diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/MultiBalanceReports.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/MultiBalanceReports.hs
index e3016b6fa..63cf5b36c 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/MultiBalanceReports.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/MultiBalanceReports.hs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ where
 import Data.List
 import Data.Maybe
 import Data.Ord
+import Safe
 -- import Test.HUnit
 
 import Hledger.Data
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ type ClippedAccountName = AccountName
 -- showing the change of balance, accumulated balance, or historical balance
 -- in each of the specified periods.
 multiBalanceReport :: ReportOpts -> Query -> Journal -> MultiBalanceReport
-multiBalanceReport opts q j = MultiBalanceReport (spans, items, totals)
+multiBalanceReport opts q j = MultiBalanceReport (displayspans, items, totals)
     where
       -- dbg = const id                                   -- exclude from debug output
       dbg s = let p = "multiBalanceReport" in Hledger.Utils.dbg (p++" "++s)  -- add prefix in debug output
@@ -75,7 +76,12 @@ multiBalanceReport opts q j = MultiBalanceReport (spans, items, totals)
       depthless  = dbg "depthless" . filterQuery (not . queryIsDepth)
       datelessq  = dbg "datelessq"  $ filterQuery (not . queryIsDate) q
       precedingq = dbg "precedingq" $ And [datelessq, Date $ DateSpan Nothing (spanStart reportspan)]
-      reportq    = dbg "reportq"    $ depthless q --  $ And [datelessq, Date reportspan] -- laziness at work -- XXX no good, works only in GHCI
+      requestedspan  = dbg "requestedspan"  $ queryDateSpan (date2_ opts) q                              -- span specified by -b/-e/-p options and query args
+      requestedspan' = dbg "requestedspan'" $ requestedspan `spanDefaultsFrom` journalDateSpan j         -- if open-ended, close it using the journal's end dates
+      intervalspans  = dbg "intervalspans"  $ splitSpan (intervalFromOpts opts) requestedspan'           -- interval spans enclosing it
+      reportspan     = dbg "reportspan"     $ DateSpan (maybe Nothing spanStart $ headMay intervalspans) -- the requested span enlarged to a whole number of intervals
+                                                       (maybe Nothing spanEnd   $ lastMay intervalspans)
+      reportq    = dbg "reportq" $ depthless $ And [datelessq, Date reportspan] -- user's query enlarged to whole intervals and with no depth limit
 
       ps :: [Posting] =
           dbg "ps" $
@@ -84,11 +90,16 @@ multiBalanceReport opts q j = MultiBalanceReport (spans, items, totals)
           filterJournalPostings reportq $        -- remove postings not matched by (adjusted) query
           journalSelectingAmountFromOpts opts j
 
-      (reportspan, spans) = dbg "report spans" $ reportSpans opts q j ps
+      displayspans = dbg "displayspans" $ splitSpan (intervalFromOpts opts) displayspan
+        where
+          displayspan
+            | empty_ opts = dbg "displayspan (-E)" $ reportspan                                -- all the requested intervals
+            | otherwise   = dbg "displayspan"      $ requestedspan `spanIntersect` matchedspan -- exclude leading/trailing empty intervals
+          matchedspan = dbg "matchedspan" $ postingsDateSpan' (whichDateFromOpts opts) ps
 
       psPerSpan :: [[Posting]] =
           dbg "psPerSpan" $
-          [filter (isPostingInDateSpan' (whichDateFromOpts opts) s) ps | s <- spans]
+          [filter (isPostingInDateSpan' (whichDateFromOpts opts) s) ps | s <- displayspans]
 
       postedAcctBalChangesPerSpan :: [[(ClippedAccountName, MixedAmount)]] =
           dbg "postedAcctBalChangesPerSpan" $
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/ReportOptions.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/ReportOptions.hs
index 5ab3a07e8..6cf8c4b05 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/ReportOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/ReportOptions.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ module Hledger.Reports.ReportOptions (
   queryFromOpts,
   queryFromOptsOnly,
   queryOptsFromOpts,
-  reportSpans,
   transactionDateFn,
   postingDateFn,
 
@@ -290,45 +289,6 @@ tests_queryOptsFromOpts = [
                                                              })
  ]
 
--- | Calculate the overall and (if a reporting interval is specified)
--- per-interval date spans for a report, based on command-line
--- options, the search query, and the journal data.
---
--- The basic overall report span is:
--- without -E: the intersection of the requested span and the matched data's span.
--- with -E:    the full requested span, including leading/trailing intervals that are empty.
---             If the begin or end date is not specified, those of the journal are used.
---
--- The report span will be enlarged if necessary to include a whole
--- number of report periods, when a reporting interval is specified.
---
-reportSpans ::  ReportOpts -> Query -> Journal -> [Posting] -> (DateSpan, [DateSpan])
-reportSpans opts q j matchedps = (reportspan, spans)
-  where
-    (reportspan, spans)
-      | empty_ opts = (dbg "reportspan1" $ enlargedrequestedspan, sps)
-      | otherwise   = (dbg "reportspan2" $ requestedspan `spanIntersect` matchedspan, sps)
-      where
-        sps = dbg "spans" $ splitSpan (intervalFromOpts opts) reportspan
-
-    -- the requested span specified by the query (-b/-e/-p options and query args);
-    -- might be open-ended
-    requestedspan = dbg "requestedspan" $ queryDateSpan (date2_ opts) q
-
-    -- the requested span with unspecified dates filled from the journal data
-    finiterequestedspan = dbg "finiterequestedspan" $ requestedspan `orDatesFrom` journalDateSpan j
-
-    -- enlarge the requested span to a whole number of periods
-    enlargedrequestedspan = dbg "enlargedrequestedspan" $
-                            DateSpan (maybe Nothing spanStart $ headMay requestedspans)
-                                     (maybe Nothing spanEnd   $ lastMay requestedspans)
-      where
-        -- spans of the requested report interval which enclose the requested span
-        requestedspans = dbg "requestedspans" $ splitSpan (intervalFromOpts opts) finiterequestedspan
-
-    -- earliest and latest dates of matched postings
-    matchedspan = dbg "matchedspan" $ postingsDateSpan' (whichDateFromOpts opts) matchedps
-
 
 tests_Hledger_Reports_ReportOptions :: Test
 tests_Hledger_Reports_ReportOptions = TestList $
diff --git a/tests/balance-multicol.test b/tests/balance-multicol.test
index 23d41a5b7..ccaf7074d 100644
--- a/tests/balance-multicol.test
+++ b/tests/balance-multicol.test
@@ -257,3 +257,28 @@ Change of balance (flow):
    ||                      2 
 
 >>>=0
+
+# 18. All matched postings in the displayed intervals should be reported on.
+hledgerdev -f- balance -p 'monthly 2014/1/10-2014/2/20'
+<<<
+2014/1/5
+ (before)  1
+
+2014/2/1
+ (within)  1
+
+2014/2/25
+ (after)  1
+
+>>>
+Change of balance (flow):
+
+        ||  2014/01/01-2014/01/31  2014/02/01-2014/02/28 
+========++===============================================
+ after  ||                      0                      1 
+ before ||                      1                      0 
+ within ||                      0                      1 
+--------++-----------------------------------------------
+        ||                      1                      2 
+
+>>>=0