diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
index 3f34c10fcf0..8c9d64f5f2a 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Journal.hs
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ journalConcat j1 j2 =
     ,jparsedecimalmark          = jparsedecimalmark          j2
     ,jparseparentaccounts       = jparseparentaccounts       j2
     ,jparsealiases              = jparsealiases              j2
+    ,jparsedefaultaccount       = jparsedefaultaccount       j2
     -- ,jparsetransactioncount     = jparsetransactioncount     j1 +  jparsetransactioncount     j2
     ,jparsetimeclockentries     = jparsetimeclockentries     j1 <> jparsetimeclockentries     j2
     ,jincludefilestack          = jincludefilestack j2
@@ -284,6 +285,7 @@ nulljournal = Journal {
   ,jparsedecimalmark          = Nothing
   ,jparseparentaccounts       = []
   ,jparsealiases              = []
+  ,jparsedefaultaccount       = Nothing
   -- ,jparsetransactioncount     = 0
   ,jparsetimeclockentries     = []
   ,jincludefilestack          = []
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
index f4952a9a82b..e7d5bba4b15 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs
@@ -581,6 +581,7 @@ data Journal = Journal {
   ,jparsedecimalmark      :: Maybe DecimalMark                     -- ^ the character to always parse as decimal point, if set by CsvReader's decimal-mark (or a future journal directive)
   ,jparseparentaccounts   :: [AccountName]                         -- ^ the current stack of parent account names, specified by apply account directives
   ,jparsealiases          :: [AccountAlias]                        -- ^ the current account name aliases in effect, specified by alias directives (& options ?)
+  ,jparsedefaultaccount   :: Maybe AccountName
   -- ,jparsetransactioncount :: Integer                               -- ^ the current count of transactions parsed so far (only journal format txns, currently)
   ,jparsetimeclockentries :: [TimeclockEntry]                       -- ^ timeclock sessions which have not been clocked out
   ,jincludefilestack      :: [FilePath]
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
index 18e576a3618..c0f21dcfa54 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/Common.hs
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ module Hledger.Read.Common (
   journalAddAutoPostings,
   setYear,
   getYear,
+  setDefaultAccount,
+  getDefaultAccount,
   setDefaultCommodityAndStyle,
   getDefaultCommodityAndStyle,
   getDefaultAmountStyle,
@@ -442,6 +444,12 @@ getParentAccount = fmap (concatAccountNames . reverse . jparseparentaccounts) ge
 addAccountAlias :: MonadState Journal m => AccountAlias -> m ()
 addAccountAlias a = modify' (\(j@Journal{..}) -> j{jparsealiases=a:jparsealiases})
 
+setDefaultAccount :: MonadState Journal m => Maybe AccountName -> m ()
+setDefaultAccount a = modify' (\j -> j{jparsedefaultaccount=a})
+
+getDefaultAccount :: JournalParser m (Maybe AccountName)
+getDefaultAccount = jparsedefaultaccount `fmap` get
+
 getAccountAliases :: MonadState Journal m => m [AccountAlias]
 getAccountAliases = fmap jparsealiases get
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 369b6457f17..ea06c62a558 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ formatdirectivep expectedsym = do
 -- More Ledger directives, ignore for now:
 -- apply fixed, apply tag, assert, bucket, A, capture, check, define, expr
 applyfixeddirectivep, endapplyfixeddirectivep, applytagdirectivep, endapplytagdirectivep,
-  assertdirectivep, bucketdirectivep, capturedirectivep, checkdirectivep, 
+    assertdirectivep, capturedirectivep, checkdirectivep,
   endapplyyeardirectivep, definedirectivep, exprdirectivep, valuedirectivep,
   evaldirectivep, pythondirectivep, commandlineflagdirectivep
   :: JournalParser m ()
@@ -552,7 +552,6 @@ applytagdirectivep      = do string "apply tag" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 endapplytagdirectivep   = do string "end apply tag" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 endapplyyeardirectivep  = do string "end apply year" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 assertdirectivep        = do string "assert"  >> lift restofline >> return ()
-bucketdirectivep        = do string "A " <|> string "bucket " >> lift restofline >> return ()
 capturedirectivep       = do string "capture" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 checkdirectivep         = do string "check"   >> lift restofline >> return ()
 definedirectivep        = do string "define"  >> lift restofline >> return ()
@@ -696,6 +695,13 @@ decimalmarkdirectivep = do
   lift restofline
   return ()
 
+bucketdirectivep :: JournalParser m ()
+bucketdirectivep = do
+  keywordp "bucket" <?> "bucket directive"
+  lift (skipMany spacenonewline)
+  acct <- modifiedaccountnamep
+  setDefaultAccount (Just acct)
+
 --- *** transactions
 
 -- | Parse a transaction modifier (auto postings) rule.
@@ -788,8 +794,20 @@ transactionp = do
   let year = first3 $ toGregorian date
   postings <- postingsp (Just year)
   endpos <- getSourcePos
+  acc <- getDefaultAccount
+  let postingsBucketed = (
+        postings ++ [posting { pdate=Nothing
+                             , pdate2=Nothing
+                             , pstatus=Unmarked
+                             , paccount=fromJust acc
+                             , pamount=missingmixedamt
+                             , pcomment=""
+                             , ptype=RegularPosting
+                             , ptags=[]
+                             , pbalanceassertion=Nothing
+                             } | all hasAmount postings && isJust acc])
   let sourcepos = (startpos, endpos)
-  return $ txnTieKnot $ Transaction 0 "" sourcepos date edate status code description comment tags postings
+  return $ txnTieKnot $ Transaction 0 "" sourcepos date edate status code description comment tags postingsBucketed
 
 --- *** postings
 
@@ -1080,6 +1098,39 @@ tests_JournalReader = testGroup "JournalReader" [
         (length . tpostings)
         2
 
+    ,testCase "unbalanced simple transaction within bucketed context" $ do
+      ep <- parseWithState nulljournal{jparsedefaultaccount=Just "b"} transactionp
+        (T.unlines
+          ["2009/1/1 x"
+          ," a  -1"
+          ])
+      assertRight ep
+      let (Right x) = ep
+      length (tpostings x) @?= 2
+      (tpostings x !! 1) @?= nullposting{paccount="b", pamount=missingmixedamt}
+
+    ,testCase "multi-leg transaction within bucketed context" $ do
+      ep <- parseWithState nulljournal{jparsedefaultaccount=Just "b"} transactionp
+        (T.unlines
+          ["2009/1/1 x"
+          ," a  -2"
+          ," c  1"
+          ])
+      assertRight ep
+      let (Right x) = ep
+      length (tpostings x) @?= 3
+      (tpostings x !! 2) @?= nullposting{paccount="b", pamount=missingmixedamt}
+
+    ,testCase "self-balancing transaction within bucketed context" $ do
+      ep <- parseWithState nulljournal{jparsedefaultaccount=Just "b"} transactionp
+        (T.unlines
+          ["2009/1/1 x"
+          ," a  -2"
+          ," c"
+          ])
+      assertRight ep
+      let (Right x) = ep
+      length (tpostings x) @?= 2
     ]
 
   -- directives
@@ -1151,6 +1202,12 @@ tests_JournalReader = testGroup "JournalReader" [
     testCase "empty file" $ assertParseEqE journalp "" nulljournal
     ]
 
+  ,testGroup "bucketdirectivep" [
+    testCase "affects state"   $ assertParseStateOn bucketdirectivep "bucket a:b"
+        jparsedefaultaccount
+        (Just "a:b")
+    ]
+
    -- these are defined here rather than in Common so they can use journalp
   ,testCase "parseAndFinaliseJournal" $ do
       ej <- runExceptT $ parseAndFinaliseJournal journalp definputopts "" "2019-1-1\n"