diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index 0bf62ad86..a77a071bf 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ journalFilePaths :: Journal -> [FilePath]
 journalFilePaths = map fst . jfiles
 
 mainfile :: Journal -> (FilePath, Text)
-mainfile = headDef ("", "") . jfiles
+mainfile = headDef ("(unknown)", "") . jfiles
 
 addTransaction :: Transaction -> Journal -> Journal
 addTransaction t j = j { jtxns = t : jtxns j }
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 591154752..290111e41 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ includedirectivep = do
 
           where
             childfilename = takeFileName filepath
-            parentfilename = maybe "" takeFileName $ headMay $ jincludefilestack parentj  -- more accurate than journalFilePath parentj somehow
+            parentfilename = maybe "(unknown)" takeFileName $ headMay $ jincludefilestack parentj  -- XXX more accurate than journalFilePath for some reason
 
       -- Update the parse state.
       put parentj'