diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index 6ccaf4f19..cff074771 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -929,6 +929,10 @@ abspat pat = if isnegativepat pat then drop (length negateprefix) pat else pat
 --     expenses:supplies  $1
 --     assets:cash
 --
+-- 2008/10/01 take a loan
+--     assets:bank:checking $1
+--     liabilities:debts    $-1
+--
 -- 2008/12/31 * pay off
 --     liabilities:debts  $1
 --     assets:bank:checking
@@ -1003,6 +1007,22 @@ Right samplejournal = journalBalanceTransactions False $
                        ],
              tpreceding_comment_lines=""
            }
+          ,
+           txnTieKnot $ Transaction {
+             tindex=0,
+             tsourcepos=nullsourcepos,
+             tdate=parsedate "2008/10/01",
+             tdate2=Nothing,
+             tstatus=Unmarked,
+             tcode="",
+             tdescription="take a loan",
+             tcomment="",
+             ttags=[],
+             tpostings=["assets:bank:checking" `post` usd 1
+                       ,"liabilities:debts" `post` usd (-1)
+                       ],
+             tpreceding_comment_lines=""
+           }
           ,
            txnTieKnot $ Transaction {
              tindex=0,
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
index 7149dca86..10d9d0c45 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Ledger.hs
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ ledgerCommodities = M.keys . jinferredcommodities . ljournal
 tests_ledgerFromJournal = [
  "ledgerFromJournal" ~: do
   assertEqual "" (0) (length $ ledgerPostings $ ledgerFromJournal Any nulljournal)
-  assertEqual "" (11) (length $ ledgerPostings $ ledgerFromJournal Any samplejournal)
-  assertEqual "" (6) (length $ ledgerPostings $ ledgerFromJournal (Depth 2) samplejournal)
+  assertEqual "" (13) (length $ ledgerPostings $ ledgerFromJournal Any samplejournal)
+  assertEqual "" (7) (length $ ledgerPostings $ ledgerFromJournal (Depth 2) samplejournal)
  ]
 
 tests_Hledger_Data_Ledger = TestList $
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BalanceReport.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BalanceReport.hs
index c4e2fea72..1e8f6db97 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BalanceReport.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/BalanceReport.hs
@@ -213,8 +213,10 @@ tests_balanceReport =
   ,"balanceReport with no args on sample journal" ~: do
    (defreportopts, samplejournal) `gives`
     ([
-      ("assets","assets",0, mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("assets:bank:saving","bank:saving",1, mamountp' "$1.00")
+      ("assets","assets",0, mamountp' "$0.00")
+     ,("assets:bank","bank",1, mamountp' "$2.00")
+     ,("assets:bank:checking","checking",2, mamountp' "$1.00")
+     ,("assets:bank:saving","saving",2, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ,("assets:cash","cash",1, mamountp' "$-2.00")
      ,("expenses","expenses",0, mamountp' "$2.00")
      ,("expenses:food","food",1, mamountp' "$1.00")
@@ -222,27 +224,22 @@ tests_balanceReport =
      ,("income","income",0, mamountp' "$-2.00")
      ,("income:gifts","gifts",1, mamountp' "$-1.00")
      ,("income:salary","salary",1, mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("liabilities:debts","liabilities:debts",0, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ],
      Mixed [usd0])
 
   ,"balanceReport with --depth=N" ~: do
    (defreportopts{depth_=Just 1}, samplejournal) `gives`
     ([
-      ("assets",      "assets",      0, mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("expenses",    "expenses",    0, mamountp'  "$2.00")
+     ("expenses",    "expenses",    0, mamountp'  "$2.00")
      ,("income",      "income",      0, mamountp' "$-2.00")
-     ,("liabilities", "liabilities", 0, mamountp'  "$1.00")
      ],
      Mixed [usd0])
 
   ,"balanceReport with depth:N" ~: do
    (defreportopts{query_="depth:1"}, samplejournal) `gives`
     ([
-      ("assets",      "assets",      0, mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("expenses",    "expenses",    0, mamountp'  "$2.00")
+     ("expenses",    "expenses",    0, mamountp'  "$2.00")
      ,("income",      "income",      0, mamountp' "$-2.00")
-     ,("liabilities", "liabilities", 0, mamountp'  "$1.00")
      ],
      Mixed [usd0])
 
@@ -268,16 +265,13 @@ tests_balanceReport =
   ,"balanceReport with not:desc:" ~: do
    (defreportopts{query_="not:desc:income"}, samplejournal) `gives`
     ([
-      ("assets","assets",0, mamountp' "$-2.00")
-     ,("assets:bank","bank",1, Mixed [usd0])
-     ,("assets:bank:checking","checking",2,mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("assets:bank:saving","saving",2, mamountp' "$1.00")
+      ("assets","assets",0, mamountp' "$-1.00")
+     ,("assets:bank:saving","bank:saving",1, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ,("assets:cash","cash",1, mamountp' "$-2.00")
      ,("expenses","expenses",0, mamountp' "$2.00")
      ,("expenses:food","food",1, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ,("expenses:supplies","supplies",1, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ,("income:gifts","income:gifts",0, mamountp' "$-1.00")
-     ,("liabilities:debts","liabilities:debts",0, mamountp' "$1.00")
      ],
      Mixed [usd0])
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
index 4a1d20c04..cd480fcb0 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Reports/PostingsReport.hs
@@ -263,17 +263,17 @@ tests_postingsReport = [
    -- with the query specified explicitly
    let (query, journal) `gives` n = (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts query journal) `is` n
    (Any, nulljournal) `gives` 0
-   (Any, samplejournal) `gives` 11
+   (Any, samplejournal) `gives` 13
    -- register --depth just clips account names
-   (Depth 2, samplejournal) `gives` 11
+   (Depth 2, samplejournal) `gives` 13
    (And [Depth 1, StatusQ Cleared, Acct "expenses"], samplejournal) `gives` 2
    (And [And [Depth 1, StatusQ Cleared], Acct "expenses"], samplejournal) `gives` 2
 
    -- with query and/or command-line options
-   assertEqual "" 11 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts Any samplejournal)
-   assertEqual ""  9 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts{interval_=Months 1} Any samplejournal)
-   assertEqual "" 19 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts{interval_=Months 1, empty_=True} Any samplejournal)
-   assertEqual ""  4 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts (Acct "assets:bank:checking") samplejournal)
+   assertEqual "" 13 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts Any samplejournal)
+   assertEqual "" 11 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts{interval_=Months 1} Any samplejournal)
+   assertEqual "" 20 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts{interval_=Months 1, empty_=True} Any samplejournal)
+   assertEqual ""  5 (length $ snd $ postingsReport defreportopts (Acct "assets:bank:checking") samplejournal)
 
    -- (defreportopts, And [Acct "a a", Acct "'b"], samplejournal2) `gives` 0
    -- [(Just (parsedate "2008-01-01","income"),assets:bank:checking             $1,$1)
diff --git a/hledger-lib/doc/hledger_journal.5.m4.md b/hledger-lib/doc/hledger_journal.5.m4.md
index 38f989ed0..e47e87a5b 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/doc/hledger_journal.5.m4.md
+++ b/hledger-lib/doc/hledger_journal.5.m4.md
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ Here's an example:
     expenses:supplies     $1    ; <- this transaction debits two expense accounts
     assets:cash                 ; <- $-2 inferred
 
+2008/10/01 take a loan
+    assets:bank:checking  $1
+    liabilities:debts    $-1
+
 2008/12/31 * pay off            ; <- an optional * or ! after the date means "cleared" (or anything you want)
     liabilities:debts     $1
     assets:bank:checking