diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
index b29e6d914..af9682eed 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ module Hledger.Cli.CliOptions (
   -- * cmdargs flags & modes
   helpflags,
   detailedversionflag,
+  flattreeflags,
   hiddenflags,
   inputflags,
   reportflags,
@@ -190,6 +191,13 @@ reportflags = [
    ])
  ]
 
+-- | Flags for selecting flat/tree mode, used in accounts/balance reports.
+flattreeflags :: [Flag RawOpts]
+flattreeflags = [
+   flagNone ["flat"] (setboolopt "flat") "show accounts as a list; amounts exclude subaccounts, except where account is depth-clipped"
+  ,flagNone ["tree"] (setboolopt "tree") "show accounts as a tree; amounts include subaccounts"
+  ]
+
 -- | Common flags that are accepted but not shown in --help,
 -- such as --effective, --aux-date.
 hiddenflags :: [Flag RawOpts]
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Accounts.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Accounts.hs
index 20fba215a..744b7afa8 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Accounts.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Accounts.hs
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ accountsmode = hledgerCommandMode
   $(embedFileRelative "Hledger/Cli/Commands/Accounts.txt")
   [flagNone ["declared"] (setboolopt "declared") "show account names declared with account directives"
   ,flagNone ["used"] (setboolopt "used") "show account names referenced by transactions"
-  ,flagNone ["tree"] (setboolopt "tree") "show short account names, as a tree"
   ,flagNone ["flat"] (setboolopt "flat") "show full account names, as a list (default)"
+  ,flagNone ["tree"] (setboolopt "tree") "show short account names, as a tree"
   ,flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "flat mode: omit N leading account name parts"
   ]
   [generalflagsgroup1]
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
index 695891652..ec3b712d2 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
@@ -279,20 +279,20 @@ balancemode = hledgerCommandMode
       "show balance change accumulated across periods (in multicolumn reports)"
    ,flagNone ["historical","H"] (setboolopt "historical")
       "show historical ending balance in each period (includes postings before report start date)\n "
-   ,flagNone ["tree"] (setboolopt "tree") "show accounts as a tree; amounts include subaccounts (default in simple reports)"
-   ,flagNone ["flat"] (setboolopt "flat") "show accounts as a list; amounts exclude subaccounts except when account is depth-clipped (default in multicolumn reports)\n "
+   ]
+   ++ flattreeflags ++
+   [flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "omit N leading account name parts (in flat mode)"
    ,flagNone ["average","A"] (setboolopt "average") "show a row average column (in multicolumn reports)"
    ,flagNone ["row-total","T"] (setboolopt "row-total") "show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)"
    ,flagNone ["no-total","N"] (setboolopt "no-total") "omit the final total row"
-   ,flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "omit N leading account name parts (in flat mode)"
    ,flagNone ["no-elide"] (setboolopt "no-elide") "don't squash boring parent accounts (in tree mode)"
    ,flagReq  ["format"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "format" s opts) "FORMATSTR" "use this custom line format (in simple reports)"
    ,flagNone ["pretty-tables"] (setboolopt "pretty-tables") "use unicode to display prettier tables"
    ,flagNone ["sort-amount","S"] (setboolopt "sort-amount") "sort by amount instead of account code/name (in flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row total, or by row average if that is displayed."
-   ,flagNone ["budget"] (setboolopt "budget") "show performance compared to budget goals defined by periodic transactions"
+   ,flagNone ["percent", "%"] (setboolopt "percent") "express values in percentage of each column's total"
    ,flagNone ["invert"] (setboolopt "invert") "display all amounts with reversed sign"
    ,flagNone ["transpose"] (setboolopt "transpose") "transpose rows and columns"
-   ,flagNone ["percent", "%"] (setboolopt "percent") "express values in percentage of each column's total"
+   ,flagNone ["budget"] (setboolopt "budget") "show performance compared to budget goals defined by periodic transactions"
    ,outputFormatFlag ["txt","html","csv","json"]
    ,outputFileFlag
    ]
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
index 5440cf14e..5526c9337 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ data CompoundBalanceCommandSpec = CompoundBalanceCommandSpec {
 compoundBalanceCommandMode :: CompoundBalanceCommandSpec -> Mode RawOpts
 compoundBalanceCommandMode CompoundBalanceCommandSpec{..} =
   hledgerCommandMode
-    cbcdoc
-    [flagNone ["change"] (setboolopt "change")
+   cbcdoc
+   ([flagNone ["change"] (setboolopt "change")
        ("show balance change in each period" ++ defType PeriodChange)
     ,flagNone ["cumulative"] (setboolopt "cumulative")
        ("show balance change accumulated across periods (in multicolumn reports)"
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ compoundBalanceCommandMode CompoundBalanceCommandSpec{..} =
        ("show historical ending balance in each period (includes postings before report start date)"
            ++ defType HistoricalBalance
        )
-    ,flagNone ["flat"] (setboolopt "flat") "show accounts as a list"
-    ,flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "flat mode: omit N leading account name parts"
-    ,flagNone ["no-total","N"] (setboolopt "no-total") "omit the final total row"
-    ,flagNone ["tree"] (setboolopt "tree") "show accounts as a tree; amounts include subaccounts (default in simple reports)"
+    ]
+    ++ flattreeflags ++
+    [flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "flat mode: omit N leading account name parts"
     ,flagNone ["average","A"] (setboolopt "average") "show a row average column (in multicolumn reports)"
     ,flagNone ["row-total","T"] (setboolopt "row-total") "show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)"
+    ,flagNone ["no-total","N"] (setboolopt "no-total") "omit the final total row"
     ,flagNone ["no-elide"] (setboolopt "no-elide") "don't squash boring parent accounts (in tree mode)"
     ,flagReq  ["format"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "format" s opts) "FORMATSTR" "use this custom line format (in simple reports)"
     ,flagNone ["pretty-tables"] (setboolopt "pretty-tables") "use unicode when displaying tables"
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ compoundBalanceCommandMode CompoundBalanceCommandSpec{..} =
     ,flagNone ["percent", "%"] (setboolopt "percent") "express values in percentage of each column's total"
     ,outputFormatFlag ["txt","html","csv","json"]
     ,outputFileFlag
-    ]
+    ])
     [generalflagsgroup1]
     hiddenflags
     ([], Just $ argsFlag "[QUERY]")