diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks.hs
index 6daddc112..986781910 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks.hs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ module Hledger.Read.Checks (
   journalCheckAccountsDeclared,
   journalCheckCommoditiesDeclared,
   journalCheckPayeesDeclared,
+  module Hledger.Read.Checks.Ordereddates,
   module Hledger.Read.Checks.Uniqueleafnames,
 )
 where
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ import Safe (atMay)
 import Text.Printf (printf)
 
 import Hledger.Data
+import Hledger.Read.Checks.Ordereddates
 import Hledger.Read.Checks.Uniqueleafnames
 import Hledger.Read.Error
 
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check/Ordereddates.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks/Ordereddates.hs
similarity index 53%
rename from hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check/Ordereddates.hs
rename to hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks/Ordereddates.hs
index e14d71ebd..96d918d75 100755
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check/Ordereddates.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Checks/Ordereddates.hs
@@ -1,45 +1,39 @@
-module Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check.Ordereddates (
+module Hledger.Read.Checks.Ordereddates (
   journalCheckOrdereddates
 )
 where
 
-import Hledger
-import Hledger.Cli.CliOptions
 import Control.Monad (forM)
 import Data.List (groupBy)
 import Text.Printf (printf)
 import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
-import Hledger.Read.Error (makeTransactionErrorExcerpt)
 
--- XXX does this need CliOpts ? Can it move to Hledger.Read.Checks ?
-journalCheckOrdereddates :: CliOpts -> Journal -> Either String ()
-journalCheckOrdereddates CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec} j = do
+import Hledger.Data
+import Hledger.Read.Error
+
+journalCheckOrdereddates :: WhichDate -> Journal -> Either String ()
+journalCheckOrdereddates whichdate j = do
   let 
-    ropts = (_rsReportOpts rspec){accountlistmode_=ALFlat}
-    -- check date ordering within each file, not across files
-    filets = 
-      groupBy (\t1 t2 -> transactionFile t1 == transactionFile t2) $
-      filter (_rsQuery rspec `matchesTransaction`) $
-      jtxns $ journalApplyValuationFromOpts rspec j  -- XXX why apply valuation ?
-    checkunique = False -- boolopt "unique" rawopts  XXX was supported by checkdates command
-    compare a b = if checkunique then getdate a < getdate b else getdate a <= getdate b
-      where getdate = transactionDateFn ropts
+    -- we check date ordering within each file, not across files
+    -- note, relying on txns always being sorted by file here
+    txnsbyfile = groupBy (\t1 t2 -> transactionFile t1 == transactionFile t2) $ jtxns j
+    getdate = transactionDateOrDate2 whichdate
+    compare a b = getdate a <= getdate b
   either Left (const $ Right ()) $ 
-   forM filets $ \ts ->
+   forM txnsbyfile $ \ts ->
     case checkTransactions compare ts of
       FoldAcc{fa_previous=Nothing} -> Right ()
       FoldAcc{fa_error=Nothing}    -> Right ()
       FoldAcc{fa_error=Just t, fa_previous=Just tprev} -> Left $ printf
-        "%s:%d:%d-%d:\n%stransaction date%s is out of order with previous transaction date %s%s" 
-        f l col col2 ex datenum tprevdate oruniquestr
+        "%s:%d:%d-%d:\n%stransaction date%s is out of order with previous transaction date %s" 
+        f l col col2 ex datenum tprevdate
         where
           (f,l,mcols,ex) = makeTransactionErrorExcerpt t finderrcols
           col  = maybe 0 fst mcols
           col2 = maybe 0 (fromMaybe 0 . snd) mcols
           finderrcols _t = Just (1, Just 10)
-          datenum   = if date2_ ropts then "2" else ""
-          tprevdate = show $ (if date2_ ropts then transactionDate2 else tdate) tprev
-          oruniquestr = if checkunique then ", and/or not unique" else ""  -- XXX still used ?
+          datenum   = if whichdate==SecondaryDate then "2" else ""
+          tprevdate = show $ getdate tprev
 
 data FoldAcc a b = FoldAcc
  { fa_error    :: Maybe a
diff --git a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
index 80ebaa3b0..e5e7b2fc7 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
+++ b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ library
       Hledger.Query
       Hledger.Read
       Hledger.Read.Checks
+      Hledger.Read.Checks.Ordereddates
       Hledger.Read.Checks.Uniqueleafnames
       Hledger.Read.Common
       Hledger.Read.CsvReader
diff --git a/hledger-lib/package.yaml b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
index 5292a4bfb..1fc71370d 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ library:
   - Hledger.Query
   - Hledger.Read
   - Hledger.Read.Checks
+  - Hledger.Read.Checks.Ordereddates
   - Hledger.Read.Checks.Uniqueleafnames
   - Hledger.Read.Common
   - Hledger.Read.CsvReader
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check.hs
index 7257984bd..666705166 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Check.hs
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit
 
 import Hledger
 import Hledger.Cli.CliOptions
-import Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check.Ordereddates (journalCheckOrdereddates)
 
 checkmode :: Mode RawOpts
 checkmode = hledgerCommandMode
@@ -96,20 +95,12 @@ parseCheckArgument s =
 -- | Run the named error check, possibly with some arguments, 
 -- on this journal with these options.
 runCheck :: CliOpts -> Journal -> (Check,[String]) -> IO ()
-runCheck copts@CliOpts{rawopts_} j (check,args) = do
+runCheck CliOpts{reportspec_=ReportSpec{_rsReportOpts=ropts}} j (check,_) = do
   let
-    -- XXX drop this ?
-    -- Hack: append the provided args to the raw opts, for checks 
-    -- which can use them (just journalCheckOrdereddates rignt now
-    -- which has some flags from the old checkdates command). 
-    -- Does not bother to regenerate the derived data (ReportOpts, ReportSpec..), 
-    -- so those may be inconsistent.
-    copts' = copts{rawopts_=appendopts (map (,"") args) rawopts_}
-
     results = case check of
       Accounts        -> journalCheckAccountsDeclared j
       Commodities     -> journalCheckCommoditiesDeclared j
-      Ordereddates    -> journalCheckOrdereddates copts' j
+      Ordereddates    -> journalCheckOrdereddates (whichDate ropts) j
       Payees          -> journalCheckPayeesDeclared j
       Uniqueleafnames -> journalCheckUniqueleafnames j
       -- the other checks have been done earlier during withJournalDo
diff --git a/hledger/hledger.cabal b/hledger/hledger.cabal
index 6ff9bc8c0..88230da54 100644
--- a/hledger/hledger.cabal
+++ b/hledger/hledger.cabal
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ library
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Balancesheetequity
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Cashflow
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check
-      Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check.Ordereddates
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Close
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Codes
       Hledger.Cli.Commands.Commodities
diff --git a/hledger/package.yaml b/hledger/package.yaml
index bed0dd404..ccac45d76 100644
--- a/hledger/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger/package.yaml
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ library:
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Balancesheetequity
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Cashflow
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check
-  - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Check.Ordereddates
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Close
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Codes
   - Hledger.Cli.Commands.Commodities