diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
index e54d00a5c..98255810b 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ balance :: CliOpts -> Journal -> IO ()
 balance CliOpts{reportopts_=ropts} j = do
   d <- getCurrentDay
   let output =
-       case formatFromOpts ropts of
+       case lineFormatFromOpts ropts of
          Left err -> [err]
          Right _ ->
           case (intervalFromOpts ropts, balancetype_ ropts) of
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ balance CliOpts{reportopts_=ropts} j = do
 balanceReportAsText :: ReportOpts -> BalanceReport -> [String]
 balanceReportAsText opts ((items, total)) = concat lines ++ t
   where
-      lines = case formatFromOpts opts of
+      lines = case lineFormatFromOpts opts of
                 Right f -> map (balanceReportItemAsText opts f) items
                 Left err -> [[err]]
       t = if no_total_ opts
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balancesheet.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balancesheet.hs
index 87aaf8c2c..fdf1914e8 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balancesheet.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balancesheet.hs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ balancesheetmode = (defCommandMode $ ["balancesheet"]++aliases) {
 -- | Print a simple balance sheet.
 balancesheet :: CliOpts -> Journal -> IO ()
 balancesheet CliOpts{reportopts_=ropts} j = do
-  -- let lines = case formatFromOpts ropts of Left err, Right ...
+  -- let lines = case lineFormatFromOpts ropts of Left err, Right ...
   d <- getCurrentDay
   let q = queryFromOpts d (withoutBeginDate ropts)
       assetreport@(_,assets)          = balanceReport ropts (And [q, journalAssetAccountQuery j]) j
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Cashflow.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Cashflow.hs
index 93cbcd97f..e5f312403 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Cashflow.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Cashflow.hs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ cashflowmode = (defCommandMode ["cashflow","cf"]) {
 -- | Print a simple cashflow statement.
 cashflow :: CliOpts -> Journal -> IO ()
 cashflow CliOpts{reportopts_=ropts} j = do
-  -- let lines = case formatFromOpts ropts of Left err, Right ...
+  -- let lines = case lineFormatFromOpts ropts of Left err, Right ...
   d <- getCurrentDay
   let q = queryFromOpts d ropts
       cashreport@(_,total) = balanceReport ropts (And [q, journalCashAccountQuery j]) j
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
index 6278608cd..ed1dbe063 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Options.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module Hledger.Cli.Options (
   defaultWidthWithFlag,
   widthFromOpts,
   -- | For balance:
-  formatFromOpts,
+  lineFormatFromOpts,
 
   -- * Other utils
   hledgerAddons,
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ rawOptsToCliOpts rawopts = do
 -- | Do final validation of processed opts, raising an error if there is trouble.
 checkCliOpts :: CliOpts -> IO CliOpts -- or pure..
 checkCliOpts opts@CliOpts{reportopts_=ropts} = do
-  case formatFromOpts ropts of
+  case lineFormatFromOpts ropts of
     Left err -> optserror $ "could not parse format option: "++err
     Right _ -> return ()
   case widthFromOpts opts of
@@ -351,12 +351,12 @@ rulesFilePathFromOpts opts = do
 
 -- | Parse the format option if provided, possibly returning an error,
 -- otherwise get the default value.
-formatFromOpts :: ReportOpts -> Either String [OutputFormat]
-formatFromOpts = maybe (Right defaultBalanceFormat) parseStringFormat . format_
+lineFormatFromOpts :: ReportOpts -> Either String [OutputFormat]
+lineFormatFromOpts = maybe (Right defaultBalanceLineFormat) parseStringFormat . format_
 
 -- | Default line format for balance report: "%20(total)  %2(depth_spacer)%-(account)"
-defaultBalanceFormat :: [OutputFormat]
-defaultBalanceFormat = [
+defaultBalanceLineFormat :: [OutputFormat]
+defaultBalanceLineFormat = [
       FormatField False (Just 20) Nothing TotalField
     , FormatLiteral "  "
     , FormatField True (Just 2) Nothing DepthSpacerField