diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-date.c b/src/engine/gnc-date.c
index 317de0019f..7a21d54e4f 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-date.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-date.c
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ const gchar *qof_date_format_get_format(QofDateFormat df)
 }
 
 /**
- * qof_print_date_buff
+ * qof_print_date_dmy_buff
  *    Convert a date as day / month / year integers into a localized string
  *    representation
  *
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ const gchar *qof_date_format_get_format(QofDateFormat df)
  * Globals: global dateFormat value
  */
 size_t
-qof_print_date_buff (char * buff, size_t len, int day, int month, int year)
+qof_print_date_dmy_buff (char * buff, size_t len, int day, int month, int year)
 {
   int flen;
   if (!buff) return 0;
@@ -474,35 +474,35 @@ qof_print_date_buff (char * buff, size_t len, int day, int month, int year)
   return flen;
 }
 
-void 
-qof_print_date_secs_buff (char * buff, time_t t)
+size_t
+qof_print_date_buff (char * buff, size_t len, time_t t)
 {
   struct tm *theTime;
 
-  if (!buff) return;
+  if (!buff) return 0 ;
 
   theTime = localtime (&t);
 
-  qof_print_date_buff (buff, MAX_DATE_LENGTH,
+  return qof_print_date_dmy_buff (buff, len,
                    theTime->tm_mday, 
                    theTime->tm_mon + 1,
                    theTime->tm_year + 1900);
 }
 
-void
-qof_print_gdate( char *buf, GDate *gd )
+size_t
+qof_print_gdate( char *buf, size_t len, GDate *gd )
 {
-  qof_print_date_buff( buf, MAX_DATE_LENGTH,
+  return qof_print_date_dmy_buff( buf, len,
              g_date_day(gd),
              g_date_month(gd),
              g_date_year(gd) );
 }
 
 char * 
-qof_print_date_secs (time_t t)
+qof_print_date (time_t t)
 {
    char buff[MAX_DATE_LENGTH];
-   qof_print_date_secs_buff (buff, t);
+   qof_print_date_buff (buff, MAX_DATE_LENGTH, t);
    return g_strdup (buff);
 }
 
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ gnc_print_date (Timespec ts)
 
   t = ts.tv_sec + (ts.tv_nsec / 1000000000.0);
 
-  qof_print_date_secs_buff (buff, t);
+  qof_print_date_buff (buff, MAX_DATE_LENGTH, t);
 
   return buff;
 }
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-date.h b/src/engine/gnc-date.h
index 521609fafe..5bdfac0bc8 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-date.h
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-date.h
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@
 		#define getDateFormat qof_date_format_get
 		#define setDateFormat qof_date_format_set
 		#define DateFormat QofDateFormat
-		#define printDateSecs qof_print_date_secs_buff
-		#define printDate(S,D,M,Y) qof_print_date_buff(S,MAX_DATE_LENGTH,D,M,Y)
-		#define printGDate qof_print_gdate
-		#define xaccPrintDateSecs qof_print_date_secs
+		#define printDateSecs(B,S) qof_print_date_buff(B,MAX_DATE_LENGTH,S)
+		#define printDate(B,D,M,Y) qof_print_date_dmy_buff(B,MAX_DATE_LENGTH,D,M,Y)
+		#define printGDate(B,D) qof_print_gdate(B,MAX_DATE_LENGTH,D)
+		#define xaccPrintDateSecs qof_print_date
 		#define scanDate qof_scan_date
 
 		#define DATE_FORMAT_US QOF_DATE_FORMAT_US
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ char dateSeparator(void);
  * itself, instead of depending on the routines here.
  */
 /*@{*/
-/** qof_print_date_buff
+/** qof_print_date_dmy_buff
  *    Convert a date as day / month / year integers into a localized string
  *    representation
  *
@@ -282,24 +282,24 @@ char dateSeparator(void);
  *
  * Globals: global dateFormat value
  **/
-size_t qof_print_date_buff (char * buff, size_t buflen, int day, int month, int year);
+size_t qof_print_date_dmy_buff (char * buff, size_t buflen, int day, int month, int year);
 
-/** Convenience: calls through to qof_print_date_buff(). **/
-void qof_print_date_secs_buff (char * buff, time_t secs);
+/** Convenience: calls through to qof_print_date_dmy_buff(). **/
+size_t qof_print_date_buff (char * buff, size_t buflen, time_t secs);
 
-/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_buff(). **/
-void qof_print_gdate( char *buf, GDate *gd );
+/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_dmy_buff(). **/
+size_t qof_print_gdate( char *buf, size_t bufflen, GDate *gd );
 
-/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_buff(). 
+/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_dmy_buff(). 
  *  Return: string, which should be freed when no longer needed.
  * **/
-char * qof_print_date_secs (time_t secs);
+char * qof_print_date (time_t secs);
 
-/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_buff(). 
+/** Convenience; calls through to qof_print_date_dmy_buff(). 
  *  Return: static global string.
  *  \warning This routine is not thread-safe, because it uses a single
- *      global buffer to store the return value.  Use qof_print_date_secs_buff()
- *      or qof_print_date_secs instead.
+ *      global buffer to store the return value.  Use qof_print_date_buff()
+ *      or qof_print_date() instead.
  * **/
 const char * gnc_print_date(Timespec ts);