diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/TransactionModifier.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/TransactionModifier.hs
index a15d53b83..dd0aa7f69 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/TransactionModifier.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/TransactionModifier.hs
@@ -32,44 +32,37 @@ import Hledger.Utils.UTF8IOCompat (error')
 -- >>> import Hledger.Data.Transaction
 -- >>> import Hledger.Data.Journal
 
--- | Converts a 'TransactionModifier' and a 'Query' to a 
--- 'Transaction'-transforming function, which applies the modification(s)
--- specified by the TransactionModifier. Currently this means adding automated
--- postings when certain other postings - specified by the TransactionModifier,
--- and additionally limited by the extra query, if it's not 'Any' - are present.
--- The postings of the transformed transaction will reference it, as usual 
--- ('txnTieKnot').
+-- | Converts a 'TransactionModifier' to a 'Transaction'-transforming function,
+-- which applies the modification(s) specified by the TransactionModifier.
+-- Currently this means adding automated postings when certain other postings are present.
+-- The postings of the transformed transaction will reference it in the usual 
+-- way (ie, 'txnTieKnot' is called).
 --
--- >>> transactionModifierToFunction Any (TransactionModifier "" ["pong" `post` usd 2]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 1]}
+-- >>> transactionModifierToFunction (TransactionModifier "" ["pong" `post` usd 2]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 1]}
 -- 0000/01/01
 --     ping           $1.00
 --     pong           $2.00
 -- <BLANKLINE>
 -- <BLANKLINE>
--- >>> transactionModifierToFunction Any (TransactionModifier "miss" ["pong" `post` usd 2]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 1]}
+-- >>> transactionModifierToFunction (TransactionModifier "miss" ["pong" `post` usd 2]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 1]}
 -- 0000/01/01
 --     ping           $1.00
 -- <BLANKLINE>
 -- <BLANKLINE>
--- >>> transactionModifierToFunction None (TransactionModifier "" ["pong" `post` usd 2]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 1]}
--- 0000/01/01
---     ping           $1.00
--- <BLANKLINE>
--- <BLANKLINE>
--- >>> transactionModifierToFunction Any (TransactionModifier "ping" ["pong" `post` amount{amultiplier=True, aquantity=3}]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 2]}
+-- >>> transactionModifierToFunction (TransactionModifier "ping" ["pong" `post` amount{amultiplier=True, aquantity=3}]) nulltransaction{tpostings=["ping" `post` usd 2]}
 -- 0000/01/01
 --     ping           $2.00
 --     pong           $6.00
 -- <BLANKLINE>
 -- <BLANKLINE>
-transactionModifierToFunction :: Query -> TransactionModifier -> (Transaction -> Transaction)
-transactionModifierToFunction q mt = 
+transactionModifierToFunction :: TransactionModifier -> (Transaction -> Transaction)
+transactionModifierToFunction mt = 
   \t@(tpostings -> ps) -> txnTieKnot t{ tpostings=generatePostings ps } -- TODO add modifier txn comment/tags ?
   where
-    q' = simplifyQuery $ And [q, tmParseQuery mt (error' "a transaction modifier's query cannot depend on current date")]
+    q = simplifyQuery $ tmParseQuery mt (error' "a transaction modifier's query cannot depend on current date")
     mods = map tmPostingToFunction $ tmpostings mt
     generatePostings ps = [p' | p <- ps
-                              , p' <- if q' `matchesPosting` p then p:[ m p | m <- mods] else [p]]
+                              , p' <- if q `matchesPosting` p then p:[ m p | m <- mods] else [p]]
     
 -- | Parse the 'Query' from a 'TransactionModifier's 'tmquerytxt', 
 -- and return it as a function requiring the current date. 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index aed8b6737..bcfba22a9 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ import Text.Megaparsec.Custom
 
 import Hledger.Data
 import Hledger.Utils
-import qualified Hledger.Query as Q (Query(Any))
 
 -- | A hledger journal reader is a triple of storage format name, a
 -- detector of that format, and a parser from that format to Journal.
@@ -210,7 +209,7 @@ applyTransactionModifiers :: Journal -> Journal
 applyTransactionModifiers j = j { jtxns = map applyallmodifiers $ jtxns j }
   where
     applyallmodifiers = 
-      foldr (flip (.) . transactionModifierToFunction Q.Any) id (jtxnmodifiers j)
+      foldr (flip (.) . transactionModifierToFunction) id (jtxnmodifiers j)
 
 -- | Given a megaparsec ParsedJournal parser, input options, file
 -- path and file content: parse and post-process a Journal, or give an error.
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Rewrite.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Rewrite.hs
index a07a7e3b8..b4a983000 100755
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Rewrite.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Rewrite.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ where
 #if !(MIN_VERSION_base(4,11,0))
 import Control.Monad.Writer
 #endif
+import Data.Functor.Identity
 import Data.List (sortOn, foldl')
 import Data.String.Here
 import qualified Data.Text as T
@@ -176,31 +177,29 @@ but with these differences:
 -- TODO allow using this on unbalanced entries, eg to rewrite while editing
 
 rewrite opts@CliOpts{rawopts_=rawopts,reportopts_=ropts} j@Journal{jtxns=ts} = do 
-  d <- getCurrentDay
-  let q = queryFromOpts d ropts
-  modifier <- transactionModifierFromOpts rawopts
   -- create re-writer
-  let modifiers = modifier : jtxnmodifiers j
-      applyallmodifiers = foldr (flip (.) . transactionModifierToFunction q) id modifiers
+  let modifiers = transactionModifierFromOpts opts : jtxnmodifiers j
+      applyallmodifiers = foldr (flip (.) . transactionModifierToFunction) id modifiers
   -- rewrite matched transactions
   let j' = j{jtxns=map applyallmodifiers ts}
-  -- run the print command, showing all transactions
-  outputFromOpts rawopts opts{reportopts_=ropts{query_=""}} j j'
+  -- run the print command, showing all transactions, or show diffs
+  printOrDiff rawopts opts{reportopts_=ropts{query_=""}} j j'
 
-postingp' :: T.Text -> IO Posting
-postingp' t = runJournalParser (postingp Nothing <* eof) t' >>= \case
-        Left err -> fail $ parseErrorPretty' t' err
-        Right p -> return p
-    where t' = " " <> t <> "\n" -- inject space and newline for proper parsing
+-- | Build a 'TransactionModifier' from any query arguments and --add-posting flags
+-- provided on the command line, or throw a parse error.
+transactionModifierFromOpts :: CliOpts -> TransactionModifier
+transactionModifierFromOpts CliOpts{rawopts_=rawopts,reportopts_=ropts} = 
+  TransactionModifier{tmquerytxt=q, tmpostings=ps}
+  where
+    q = T.pack $ query_ ropts
+    ps = map (parseposting . stripquotes . T.pack) $ listofstringopt "add-posting" rawopts
+    parseposting t = either (error' . parseErrorPretty' t') id ep 
+      where
+        ep = runIdentity (runJournalParser (postingp Nothing <* eof) t')
+        t' = " " <> t <> "\n" -- inject space and newline for proper parsing
 
-transactionModifierFromOpts :: RawOpts -> IO TransactionModifier
-transactionModifierFromOpts opts = do
-    postings <- mapM (postingp' . stripquotes . T.pack) $ listofstringopt "add-posting" opts
-    return
-        TransactionModifier { tmquerytxt = T.empty, tmpostings = postings }
-
-outputFromOpts :: RawOpts -> (CliOpts -> Journal -> Journal -> IO ())
-outputFromOpts opts
+printOrDiff :: RawOpts -> (CliOpts -> Journal -> Journal -> IO ())
+printOrDiff opts
     | boolopt "diff" opts = const diffOutput
     | otherwise = flip (const print')
 
diff --git a/tests/misc/rewrite.test b/tests/misc/rewrite.test
index 97a5ca37b..e34e4a95c 100644
--- a/tests/misc/rewrite.test
+++ b/tests/misc/rewrite.test
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ hledger rewrite -f- date:2017/1  --add-posting 'Here comes Santa  $0'
 >>>
 2016/12/31
     expenses:housing         $600.00
+    (budget:housing)        $-600.00
     assets:cash
 
 2017/01/01