diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
index 68faf4ad8..21902f19f 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ data Reader = Reader {
     ,rParser   :: Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> String -> ErrorT String IO Journal
     }
 
-instance Show Reader where show r = "Reader for "++rFormat r
+instance Show Reader where show r = rFormat r ++ " reader"
 
 -- format strings
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
index bc1a9a5cf..37334fdb9 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ tests_readJournal' = [
 -- A CSV conversion rules file may also be specified for use by the CSV reader.
 readJournal :: Maybe StorageFormat -> Maybe FilePath -> Maybe FilePath -> String -> IO (Either String Journal)
 readJournal format rulesfile path s =
-  -- trace (show (format, rulesfile, path)) $
   tryReaders $ readersFor (format, path, s)
   where
     -- try each reader in turn, returning the error of the first if all fail
@@ -126,8 +125,9 @@ readJournal format rulesfile path s =
         firstSuccessOrBestError :: [String] -> [Reader] -> IO (Either String Journal)
         firstSuccessOrBestError [] []        = return $ Left "no readers found"
         firstSuccessOrBestError errs (r:rs) = do
-          -- printf "trying %s reader\n" (rFormat r)
+          dbgAtM 1 "trying reader" (rFormat r)
           result <- (runErrorT . (rParser r) rulesfile path') s
+          dbgAtM 1 "reader result" $ either id show result
           case result of Right j -> return $ Right j                       -- success!
                          Left e  -> firstSuccessOrBestError (errs++[e]) rs -- keep trying
         firstSuccessOrBestError (e:_) []    = return $ Left e              -- none left, return first error
@@ -136,11 +136,11 @@ readJournal format rulesfile path s =
 -- | Which readers are worth trying for this (possibly unspecified) format, filepath, and data ?
 readersFor :: (Maybe StorageFormat, Maybe FilePath, String) -> [Reader]
 readersFor (format,path,s) =
+    dbg ("possible readers for "++show (format,path,elideRight 30 s)) $
     case format of 
      Just f  -> case readerForStorageFormat f of Just r  -> [r]
                                                  Nothing -> []
      Nothing -> case path of Nothing  -> readers
-                             Just "-" -> readers
                              Just p   -> case readersForPathAndData (p,s) of [] -> readers
                                                                              rs -> rs
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ readersForPathAndData (f,s) = filter (\r -> (rDetector r) f s) readers
 readJournalFile :: Maybe StorageFormat -> Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> IO (Either String Journal)
 readJournalFile format rulesfile "-" = do
   hSetNewlineMode stdin universalNewlineMode
-  getContents >>= readJournal format rulesfile (Just "(stdin)")
+  getContents >>= readJournal format rulesfile (Just "-")
 readJournalFile format rulesfile f = do
   requireJournalFileExists f
   withFile f ReadMode $ \h -> do
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
index f3cb1a262..687eff7a2 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
@@ -53,15 +53,16 @@ reader = Reader format detect parse
 format :: String
 format = "csv"
 
--- | Does the given file path and data look like CSV ?
+-- | Does the given file path and data look like it might be CSV ?
 detect :: FilePath -> String -> Bool
-detect f _ = takeExtension f == '.':format
+detect f s
+  | f /= "-"  = takeExtension f == '.':format  -- from a file: yes if the extension is .csv
+  | otherwise = length (filter (==',') s) >= 2 -- from stdin: yes if there are two or more commas
 
 -- | Parse and post-process a "Journal" from CSV data, or give an error.
 -- XXX currently ignores the string and reads from the file path
 parse :: Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> String -> ErrorT String IO Journal
-parse rulesfile f s = -- trace ("running "++format++" reader") $
- do
+parse rulesfile f s = do
   r <- liftIO $ readJournalFromCsv rulesfile f s
   case r of Left e -> throwError e
             Right j -> return j
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ parse rulesfile f s = -- trace ("running "++format++" reader") $
 -- 5. convert the CSV records to a journal using the rules
 -- @
 readJournalFromCsv :: Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> String -> IO (Either String Journal)
-readJournalFromCsv Nothing "-" _ = return $ Left "please use --rules-file when converting stdin"
+readJournalFromCsv Nothing "-" _ = return $ Left "please use --rules-file when reading CSV from stdin"
 readJournalFromCsv mrulesfile csvfile csvdata =
  handle (\e -> return $ Left $ show (e :: IOException)) $ do
   let throwerr = throw.userError
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ readJournalFromCsv mrulesfile csvfile csvdata =
    then hPrintf stderr "creating default conversion rules file %s, edit this file for better results\n" rulesfile
    else hPrintf stderr "using conversion rules file %s\n" rulesfile
   rules <- either (throwerr.show) id `fmap` parseRulesFile rulesfile
-  return $ dbg "" rules
+  dbgAtM 2 "rules" rules
 
   -- apply skip directive
   let skip = maybe 0 oneorerror $ getDirective "skip" rules
@@ -99,8 +100,13 @@ readJournalFromCsv mrulesfile csvfile csvdata =
           oneorerror s  = readDef (throwerr $ "could not parse skip value: " ++ show s) s
 
   -- parse csv
-  records <- (either throwerr id . validateCsv skip) `fmap` parseCsv csvfile csvdata
-  dbgAtM 1 "" $ take 3 records
+  -- parsec seems to fail if you pass it "-" here
+  let parsecfilename = if csvfile == "-" then "(stdin)" else csvfile
+  records <- (either throwerr id .
+              dbgAt 2 "validateCsv" . validateCsv skip .
+              dbgAt 2 "parseCsv")
+             `fmap` parseCsv parsecfilename csvdata
+  dbgAtM 1 "first 3 csv records" $ take 3 records
 
   -- identify header lines
   -- let (headerlines, datalines) = identifyHeaderLines records
@@ -378,13 +384,13 @@ rulesp = do
           ,rconditionalblocks=reverse $ rconditionalblocks r
           }
 
-blankorcommentline = pdbg 1 "trying blankorcommentline" >> choice' [blankline, commentline]
+blankorcommentline = pdbg 3 "trying blankorcommentline" >> choice' [blankline, commentline]
 blankline = many spacenonewline >> newline >> return () <?> "blank line"
 commentline = many spacenonewline >> commentchar >> restofline >> return () <?> "comment line"
 commentchar = oneOf ";#"
 
 directive = do
-  pdbg 1 "trying directive"
+  pdbg 3 "trying directive"
   d <- choice' $ map string directives
   v <- (((char ':' >> many spacenonewline) <|> many1 spacenonewline) >> directiveval)
        <|> (optional (char ':') >> many spacenonewline >> eolof >> return "")
@@ -404,7 +410,7 @@ directives =
 directiveval = anyChar `manyTill` eolof
 
 fieldnamelist = (do
-  pdbg 1 "trying fieldnamelist"
+  pdbg 3 "trying fieldnamelist"
   string "fields"
   optional $ char ':'
   many1 spacenonewline
@@ -426,7 +432,7 @@ quotedfieldname = do
 barefieldname = many1 $ noneOf " \t\n,;#~"
 
 fieldassignment = do
-  pdbg 1 "trying fieldassignment"
+  pdbg 3 "trying fieldassignment"
   f <- journalfieldname
   assignmentseparator
   v <- fieldval
@@ -466,7 +472,7 @@ fieldval = do
   anyChar `manyTill` eolof
 
 conditionalblock = do
-  pdbg 1 "trying conditionalblock"
+  pdbg 3 "trying conditionalblock"
   string "if" >> many spacenonewline >> optional newline
   ms <- many1 recordmatcher
   as <- many (many1 spacenonewline >> fieldassignment)
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index f5a19fcb9..4772498c1 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -76,15 +76,17 @@ reader = Reader format detect parse
 format :: String
 format = "journal"
 
--- | Does the given file path and data provide hledger's journal file format ?
+-- | Does the given file path and data look like it might be hledger's journal format ?
 detect :: FilePath -> String -> Bool
-detect f _ = takeExtension f `elem` ['.':format, ".j"]
+detect f s
+  | f /= "-"  = takeExtension f `elem` ['.':format, ".j"]  -- from a file: yes if the extension is .journal or .j
+  -- from stdin: yes if we can see something that looks like a journal entry (digits in column 0 with the next line indented)
+  | otherwise = isJust $ regexMatch "^[0-9]+.*\n[ \t]+" s
 
 -- | Parse and post-process a "Journal" from hledger's journal file
 -- format, or give an error.
 parse :: Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> String -> ErrorT String IO Journal
-parse _ = -- trace ("running "++format++" reader") .
-          parseJournalWith journal
+parse _ = parseJournalWith journal
 
 -- parsing utils
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
index c9d900b20..bc8e78a9e 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/TimelogReader.hs
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ module Hledger.Read.TimelogReader (
 where
 import Control.Monad
 import Control.Monad.Error
+import Data.List (isPrefixOf)
 import Test.HUnit
 import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec hiding (parse)
 import System.FilePath
@@ -68,16 +69,17 @@ reader = Reader format detect parse
 format :: String
 format = "timelog"
 
--- | Does the given file path and data provide timeclock.el's timelog format ?
+-- | Does the given file path and data look like it might be timeclock.el's timelog format ?
 detect :: FilePath -> String -> Bool
-detect f _ = takeExtension f == '.':format
+detect f s
+  | f /= "-"  = takeExtension f == '.':format               -- from a file: yes if the extension is .timelog
+  | otherwise = "i " `isPrefixOf` s || "o " `isPrefixOf` s  -- from stdin: yes if it starts with "i " or "o "
 
 -- | Parse and post-process a "Journal" from timeclock.el's timelog
 -- format, saving the provided file path and the current time, or give an
 -- error.
 parse :: Maybe FilePath -> FilePath -> String -> ErrorT String IO Journal
-parse _ = -- trace ("running "++format++" reader") .
-          parseJournalWith timelogFile
+parse _ = parseJournalWith timelogFile
 
 timelogFile :: GenParser Char JournalContext (JournalUpdate,JournalContext)
 timelogFile = do items <- many timelogItem