diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index 6bbbe7f660e..effcaced202 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -563,6 +563,70 @@ xaccCheckTransDateOrder (Transaction *trans )
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
 
+/* The sort order is used to implicitly define an 
+ * order for report generation */
+
+static int typeorder[NUM_ACCOUNT_TYPES] = {
+     BANK, STOCK, MUTUAL, CURRENCY, CASH, ASSET, 
+     CREDIT, LIABILITY, INCOME, EXPENSE, EQUITY };
+
+static int revorder[NUM_ACCOUNT_TYPES] = {
+     -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1 };
+
+
+int
+xaccAccountOrder (Account **aa, Account **ab)
+{
+  char *da, *db; 
+  int ta, tb;
+
+  if ( (*aa) && !(*ab) ) return -1;
+  if ( !(*aa) && (*ab) ) return +1;
+  if ( !(*aa) && !(*ab) ) return 0;
+
+  /* sort on accountCode strings */
+  da = (*aa)->accountCode;
+  db = (*ab)->accountCode;
+  SAFE_STRCMP (da, db);
+
+  /* if acccount-type-order array not initialized, initialize it */
+  /* this will happen at most once during program invocation */
+  if (-1 == revorder[0]) {
+    int i;
+    for (i=0; i<NUM_ACCOUNT_TYPES; i++) {
+      revorder [typeorder[i]] = i;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /* otherwise, sort on account type */
+  ta = (*aa)->type;
+  tb = (*ab)->type;
+  ta = revorder[ta];
+  tb = revorder[tb];
+  if (ta < tb) return -1;
+  if (ta > tb) return +1;
+
+  /* otherwise, sort on accountName strings */
+  da = (*aa)->accountName;
+  db = (*ab)->accountName;
+  SAFE_STRCMP (da, db);
+
+  /* accountName strings should really, really be unique, and so in theory
+   * we should never ever get here.  But just in case theory is broke ... */
+  da = (*aa)->currency;
+  db = (*ab)->currency;
+  SAFE_STRCMP (da, db);
+
+  da = (*aa)->security;
+  db = (*ab)->security;
+  SAFE_STRCMP (da, db);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+/********************************************************************\
+\********************************************************************/
+
 int
 xaccIsAccountInList (Account * acc, Account **list)
 {
diff --git a/src/engine/Account.h b/src/engine/Account.h
index e8f12e87982..0c09bc50f8b 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.h
+++ b/src/engine/Account.h
@@ -72,10 +72,21 @@ int          xaccCheckDateOrder   (Account *, Split *);
 int          xaccCheckTransDateOrder (Transaction *);
 
 /* The xaccIsAccountInList() subroutine returns the number of times
- * that an account appears in the account list. */
+ *    that an account appears in the account list. 
+ */
 int          xaccIsAccountInList (Account * acc, Account **list);
 void         xaccZeroRunningBalances (Account **list);
 
+/* The xaccAccountOrder() subroutine defines a sorting order 
+ *    on accounts.  It takes pointers to two accounts, and
+ *    returns -1 if the first account is "less than" the second,
+ *    returns +1 if the first is "greater than" the second, and
+ *    0 if they are equal.  To determine the sort order, first
+ *    the account codes are compared, and if these are equal, then 
+ *    account types, and, if these are queal, the account names.
+ */
+int          xaccAccountOrder (Account**, Account **);
+
 /* The xaccConsolidateTransactions() subroutine scans through
  *    all of the transactions in an account, and compares them.
  *    If any of them are exact duplicates, the duplicates are removed.