diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index d1452695f..8b6b78685 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ module Hledger.Data.Journal (
   matchpats,
   nulljournal,
   journalCheckBalanceAssertions,
+  journalNumberAndTieTransactions,
+  journalUntieTransactions,
   -- * Tests
   samplejournal,
   tests_Hledger_Data_Journal,
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ instance Monoid Journal where
     ,jparsedefaultcommodity     = jparsedefaultcommodity     j2
     ,jparseparentaccounts       = jparseparentaccounts       j2
     ,jparsealiases              = jparsealiases              j2
-    ,jparsetransactioncount     = jparsetransactioncount     j1 +  jparsetransactioncount     j2
+    -- ,jparsetransactioncount     = jparsetransactioncount     j1 +  jparsetransactioncount     j2
     ,jparsetimeclockentries = jparsetimeclockentries j1 <> jparsetimeclockentries j2
     ,jaccounts                  = jaccounts                  j1 <> jaccounts                  j2
     ,jcommodities               = jcommodities               j1 <> jcommodities               j2
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ nulljournal = Journal {
   ,jparsedefaultcommodity     = Nothing
   ,jparseparentaccounts       = []
   ,jparsealiases              = []
-  ,jparsetransactioncount     = 0
+  -- ,jparsetransactioncount     = 0
   ,jparsetimeclockentries = []
   ,jaccounts                  = []
   ,jcommodities               = M.fromList []
@@ -461,7 +463,8 @@ journalApplyAliases aliases j@Journal{jtxns=ts} =
 -- check balance assertions.
 journalFinalise :: ClockTime -> FilePath -> Text -> Bool -> ParsedJournal -> Either String Journal
 journalFinalise t path txt assrt j@Journal{jfiles=fs} = do
-  (journalBalanceTransactions $
+  (journalNumberAndTieTransactions <$>
+    (journalBalanceTransactions $
     journalApplyCommodityStyles $
     j{ jfiles        = (path,txt) : reverse fs
      , jlastreadtime = t
@@ -469,9 +472,25 @@ journalFinalise t path txt assrt j@Journal{jfiles=fs} = do
      , jmodifiertxns = reverse $ jmodifiertxns j -- NOTE: see addModifierTransaction
      , jperiodictxns = reverse $ jperiodictxns j -- NOTE: see addPeriodicTransaction
      , jmarketprices = reverse $ jmarketprices j -- NOTE: see addMarketPrice
-     })
+     }))
   >>= if assrt then journalCheckBalanceAssertions else return
 
+journalNumberAndTieTransactions = journalTieTransactions . journalNumberTransactions
+
+-- | Number (set the tindex field) this journal's transactions, counting upward from 1.
+journalNumberTransactions :: Journal -> Journal
+journalNumberTransactions j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = j{jtxns=map (\(i,t) -> t{tindex=i}) $ zip [1..] ts}
+
+-- | Tie the knot in all of this journal's transactions, ensuring their postings
+-- refer to them. This should be done last, after any other transaction-modifying operations.
+journalTieTransactions :: Journal -> Journal
+journalTieTransactions j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = j{jtxns=map txnTieKnot ts}
+
+-- | Untie all transaction-posting knots in this journal, so that eg
+-- recursiveSize and GHCI's :sprint can work on it.
+journalUntieTransactions :: Transaction -> Transaction
+journalUntieTransactions t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (\p -> p{ptransaction=Nothing}) ps}
+
 -- | Check any balance assertions in the journal and return an error
 -- message if any of them fail.
 journalCheckBalanceAssertions :: Journal -> Either String Journal
@@ -556,11 +575,11 @@ splitAssertions ps
 
 -- | Fill in any missing amounts and check that all journal transactions
 -- balance, or return an error message. This is done after parsing all
--- amounts and working out the canonical commodities, since balancing
+-- amounts and applying canonical commodity styles, since balancing
 -- depends on display precision. Reports only the first error encountered.
 journalBalanceTransactions :: Journal -> Either String Journal
 journalBalanceTransactions j@Journal{jtxns=ts, jinferredcommodities=ss} =
-  case sequence $ map balance ts of Right ts' -> Right j{jtxns=map txnTieKnot ts'}
+  case sequence $ map balance ts of Right ts' -> Right j{jtxns=ts'}
                                     Left e    -> Left e
       where balance = balanceTransaction (Just ss)
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
index a5102464d..ca7275082 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ module Hledger.Data.Transaction (
   nulltransaction,
   txnTieKnot,
   txnUntieKnot,
-  journalUntieKnots,
-  -- settxn,
   -- * operations
   showAccountName,
   hasRealPostings,
@@ -422,21 +420,16 @@ transactionDate2 t = fromMaybe (tdate t) $ tdate2 t
 -- | Ensure a transaction's postings refer back to it, so that eg
 -- relatedPostings works right.
 txnTieKnot :: Transaction -> Transaction
-txnTieKnot t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (settxn t) ps}
+txnTieKnot t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (postingSetTransaction t) ps}
 
 -- | Ensure a transaction's postings do not refer back to it, so that eg
 -- recursiveSize and GHCI's :sprint work right.
 txnUntieKnot :: Transaction -> Transaction
 txnUntieKnot t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (\p -> p{ptransaction=Nothing}) ps}
 
--- | Untie all transaction-posting knots in this journal, so that eg
--- recursiveSize and GHCI's :sprint can work on it.
-journalUntieKnots :: Transaction -> Transaction
-journalUntieKnots t@Transaction{tpostings=ps} = t{tpostings=map (\p -> p{ptransaction=Nothing}) ps}
-
 -- | Set a posting's parent transaction.
-settxn :: Transaction -> Posting -> Posting
-settxn t p = p{ptransaction=Just t}
+postingSetTransaction :: Transaction -> Posting -> Posting
+postingSetTransaction t p = p{ptransaction=Just t}
 
 tests_Hledger_Data_Transaction = TestList $ concat [
   tests_postingAsLines,
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
index 62ffaf667..10f76751c 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ data Journal = Journal {
   ,jparsedefaultcommodity :: Maybe (CommoditySymbol,AmountStyle)   -- ^ the current default commodity and its format, specified by the most recent D directive
   ,jparseparentaccounts   :: [AccountName]                         -- ^ the current stack of parent account names, specified by apply account directives
   ,jparsealiases          :: [AccountAlias]                        -- ^ the current account name aliases in effect, specified by alias directives (& options ?)
-  ,jparsetransactioncount :: Integer                               -- ^ the current count of transactions parsed so far (only journal format txns, currently)
+  -- ,jparsetransactioncount :: Integer                               -- ^ the current count of transactions parsed so far (only journal format txns, currently)
   ,jparsetimeclockentries :: [TimeclockEntry]                   -- ^ timeclock sessions which have not been clocked out
   -- principal data
   ,jaccounts              :: [AccountName]                         -- ^ accounts that have been declared by account directives
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index 95dd43a05..eecd1cd11 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -129,17 +129,17 @@ getAccountAliases = fmap jparsealiases get
 clearAccountAliases :: MonadState Journal m => m ()
 clearAccountAliases = modify' (\(j@Journal{..}) -> j{jparsealiases=[]})
 
-getTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m =>  m Integer
-getTransactionCount = fmap jparsetransactioncount get
-
-setTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m => Integer -> m ()
-setTransactionCount i = modify' (\j -> j{jparsetransactioncount=i})
-
--- | Increment the transaction index by one and return the new value.
-incrementTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m => m Integer
-incrementTransactionCount = do
-  modify' (\j -> j{jparsetransactioncount=jparsetransactioncount j + 1})
-  getTransactionCount
+-- getTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m =>  m Integer
+-- getTransactionCount = fmap jparsetransactioncount get
+--
+-- setTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m => Integer -> m ()
+-- setTransactionCount i = modify' (\j -> j{jparsetransactioncount=i})
+--
+-- -- | Increment the transaction index by one and return the new value.
+-- incrementTransactionCount :: MonadState Journal m => m Integer
+-- incrementTransactionCount = do
+--   modify' (\j -> j{jparsetransactioncount=jparsetransactioncount j + 1})
+--   getTransactionCount
 
 journalAddFile :: (FilePath,Text) -> Journal -> Journal
 journalAddFile f j@Journal{jfiles=fs} = j{jfiles=fs++[f]}
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
index 5de36ffc7..059e1780b 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ parse :: Maybe FilePath -> Bool -> FilePath -> Text -> ExceptT String IO Journal
 parse rulesfile _ f t = do
   r <- liftIO $ readJournalFromCsv rulesfile f t
   case r of Left e -> throwError e
-            Right j -> return j
+            Right j -> return $ journalNumberAndTieTransactions j
+-- XXX does not use parseAndFinaliseJournal like the other readers
 
 -- | Read a Journal from the given CSV data (and filename, used for error
 -- messages), or return an error. Proceed as follows:
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index d4279f9a1..2cb075860 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ newJournalWithParseStateFrom j = mempty{
   ,jparsedefaultcommodity = jparsedefaultcommodity j
   ,jparseparentaccounts   = jparseparentaccounts j
   ,jparsealiases          = jparsealiases j
-  ,jparsetransactioncount = jparsetransactioncount j
+  -- ,jparsetransactioncount = jparsetransactioncount j
   ,jparsetimeclockentries = jparsetimeclockentries j
   }
 
@@ -439,8 +439,7 @@ transactionp = do
   comment <- try followingcommentp <|> (newline >> return "")
   let tags = commentTags comment
   postings <- postingsp (Just date)
-  n <- incrementTransactionCount
-  return $ txnTieKnot $ Transaction n sourcepos date edate status code description comment tags postings ""
+  return $ txnTieKnot $ Transaction 0 sourcepos date edate status code description comment tags postings ""
 
 #ifdef TESTS
 test_transactionp = do