diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
index 1c6687282..549f77415 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Transaction.hs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ showTransactionUnelided = showTransaction' False
 
 showTransaction' :: Bool -> Transaction -> String
 showTransaction' elide t =
-    unlines $ [description] ++ showpostings (tpostings t) ++ [""]
+    unlines $ [description] ++ metadata ++ showpostings (tpostings t) ++ [""]
     where
       description = concat [date, status, code, desc, comment]
       date = showdate (tdate t) ++ maybe "" showedate (teffectivedate t)
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ showTransaction' elide t =
       code = if length (tcode t) > 0 then printf " (%s)" $ tcode t else ""
       desc = if null d then "" else " " ++ d where d = tdescription t
       comment = if null c then "" else "  ; " ++ c where c = tcomment t
+      metadata = if null md then [] else showmetadata md where md = tmetadata t
+      showmetadata md = map (\(k,v) -> "  ; " ++ k++":"++v) md
       showpostings ps
           | elide && length ps > 1 && isTransactionBalanced Nothing t -- imprecise balanced check
               = map showposting (init ps) ++ [showpostingnoamt (last ps)]
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index c60d4ee0a..d5f40afee 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ ledgercode :: GenParser Char JournalContext String
 ledgercode = try (do { many1 spacenonewline; char '(' <?> "code"; code <- anyChar `manyTill` char ')'; return code } ) <|> return ""
 
 ledgermetadata :: GenParser Char JournalContext [(String,String)]
-ledgermetadata = many ledgermetadataline
+ledgermetadata = many $ try ledgermetadataline
 
 -- a comment line containing a metadata declaration, eg:
 -- ; name: value
diff --git a/tests/metadata.test b/tests/metadata.test
index ca459ce31..7e6498d09 100644
--- a/tests/metadata.test
+++ b/tests/metadata.test
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ bin/hledger -f - print
 ; non-metadata:
 >>>
 2010/01/01
+  ; txndata1:txn val 1
+  ; txndata2:txn val 2
     a             1
     b            -1