diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
index a92e9c3bc..e29dab625 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
@@ -303,13 +303,12 @@ compoundBalanceReportAsText ropts (title, _colspans, subreports, (coltotals, gra
   title ++ "\n\n" ++
   balanceReportTableAsText ropts bigtable'
   where
-    singlesubreport = length subreports == 1
     bigtable =
-      case map (subreportAsTable ropts singlesubreport) subreports of
+      case map (subreportAsTable ropts) subreports of
         []   -> T.empty
         r:rs -> foldl' concatTables r rs
     bigtable'
-      | no_total_ ropts || singlesubreport =
+      | no_total_ ropts || length subreports == 1 =
           bigtable
       | otherwise =
           bigtable
@@ -322,13 +321,10 @@ compoundBalanceReportAsText ropts (title, _colspans, subreports, (coltotals, gra
 
     -- | Convert a named multi balance report to a table suitable for
     -- concatenating with others to make a compound balance report table.
-    subreportAsTable ropts singlesubreport (title, r, _) = t
+    subreportAsTable ropts (title, r, _) = t
       where
-        -- unless there's only one section, always show the subtotal row
-        ropts' | singlesubreport = ropts
-               | otherwise       = ropts{ no_total_=False }
         -- convert to table
-        Table lefthdrs tophdrs cells = balanceReportAsTable ropts' r
+        Table lefthdrs tophdrs cells = balanceReportAsTable ropts r
         -- tweak the layout
         t = Table (T.Group SingleLine [Header title, lefthdrs]) tophdrs ([]:cells)
 
@@ -349,17 +345,12 @@ compoundBalanceReportAsCsv ropts (title, colspans, subreports, (coltotals, grand
    ++ (if row_total_ ropts then ["Total"] else [])
    ++ (if average_ ropts then ["Average"] else [])
    ) :
-  concatMap (subreportAsCsv ropts singlesubreport) subreports
+  concatMap (subreportAsCsv ropts) subreports
   where
-    singlesubreport = length subreports == 1
     -- | Add a subreport title row and drop the heading row.
-    subreportAsCsv ropts singlesubreport (subreporttitle, multibalreport, _) =
+    subreportAsCsv ropts (subreporttitle, multibalreport, _) =
       padRow subreporttitle :
-      tail (multiBalanceReportAsCsv ropts' multibalreport)
-      where
-        -- unless there's only one section, always show the subtotal row
-        ropts' | singlesubreport = ropts
-               | otherwise       = ropts{ no_total_=False }
+      tail (multiBalanceReportAsCsv ropts multibalreport)
     padRow s = take numcols $ s : repeat ""
       where
         numcols
diff --git a/tests/balancesheet.test b/tests/balancesheet.test
index 5dc8276af..98caf2550 100644
--- a/tests/balancesheet.test
+++ b/tests/balancesheet.test
@@ -132,14 +132,10 @@ Balance Sheet 2008-01-31..2008-12-31
  assets:bank:checking ||         $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0       $1 
  assets:bank:saving   ||          0           0           0           0           0          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1          $1       $1 
  assets:cash          ||          0           0           0           0           0         $-2         $-2         $-2         $-2         $-2         $-2         $-2      $-1 
-----------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                      ||         $1          $1          $1          $1          $1           0           0           0           0           0           0         $-1        0 
 ======================++=========================================================================================================================================================
  Liabilities          ||                                                                                                                                                         
 ----------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  liabilities:debts    ||          0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0         $-1        0 
-----------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                      ||          0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0           0         $-1        0 
 >>>= 0
 
 # 5. Tree output still works, #565
diff --git a/tests/incomestatement.test b/tests/incomestatement.test
index a6b08d5b6..5e7a276d6 100644
--- a/tests/incomestatement.test
+++ b/tests/incomestatement.test
@@ -295,14 +295,10 @@ Income Statement 2008
 -------------------++----------------------------------------------------
  income:gifts      ||       0  100.0 %       0       0   50.0 %   50.0 % 
  income:salary     || 100.0 %        0       0       0   50.0 %   50.0 % 
--------------------++----------------------------------------------------
-                   || 100.0 %  100.0 %       0       0  100.0 %  100.0 % 
 ===================++====================================================
  Expenses          ||                                                    
 -------------------++----------------------------------------------------
  expenses:food     ||       0   50.0 %       0       0   50.0 %   50.0 % 
  expenses:supplies ||       0   50.0 %       0       0   50.0 %   50.0 % 
--------------------++----------------------------------------------------
-                   ||       0  100.0 %       0       0  100.0 %  100.0 % 
 >>>= 0
 
diff --git a/tests/journal/directives-account.test b/tests/journal/directives-account.test
index 36eacd582..f4bf0463d 100644
--- a/tests/journal/directives-account.test
+++ b/tests/journal/directives-account.test
@@ -32,15 +32,11 @@ Balance Sheet 2018-01-01
  Assets      ||            
 -------------++------------
  b:bb        ||          3 
--------------++------------
-             ||          3 
 =============++============
  Liabilities ||            
 -------------++------------
  asset:a     ||         -1 
  b           ||         -2 
--------------++------------
-             ||         -3 
 
 # 3. Tree mode. A little weird, b appears twice.
 # It must be shown above bb, but since not an asset, its balance is excluded there.
@@ -54,16 +50,12 @@ Balance Sheet 2018-01-01
 -------------++------------
  b           ||          3 
    bb        ||          3 
--------------++------------
-             ||          3 
 =============++============
  Liabilities ||            
 -------------++------------
  asset       ||         -1 
    a         ||         -1 
  b           ||         -2 
--------------++------------
-             ||         -3 
 
 # TODO
 # a trailing : should give a clear error