diff --git a/Ledger/Entry.hs b/Ledger/Entry.hs
index b6c5a034b..cbdd98edb 100644
--- a/Ledger/Entry.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Entry.hs
@@ -15,33 +15,9 @@ import Ledger.Amount
 
 instance Show Entry where show = showEntry
 
-showEntryDescription e = 
-    (showDate $ edate e) ++ " " ++ (showDescription $ edescription e) ++ " "
-showDate d = printf "%-10s" d
-showDescription s = printf "%-20s" (elideRight 20 s)
-
-isEntryBalanced :: Entry -> Bool
-isEntryBalanced (Entry {etransactions=ts}) = isZeroMixedAmount sum
-    where
-      sum = sumRawTransactions realts
-      realts = filter isReal ts
-
--- | Fill in a missing balance in this entry, if there is one, 
--- or raise an error if there is more than one.
-autofillEntry :: Entry -> Entry
-autofillEntry e@(Entry {etransactions=ts}) = e{etransactions=ts'}
-    where ts' = fromMaybe 
-                (error $ "too many missing amounts in this entry, could not auto-balance:\n" ++ show e)
-                (autofillTransactions ts)
-
-assertBalancedEntry :: Entry -> Entry
-assertBalancedEntry e
-    | isEntryBalanced e = e
-    | otherwise = error $ "transactions don't balance in:\n" ++ show e
-
 {-|
-Helper for the print command which shows cleaned up ledger file
-entries, something like:
+Show a ledger entry, formatted for the print command. ledger 2.x's
+standard format looks like this:
 
 @
 yyyy/mm/dd[ *][ CODE] description.........          [  ; comment...............]
@@ -75,6 +51,28 @@ showEntry e =
       showaccountname s = printf "%-34s" s
       showcomment s = if (length s) > 0 then "  ; "++s else ""
 
+showDate = printf "%-10s"
+
+-- | Raise an error if this entry is not balanced.
+assertBalancedEntry :: Entry -> Entry
+assertBalancedEntry e
+    | isEntryBalanced e = e
+    | otherwise = error $ "transactions don't balance in:\n" ++ show e
+
+isEntryBalanced :: Entry -> Bool
+isEntryBalanced (Entry {etransactions=ts}) = isZeroMixedAmount sum
+    where
+      sum = sumRawTransactions realts
+      realts = filter isReal ts
+
+-- | Fill in a missing balance in this entry, if there is one, 
+-- or raise an error if there is more than one.
+autofillEntry :: Entry -> Entry
+autofillEntry e@(Entry {etransactions=ts}) = e{etransactions=ts'}
+    where ts' = fromMaybe 
+                (error $ "too many missing amounts in this entry, could not auto-balance:\n" ++ show e)
+                (autofillTransactions ts)
+
 -- modifier & periodic entries
 
 instance Show ModifierEntry where 
diff --git a/RegisterCommand.hs b/RegisterCommand.hs
index e562691af..f052b04d5 100644
--- a/RegisterCommand.hs
+++ b/RegisterCommand.hs
@@ -32,35 +32,22 @@ showRegisterReport opts args l = showtxns ts nulltxn nullamt
       matchtxn Transaction{account=a} = matchLedgerPatterns False apats a
       apats = fst $ parseAccountDescriptionArgs args
 
-      -- show transactions, one per line, keeping a running balance
+      -- show transactions, one per line, with a running balance
       showtxns [] _ _ = ""
       showtxns (t@Transaction{amount=a}:ts) tprev bal =
           (if isZeroAmount a then "" else this) ++ showtxns ts t bal'
           where
-            this = if t `issame` tprev
-                   then showTransactionWithoutDescription t bal'
-                   else showTransactionWithDescription t bal'
+            this = showtxn (t `issame` tprev) t bal'
             issame t1 t2 = entryno t1 == entryno t2
             bal' = bal + amount t
 
-showTransactionWithDescription :: Transaction -> Amount -> String
-showTransactionWithDescription t b =
-    (showEntryDescription $ Entry (date t) False "" (description t) "" [] "") 
-    ++ (showTransactionFormatted t)
-    ++ (showBalance b)
-    ++ "\n"
-
-showTransactionWithoutDescription :: Transaction -> Amount -> String
-showTransactionWithoutDescription t b = 
-    (replicate 32 ' ') 
-    ++ (showTransactionFormatted t) 
-    ++ (showBalance b)
-    ++ "\n"
-
-showTransactionFormatted :: Transaction -> String
-showTransactionFormatted (Transaction eno d desc a amt ttype) = 
-    showRawTransaction $ RawTransaction a amt "" ttype
-
-showBalance :: Amount -> String
-showBalance b = printf " %12s" (showAmountOrZero b)
-
+      -- show one transaction line, with or without the entry details
+      showtxn :: Bool -> Transaction -> Amount -> String
+      showtxn omitdesc t b = entrydesc ++ txn ++ bal ++ "\n"
+          where
+            entrydesc = if omitdesc then replicate 32 ' ' else printf "%s %s " date desc
+            date = showDate $ da
+            desc = printf "%-20s" $ elideRight 20 de :: String
+            txn = showRawTransaction $ RawTransaction a amt "" tt
+            bal = printf " %12s" (showAmountOrZero b)
+            Transaction{date=da,description=de,account=a,amount=amt,ttype=tt} = t