diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
index cf151b7c8..065324435 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
@@ -35,11 +35,18 @@ import Hledger.Data.Utils
 showDate :: Day -> String
 showDate = formatTime defaultTimeLocale "%C%y/%m/%d"
 
+-- | Get the current local date.
 getCurrentDay :: IO Day
 getCurrentDay = do
     t <- getZonedTime
     return $ localDay (zonedTimeToLocalTime t)
 
+-- | Get the current local year.
+getCurrentYear :: IO Integer
+getCurrentYear = do
+  (y,_,_) <- toGregorian `fmap` getCurrentDay
+  return y
+
 elapsedSeconds :: Fractional a => UTCTime -> UTCTime -> a
 elapsedSeconds t1 = realToFrac . diffUTCTime t1
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
index ddcb76c3f..d95d5a1dd 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Utils.hs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec
 
 import Hledger.Data.Types (Journal, JournalContext(..), Commodity, JournalUpdate)
 import Hledger.Data.Utils
+import Hledger.Data.Dates (getCurrentYear)
 import Hledger.Data.Journal (nullctx, nulljournal, journalFinalise)
 
 
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ parseJournalWith :: (GenParser Char JournalContext (JournalUpdate,JournalContext
 parseJournalWith p f s = do
   tc <- liftIO getClockTime
   tl <- liftIO getCurrentLocalTime
-  case runParser p nullctx f s of
+  y <- liftIO getCurrentYear
+  case runParser p nullctx{ctxYear=Just y} f s of
     Right (updates,ctx) -> do
                            j <- updates `ap` return nulljournal
                            case journalFinalise tc tl f s ctx j of