diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
index 23882e44d..6c16d5ac1 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Dates.hs
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ module Hledger.Data.Dates (
 where
 
 import Prelude ()
-import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat
+import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (fail)
+import qualified "base-compat-batteries" Control.Monad.Fail.Compat as Fail (MonadFail, fail)
 import Control.Applicative.Permutations
-import Control.Monad
+import Control.Monad (unless)
 import "base-compat-batteries" Data.List.Compat
 import Data.Default
 import Data.Maybe
@@ -771,10 +772,10 @@ validYear s = length s >= 4 && isJust (readMay s :: Maybe Year)
 validMonth s = maybe False (\n -> n>=1 && n<=12) $ readMay s
 validDay s = maybe False (\n -> n>=1 && n<=31) $ readMay s
 
-failIfInvalidYear, failIfInvalidMonth, failIfInvalidDay :: (Monad m) => String -> m ()
-failIfInvalidYear s  = unless (validYear s)  $ fail $ "bad year number: " ++ s
-failIfInvalidMonth s = unless (validMonth s) $ fail $ "bad month number: " ++ s
-failIfInvalidDay s   = unless (validDay s)   $ fail $ "bad day number: " ++ s
+failIfInvalidYear, failIfInvalidMonth, failIfInvalidDay :: (Fail.MonadFail m) => String -> m ()
+failIfInvalidYear s  = unless (validYear s)  $ Fail.fail $ "bad year number: " ++ s
+failIfInvalidMonth s = unless (validMonth s) $ Fail.fail $ "bad month number: " ++ s
+failIfInvalidDay s   = unless (validDay s)   $ Fail.fail $ "bad day number: " ++ s
 
 yyyymmdd :: TextParser m SmartDate
 yyyymmdd = do
@@ -864,8 +865,8 @@ weekday = do
   wday <- T.toLower <$> (choice . map string' $ weekdays ++ weekdayabbrevs)
   case catMaybes $ [wday `elemIndex` weekdays, wday `elemIndex` weekdayabbrevs] of
     (i:_) -> return (i+1)
-    []    -> fail  $ "weekday: should not happen: attempted to find " <>
-                      show wday <> " in " <> show (weekdays ++ weekdayabbrevs)
+    []    -> Fail.fail $ "weekday: should not happen: attempted to find " <>
+                         show wday <> " in " <> show (weekdays ++ weekdayabbrevs)
 
 today,yesterday,tomorrow :: TextParser m SmartDate
 today     = string' "today"     >> return ("","","today")
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index fd25eee8b..e4ee6b195 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ module Hledger.Read.Common (
 where
 --- * imports
 import Prelude ()
-import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (readFile)
-import "base-compat-batteries" Control.Monad.Compat
+import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (fail, readFile)
+import qualified "base-compat-batteries" Control.Monad.Fail.Compat as Fail (fail)
 import Control.Monad.Except (ExceptT(..), runExceptT, throwError)
-import Control.Monad.State.Strict
+import Control.Monad.State.Strict hiding (fail)
 import Data.Bifunctor (bimap, second)
 import Data.Char
 import Data.Data
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ numberp suggestedStyle = label "number" $ do
     dbg8 "numberp suggestedStyle" suggestedStyle `seq` return ()
     case dbg8 "numberp quantity,precision,mdecimalpoint,mgrps"
            $ fromRawNumber rawNum mExp of
-      Left errMsg -> fail errMsg
+      Left errMsg -> Fail.fail errMsg
       Right (q, p, d, g) -> pure (sign q, p, d, g)
 
 exponentp :: TextParser m Int
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ rawnumberp = label "number" $ do
   -- Guard against mistyped numbers
   mExtraDecimalSep <- optional $ lookAhead $ satisfy isDecimalPointChar
   when (isJust mExtraDecimalSep) $
-    fail "invalid number (invalid use of separator)"
+    Fail.fail "invalid number (invalid use of separator)"
 
   mExtraFragment <- optional $ lookAhead $ try $
     char ' ' *> getOffset <* digitChar
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ bracketeddatetagsp mYear1 = do
        $ between (char '[') (char ']')
        $ takeWhile1P Nothing isBracketedDateChar
     unless (T.any isDigit s && T.any isDateSepChar s) $
-      fail "not a bracketed date"
+      Fail.fail "not a bracketed date"
   -- Looks sufficiently like a bracketed date to commit to parsing a date
 
   between (char '[') (char ']') $ do
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
index 2802f0872..06e7ca780 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/CsvReader.hs
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ module Hledger.Read.CsvReader (
 )
 where
 import Prelude ()
-import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat
+import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (fail)
+import qualified "base-compat-batteries" Control.Monad.Fail.Compat as Fail (fail)
 import Control.Exception hiding (try)
 import Control.Monad
 import Control.Monad.Except
@@ -599,7 +600,7 @@ conditionalblockp = do
   ms <- some recordmatcherp
   as <- many (lift (skipSome spacenonewline) >> fieldassignmentp)
   when (null as) $
-    fail "start of conditional block found, but no assignment rules afterward\n(assignment rules in a conditional block should be indented)\n"
+    Fail.fail "start of conditional block found, but no assignment rules afterward\n(assignment rules in a conditional block should be indented)\n"
   return (ms, as)
   <?> "conditional block"
 
@@ -610,7 +611,7 @@ recordmatcherp = do
   _  <- optional (matchoperatorp >> lift (skipMany spacenonewline) >> optional newline)
   ps <- patternsp
   when (null ps) $
-    fail "start of record matcher found, but no patterns afterward\n(patterns should not be indented)\n"
+    Fail.fail "start of record matcher found, but no patterns afterward\n(patterns should not be indented)\n"
   return ps
   <?> "record matcher"
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 5c94b60a9..78c5ebf8e 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -63,12 +63,15 @@ module Hledger.Read.JournalReader (
 )
 where
 --- * imports
-import Prelude ()
-import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (readFile)
+import qualified Prelude (fail)
+import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (fail, readFile)
+import qualified "base-compat-batteries" Control.Monad.Fail.Compat as Fail (fail)
 import qualified Control.Exception as C
-import Control.Monad
+import Control.Monad (forM_, when, void)
+import Control.Monad.IO.Class (MonadIO, liftIO)
 import Control.Monad.Except (ExceptT(..), runExceptT)
-import Control.Monad.State.Strict
+import Control.Monad.State.Strict (get,modify',put)
+import Control.Monad.Trans.Class (lift)
 import qualified Data.Map.Strict as M
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import Data.String
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ includedirectivep = do
 
       let parentfilestack = jincludefilestack parentj
       when (filepath `elem` parentfilestack) $
-        fail ("Cyclic include: " ++ filepath)
+        Fail.fail ("Cyclic include: " ++ filepath)
 
       childInput <- lift $ readFilePortably filepath
                             `orRethrowIOError` (show parentpos ++ " reading " ++ filepath)
@@ -251,7 +254,7 @@ orRethrowIOError io msg = do
   eResult <- liftIO $ (Right <$> io) `C.catch` \(e::C.IOException) -> pure $ Left $ printf "%s:\n%s" msg (show e)
   case eResult of
     Right res -> pure res
-    Left errMsg -> fail errMsg
+    Left errMsg -> Fail.fail errMsg
 
 -- Parse an account directive, adding its info to the journal's
 -- list of account declarations.
@@ -682,7 +685,7 @@ tests_JournalReader = tests "JournalReader" [
     test "yearless date with default year" $ do
       let s = "1/1"
       ep <- parseWithState mempty{jparsedefaultyear=Just 2018} datep s
-      either (fail.("parse error at "++).customErrorBundlePretty) (const ok) ep
+      either (Prelude.fail . ("parse error at "++) . customErrorBundlePretty) (const ok) ep
     test "no leading zero" $ expectParse datep "2018/1/1"
 
   ,test "datetimep" $ do
diff --git a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
index 40efdda3f..f490404a6 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
+++ b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ cabal-version: 1.12
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 567ed725b211714a0f6db5e17a68d670789c7e603020b42d6b8f18e7af5ceb63
+-- hash: c4535c00ecf88919b278f19cdd8f72caf2212d43fb3dc6ee21299451ee977ea0
 
 name:           hledger-lib
 version:        1.15.2
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ library
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , array
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
     , call-stack
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ test-suite doctests
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , array
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
     , call-stack
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ test-suite easytests
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , array
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
     , call-stack
diff --git a/hledger-lib/package.yaml b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
index a5055f150..1af910ef9 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ extra-source-files:
 
 dependencies:
 - base >=4.8 && <4.13
-- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
 - ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
 - array
 - blaze-markup >=0.5.1
diff --git a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
index 8a50525c4..b47bae373 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
+++ b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ cabal-version: 1.12
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 0deef0df7a1a0ef153ebf7e31ddd57882a2671941a0f801bc2980dae7080501f
+-- hash: b157e8031b886cdba4226a4710189f672b05418f5bb4889477f6b3b6369c6f4d
 
 name:           hledger-ui
 version:        1.15
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ executable hledger-ui
       ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , async
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , cmdargs >=0.8
     , containers
     , data-default
diff --git a/hledger-ui/package.yaml b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
index 72466a350..52f9ee3f9 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ dependencies:
 - ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
 - async
 - base >=4.8 && <4.13
-- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
 - cmdargs >=0.8
 - containers
 - data-default
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Add.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Add.hs
index 8f48a899a..58b24913a 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Add.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Add.hs
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ module Hledger.Cli.Commands.Add (
 where
 
 import Prelude ()
-import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat
+import "base-compat-batteries" Prelude.Compat hiding (fail)
 import Control.Exception as E
-import Control.Monad
+import Control.Monad (when)
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Class
 import Control.Monad.State.Strict (evalState, evalStateT)
 import Control.Monad.Trans (liftIO)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ getAndAddTransactions :: EntryState -> IO ()
 getAndAddTransactions es@EntryState{..} = (do
   mt <- runInputT (setComplete noCompletion defaultSettings) (System.Console.Wizard.run $ haskeline $ confirmedTransactionWizard es)
   case mt of
-    Nothing -> fail "urk ?"
+    Nothing -> error "Could not interpret the input, restarting"  -- caught below causing a restart, I believe
     Just t -> do
       j <- if debug_ esOpts > 0
            then do hPrintf stderr "Skipping journal add due to debug mode.\n"
diff --git a/hledger/hledger.cabal b/hledger/hledger.cabal
index 50a4b0bd3..17afdad50 100644
--- a/hledger/hledger.cabal
+++ b/hledger/hledger.cabal
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ cabal-version: 1.12
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: f839c60877b230c5cb9cffe709ab8f7f6d770f16c15c68c25b3aed3cc0c65bb0
+-- hash: f7a17b233540faa8cabd06b8cdac862fff8b1c1dfcaa46d74467bff5a0f1853b
 
 name:           hledger
 version:        1.15.2
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ library
     , Diff
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , bytestring
     , cmdargs >=0.10
     , containers
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ executable hledger
       Decimal
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , bytestring
     , cmdargs >=0.10
     , containers
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ test-suite test
       Decimal
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , bytestring
     , cmdargs >=0.10
     , containers
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ benchmark bench
       Decimal
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
     , base >=4.8 && <4.13
-    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+    , base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
     , bytestring
     , cmdargs >=0.10
     , containers
diff --git a/hledger/package.yaml b/hledger/package.yaml
index 7958bda5a..df6bc10aa 100644
--- a/hledger/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger/package.yaml
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ dependencies:
 - hledger-lib >=1.15.2 && <1.16
 - ansi-terminal >=0.6.2.3
 - base >=4.8 && <4.13
-- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.11
+- base-compat-batteries >=0.10.1 && <0.12
 - bytestring
 - cmdargs >=0.10
 - containers
diff --git a/stack.yaml b/stack.yaml
index 086772d4f..e270eacd6 100644
--- a/stack.yaml
+++ b/stack.yaml
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ nix:
 
 extra-deps:
 # for hledger-lib:
+# testing:
+# - base-compat-batteries-0.11.0
+# - base-compat-0.11.0
 # for hledger:
 # for hledger-ui:
 # for hledger-web: