <- liftIO getCurrentYear
   ep <- runParserT parser nulljournal{jparsedefaultyear=Just y} f s
   case ep of
-    Right pj -> case journalFinalise t f s assrt pj of
+    Right pj -> case journalFinalise t f (T.pack s) assrt pj of
                         Right j -> return j
                         Left e  -> throwError e
     Left e   -> throwError $ show e
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ incrementTransactionCount = do
   modifyState (\j -> j{jparsetransactioncount=jparsetransactioncount j + 1})
   getTransactionCount
 
-journalAddFile :: (FilePath,String) -> Journal -> Journal
+journalAddFile :: (FilePath,Text) -> Journal -> Journal
 journalAddFile f j@Journal{jfiles=fs} = j{jfiles=fs++[f]}
   -- append, unlike the other fields, even though we do a final reverse,
   -- to compensate for additional reversal due to including/monoid-concatting
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index e8040e7da..c7839b0ae 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ includedirectivep = do
         (throwError
           . ((show parentpos ++ " in included file " ++ show filename ++ ":\n") ++)
           . show)
-        (return . journalAddFile (filepath,txt))
+        (return . journalAddFile (filepath, T.pack txt))
         ej1
   case ej of
     Left e       -> throwError e