diff --git a/hledger-web/Application.hs b/hledger-web/Application.hs
index 10872e043..9a081369c 100644
--- a/hledger-web/Application.hs
+++ b/hledger-web/Application.hs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import Yesod.Default.Main
 import Yesod.Default.Handlers
 import Network.Wai.Middleware.RequestLogger (logStdoutDev, logStdout)
 import Network.HTTP.Conduit (newManager)
+import Prelude (head)
 
 -- adapt to http-conduit 1.x or 2.x when cabal macros are available, otherwise assume 2.x
 #ifdef MIN_VERSION_http_conduit
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ makeFoundation conf = do
 -- uses the journal specified by the LEDGER_FILE env var, or ~/.hledger.journal
 getApplicationDev :: IO (Int, Application)
 getApplicationDev = do
-  f <- journalFilePathFromOpts defcliopts
+  f <- head `fmap` journalFilePathFromOpts defcliopts -- XXX head should be safe for now
   j <- either error' id `fmap` readJournalFile Nothing Nothing True f
   defaultDevelApp loader (makeApplication defwebopts j)
   where
diff --git a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Main.hs b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Main.hs
index 279315cb0..e3fce2a2c 100644
--- a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Main.hs
+++ b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Main.hs
@@ -47,12 +47,13 @@ runWith opts
   | "version" `inRawOpts` (rawopts_ $ cliopts_ opts)         = putStrLn prognameandversion >> exitSuccess
   | "binary-filename" `inRawOpts` (rawopts_ $ cliopts_ opts) = putStrLn (binaryfilename progname)
   | otherwise = do
-    requireJournalFileExists =<< journalFilePathFromOpts (cliopts_ opts)
+    requireJournalFileExists =<< (head `fmap` journalFilePathFromOpts (cliopts_ opts)) -- XXX head should be safe for now
     withJournalDo' opts web
 
 withJournalDo' :: WebOpts -> (WebOpts -> Journal -> IO ()) -> IO ()
 withJournalDo' opts cmd = do
-  journalFilePathFromOpts (cliopts_ opts) >>= readJournalFile Nothing Nothing True >>=
+  -- XXX head should be safe for now
+  (head `fmap` journalFilePathFromOpts (cliopts_ opts)) >>= readJournalFile Nothing Nothing True >>=
     either error' (cmd opts . journalApplyAliases (aliasesFromOpts $ cliopts_ opts))
 
 -- | The web command.