diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
index 8b3dedd05..ff5b0d0ea 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read.hs
@@ -405,9 +405,6 @@ latestDatesFileFor f = dir </> ".latest" <.> fname
   where
     (dir, fname) = splitFileName f
 
-readFileStrictly :: FilePath -> IO Text
-readFileStrictly f = readFilePortably f >>= \t -> C.evaluate (T.length t) >> return t
-
 -- | Given zero or more latest dates (all the same, representing the
 -- latest previously seen transaction date, and how many transactions
 -- were seen on that date), remove transactions with earlier dates
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils/IO.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils/IO.hs
index 07bbbc9d2..ce5c4cf3c 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils/IO.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Utils/IO.hs
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ module Hledger.Utils.IO (
   expandGlob,
   sortByModTime,
   readFileOrStdinPortably,
+  readFileStrictly,
   readFilePortably,
   readHandlePortably,
   -- hereFileRelative,
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ module Hledger.Utils.IO (
   )
 where
 
+import qualified Control.Exception as C (evaluate)
 import           Control.Monad (when, forM)
 import           Data.Colour.RGBSpace (RGB(RGB))
 import           Data.Colour.RGBSpace.HSL (lightness)
@@ -461,6 +463,10 @@ sortByModTime fs = do
   ftimes <- forM fs $ \f -> do {t <- getModificationTime f; return (t,f)}
   return $ map snd $ reverse $ sort ftimes
 
+-- | Like readFilePortably, but read all of the file before proceeding.
+readFileStrictly :: FilePath -> IO T.Text
+readFileStrictly f = readFilePortably f >>= \t -> C.evaluate (T.length t) >> return t
+
 -- | Read text from a file,
 -- converting any \r\n line endings to \n,,
 -- using the system locale's text encoding,
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Utils.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Utils.hs
index ae8080762..de87a5e2f 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Utils.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Utils.hs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ module Hledger.Cli.Utils
      openBrowserOn,
      writeFileWithBackup,
      writeFileWithBackupIfChanged,
-     readFileStrictly,
      pivotByOpts,
      anonymiseByOpts,
      journalSimilarTransaction,
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ module Hledger.Cli.Utils
     )
 where
 
-import Control.Exception as C
 import Control.Monad.Except (ExceptT)
 import Control.Monad.IO.Class (liftIO)
 import Data.List
@@ -223,9 +221,6 @@ writeFileWithBackupIfChanged f t = do
 writeFileWithBackup :: FilePath -> String -> IO ()
 writeFileWithBackup f t = backUpFile f >> writeFile f t
 
-readFileStrictly :: FilePath -> IO T.Text
-readFileStrictly f = readFilePortably f >>= \s -> C.evaluate (T.length s) >> return s
-
 -- | Back up this file with a (incrementing) numbered suffix, or give an error.
 backUpFile :: FilePath -> IO ()
 backUpFile fp = do