diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
index dfb9d99a5..2c9cea415 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
@@ -480,8 +480,7 @@ multiBalanceReportAsCsv opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, (coltotals,to
 -- | Render a multi-column balance report as plain text suitable for console output.
 multiBalanceReportAsText :: ReportOpts -> MultiBalanceReport -> String
 multiBalanceReportAsText opts r =
-    printf "%s in %s:" typeStr (showDateSpan $ multiBalanceReportSpan r)
-      ++ "\n"
+    printf "%s in %s:\n\n" typeStr (showDateSpan $ multiBalanceReportSpan r)
       ++ renderBalanceReportTable opts tabl
   where
     tabl = balanceReportAsTable opts r
@@ -495,11 +494,16 @@ multiBalanceReportAsText opts r =
 -- made using 'balanceReportAsTable'), render it in a format suitable for
 -- console output.
 renderBalanceReportTable :: ReportOpts -> Table String String MixedAmount -> String
-renderBalanceReportTable (ReportOpts { pretty_tables_ = pretty, color_=usecolor }) = unlines . trimborder . lines
-                         . render pretty id (" " ++) showamt
-                         . align
+renderBalanceReportTable (ReportOpts { pretty_tables_ = pretty, color_=usecolor }) = 
+  unlines
+  . addtrailingblank
+  . trimborder 
+  . lines
+  . render pretty id (" " ++) showamt
+  . align
   where
-    trimborder = ("":) . (++[""]) . drop 1 . init . map (drop 1 . init)
+    addtrailingblank = (++[""])
+    trimborder = drop 1 . init . map (drop 1 . init)
     align (Table l t d) = Table l' t d
       where
         acctswidth = maximum' $ map strWidth (headerContents l)
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
index b9c5862b2..61901530b 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ compoundBalanceCommand CompoundBalanceCommandSpec{..} CliOpts{command_=cmd, repo
                                  ++ (if average_ ropts'   then [overallaverage] else [])
                     where
                       overallaverage = overalltotal `divideMixedAmount` fromIntegral (length overalltotals)
-        putStrLn title
-        putStrLn $ renderBalanceReportTable ropts' overalltable'
+        putStrLn $ title ++ "\n"
+        putStr $ renderBalanceReportTable ropts' overalltable'
 
 -- Add the second table below the first, discarding its column headings.
 concatTables (Table hLeft hTop dat) (Table hLeft' _ dat') =
diff --git a/tests/balancesheet/balancesheet.test b/tests/balancesheet/balancesheet.test
index 4d699812d..22fae31bc 100644
--- a/tests/balancesheet/balancesheet.test
+++ b/tests/balancesheet/balancesheet.test
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ Balance Sheet
 ======================++=================================================================================================================================================
  Total                ||          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0           0           0           0           0           0           0 
 
-
 >>>=0
 
 # 3.
@@ -74,7 +73,6 @@ Balance Sheet
 ==============++=================================================================================================================================================
  Total        ||          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0           0           0           0           0           0           0 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 4.
@@ -100,7 +98,6 @@ Balance Sheet
 ======================++==========================================================================================================================================================
  Total                ||          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0           0           0           0           0           0           0        0 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 5.
@@ -124,7 +121,6 @@ Balance Sheet
 ----------------------++----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       ||           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0          $1       $1 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 6. Tree output still works, #565
@@ -197,7 +193,6 @@ Balance Sheet
 =============++===============================
  Total       ||          $1       $1       $1 
 
-
 >>>2
 >>>=0
 
@@ -225,6 +220,5 @@ Balance Sheet
 ═════════════╬═════════════
  Total       ║           1 
 
-
 >>>2
 >>>= 0
diff --git a/tests/cashflow/cashflow.test b/tests/cashflow/cashflow.test
index c3ae3d3d7..64952f7f5 100644
--- a/tests/cashflow/cashflow.test
+++ b/tests/cashflow/cashflow.test
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ Cashflow Statement
 ----------------------++-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       ||       $1        0        0        0        0      $-1        0        0        0        0        0      $-1 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 7. Multicolumn test (historical)
@@ -179,7 +178,6 @@ Cashflow Statement (Historical Ending Balances)
 ----------------------++----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       ||          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0           0           0           0           0           0         $-1        0 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 8. without -N/--no-total (single column)
@@ -224,7 +222,6 @@ Cashflow Statement
 --------------------++-------
                     ||   $-1 
 
-
 >>>2
 >>>= 0
 
@@ -240,6 +237,5 @@ Cashflow Statement
  assets:bank:saving ||    $1 
  assets:cash        ||   $-2 
 
-
 >>>2
 >>>= 0
diff --git a/tests/incomestatement/incomestatement.test b/tests/incomestatement/incomestatement.test
index c99ce0c20..eb37707a9 100644
--- a/tests/incomestatement/incomestatement.test
+++ b/tests/incomestatement/incomestatement.test
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ Income Statement
 ===================++===============================================================================================================================
  Total             ||      $-1        0        0        0        0       $1        0        0        0        0        0        0        0        0 
 
-
 >>>= 0
 
 # 6. Multicolumn test (historical)
@@ -234,5 +233,4 @@ Income Statement (Historical Ending Balances)
 ===================++=================================================================================================================================================
  Total             ||         $-1         $-1         $-1         $-1         $-1           0           0           0           0           0           0           0 
 
-
 >>>= 0