diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BudgetReport.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BudgetReport.hs
index 29b9220a0..66e8af052 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BudgetReport.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BudgetReport.hs
@@ -258,17 +258,19 @@ budgetReportAsText ropts budgetr =
   ++ 
   tableAsText ropts showcell (budgetReportAsTable ropts budgetr)
   where
+    -- XXX lay out actual, percentage and/or goal in the single table cell for now, should probably use separate cells
     showcell :: (Maybe Change, Maybe BudgetGoal) -> String
     showcell (mactual, mbudget) = actualstr ++ " " ++ budgetstr
       where
         actualwidth  = 7
         percentwidth = 4
         budgetwidth  = 5
-        actualstr = printf ("%"++show actualwidth++"s") (maybe "0" showamt mactual)
-        budgetstr = case (mactual, mbudget) of
-          (_,       Nothing)     -> replicate (percentwidth + 7 + budgetwidth) ' '
-          (mactual, Just budget) ->
-            case percentage mactual budget of
+        actual = fromMaybe 0 mactual
+        actualstr = printf ("%"++show actualwidth++"s") (showamt actual)
+        budgetstr = case mbudget of
+          Nothing     -> replicate (percentwidth + 7 + budgetwidth) ' '
+          Just budget ->
+            case percentage actual budget of
               Just pct ->
                 printf ("[%"++show percentwidth++"s%% of %"++show budgetwidth++"s]")
                        (show $ roundTo 0 pct) (showbudgetamt budget)
@@ -276,18 +278,19 @@ budgetReportAsText ropts budgetr =
                 printf ("["++replicate (percentwidth+5) ' '++"%"++show budgetwidth++"s]")
                        (showbudgetamt budget)
 
-    percentage :: Maybe Change -> BudgetGoal -> Maybe Percentage
-    percentage Nothing _ = Nothing
-    percentage (Just actual) budget =
-      -- percentage of budget consumed is always computed in the cost basis
+    -- | Calculate the percentage of actual change to budget goal to show, if any.
+    -- Both amounts are converted to cost, if possible, before comparing.
+    -- A percentage will not be shown if:
+    -- - actual or goal are not the same, single, commodity
+    -- - the goal is zero
+    percentage :: Change -> BudgetGoal -> Maybe Percentage
+    percentage actual budget =
       case (toCost actual, toCost budget) of
-        (Mixed [a1], Mixed [a2])
-          | isReallyZeroAmount a1 -> Just 0 -- if there are no postings, we consumed 0% of budget
-          | acommodity a1 == acommodity a2 && aquantity a2 /= 0 ->
-            Just $ 100 * aquantity a1 / aquantity a2
-        _ -> Nothing
-        where
-          toCost = normaliseMixedAmount . costOfMixedAmount
+        (Mixed [a], Mixed [b]) | (acommodity a == acommodity b || isZeroAmount a) && not (isZeroAmount b) 
+            -> Just $ 100 * aquantity a / aquantity b
+        _   -> Nothing
+      where
+        toCost = normaliseMixedAmount . costOfMixedAmount 
 
     showamt :: MixedAmount -> String
     showamt | color_ ropts  = cshowMixedAmountOneLineWithoutPrice
diff --git a/tests/budget/budget.test b/tests/budget/budget.test
index 0ee1997d5..30ebce1b1 100644
--- a/tests/budget/budget.test
+++ b/tests/budget/budget.test
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Budget performance in 2016/12/01-2016/12/03:
  expenses:food         ||     $10 [ 100% of   $10]       $9 [  90% of   $10]      $11 [ 110% of   $10] 
  expenses:leisure      ||       0 [   0% of   $15]       $5 [  33% of   $15]        0 [   0% of   $15] 
 -----------------------++------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                       ||       0 [   0% of     0]        0 [   0% of     0]        0 [   0% of     0] 
+                       ||       0 [             0]        0 [             0]        0 [             0] 
 
 # 2. --show-unbudgeted
 $ hledger bal -D -b 2016-12-01 -e 2016-12-04 -f - --budget --show-unbudgeted
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Budget performance in 2016/12/01-2016/12/03:
  expenses:leisure ||       0 [   0% of   $15]       $5 [  33% of   $15]        0 [   0% of   $15] 
  expenses:movies  ||       0                         0                       $25                  
 ------------------++------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                  ||       0 [   0% of     0]        0 [   0% of     0]        0 [   0% of     0] 
+                  ||       0 [             0]        0 [             0]        0 [             0] 
 
 # 3. Test that budget works with mix of commodities
 <
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ Budget performance in 2016/12/01-2016/12/03:
  expenses:food         ||       £10 [ 150% of   $10]        20 CAD [ 210% of   $10]      $11 [ 110% of   $10] 
  expenses:leisure      ||         0 [   0% of   $15]            $5 [  33% of   $15]        0 [   0% of   $15] 
 -----------------------++-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                       || $-15, £10 [   0% of     0]  $-21, 20 CAD [   0% of     0]        0 [   0% of     0] 
-# TODO zero totals ^
+                       || $-15, £10 [             0]  $-21, 20 CAD [             0]        0 [             0] 
 
 <
 ~ daily
@@ -142,8 +141,8 @@ Budget performance in 2018/01/01-2018/01/03:
    ||               2018/01/01                2018/01/02                2018/01/03 
 ===++==============================================================================
  a ||       1 [  10% of    10]        0 [   0% of    10]        1 [  10% of    10] 
- b ||       1 [   1% of   100]        0 [   0% of     0]        1 [             0] 
- c ||       1 [   0% of  1000]        0 [   0% of     0]        1 [             0] 
+ b ||       1 [   1% of   100]        0 [             0]        1 [             0] 
+ c ||       1 [   0% of  1000]        0 [             0]        1 [             0] 
 ---++------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ||       3 [   0% of  1110]        0 [   0% of    10]        3 [  30% of    10] 
 
@@ -247,9 +246,9 @@ Budget performance in 2018/01/01-2018/01/02:
 
    ||               2018/01/01                2018/01/02 
 ===++====================================================
- a ||       0 [             1]        0 [             1] 
+ a ||       0 [   0% of     1]        0 [   0% of     1] 
 ---++----------------------------------------------------
-   ||       0 [             1]        0 [             1] 
+   ||       0 [   0% of     1]        0 [   0% of     1] 
 
 # 11. With -E, zeroes are shown
 $ hledger -f- bal --budget -D date:2018/1/1-2018/1/3 -E