diff --git a/tests/balance/373-layout.test b/tests/balance/373-layout.test
index 6b11737e4..2ee042839 100644
--- a/tests/balance/373-layout.test
+++ b/tests/balance/373-layout.test
@@ -1,41 +1,52 @@
-# Indenting & eliding tests, cf issue 373.
+# Account name eliding and indenting tests, cf issue 373.
 # Documenting current behaviour, some of which looks wrong.
+# This file uses https://github.com/simonmichael/shelltestrunner#format-3
 
-#
+<
+2015-01-01
+  1                                          1
+  1:2                                       -1
+
+2015-01-02
+  1:2:3                                      1
+  1:2:3:4                                   -1
+
+2015-01-03
+  1:2:3:4:5                                  1
+  1                                         -1
+
+# 1. simple balance report in tree mode with zero/boring parents
+# TODO should be like
 #$ ledger bal
 #                   1  1:2:3
 #                   1    4:5
 #--------------------
 #                   0
-hledger -f 373.journal bal
->>>
+$ hledger -f - bal
                    0  1:2
                    1    3
                    0      4
                    1        5
 --------------------
                    0
->>>= 0
 
-#
+# 2. simple balance report in flat mode
+# TODO should be like
 #$ ledger bal --flat
 #                   1  1:2:3
 #                   1  1:2:3:4:5
 #--------------------
 #                   0
-hledger -f 373.journal bal --flat
->>>
+$ hledger -f - bal --flat
                   -1  1:2
                    1  1:2:3
                   -1  1:2:3:4
                    1  1:2:3:4:5
 --------------------
                    0
->>>= 0
 
-#
-hledger -f 373.journal bal -Y
->>>
+# 3. tabular balance report in flat mode
+$ hledger -f - bal -Y
 Balance changes in 2015:
 
            || 2015 
@@ -47,11 +58,33 @@ Balance changes in 2015:
 -----------++------
            ||    0 
 
->>>=0
+# 4. tabular balance report in tree mode, showing zero accounts
+$ hledger -f - bal -Y --tree -E
+Balance changes in 2015:
 
+           || 2015 
+===========++======
+ 1         ||    0 
+   2       ||    0 
+     3     ||    1 
+       4   ||    0 
+         5 ||    1 
+-----------++------
+           ||    0 
+
+# 5. tabular balance report in tree mode, hiding zero accounts
+# Undisplayed parent accounts should be mentioned in the displayed account names as necessary
+# TODO: should be like
+# Balance changes in 2015:
 #
-hledger -f 373.journal bal -Y --tree
->>>
+#            || 2015 
+# ===========++======
+#  1:2:3     ||    1 
+#  1:2:3:4:5 ||    1 
+# -----------++------
+#            ||      
+#
+$ hledger -f - bal -Y --tree
 Balance changes in 2015:
 
            || 2015 
@@ -61,4 +94,6 @@ Balance changes in 2015:
 -----------++------
            ||      
 
->>>=0
+# 6. TODO: after 5, test account code sorting
+# account 1:2:3      100
+# account 1:2:3:4:5  200
diff --git a/tests/balance/373.journal b/tests/balance/373.journal
deleted file mode 100644
index fb0f5271c..000000000
--- a/tests/balance/373.journal
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-2015-01-01
-  1                                          1
-  1:2                                       -1
-
-2015-01-02
-  1:2:3                                      1
-  1:2:3:4                                   -1
-
-2015-01-03
-  1:2:3:4:5                                  1
-  1                                         -1
-