diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index b5caa27dd9..19177eae25 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ xaccInitAccount (Account * acc)
   acc->share_cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
   acc->share_reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
 
+  acc->starting_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+  acc->starting_cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+  acc->starting_reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+
+  acc->starting_share_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+  acc->starting_share_cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+  acc->starting_share_reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+
   acc->type = NO_TYPE;
 
   acc->accountName = g_strdup("");
@@ -656,12 +664,12 @@ xaccAccountRecomputeBalance (Account * acc)
   if(acc->editlevel > 0) return;
   if(!acc->balance_dirty) return;
 
-  dbalance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-  dcleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-  dreconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-  share_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-  share_cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-  share_reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
+  dbalance =                 acc->starting_balance;
+  dcleared_balance =         acc->starting_cleared_balance;
+  dreconciled_balance =      acc->starting_reconciled_balance;
+  share_balance =            acc->starting_share_balance;
+  share_cleared_balance =    acc->starting_share_cleared_balance;
+  share_reconciled_balance = acc->starting_share_reconciled_balance;
 
   for(lp = acc->splits; lp; lp = lp->next) {
     Split *split = (Split *) lp->data;
@@ -712,19 +720,16 @@ xaccAccountRecomputeBalance (Account * acc)
   if ( (STOCK == acc->type)  ||
        (MUTUAL == acc->type) ||
        (CURRENCY == acc->type) ) {
+    acc -> share_balance = share_balance;
+    acc -> share_cleared_balance = share_cleared_balance;
+    acc -> share_reconciled_balance = share_reconciled_balance;
     if (last_split) {
-      acc -> share_balance = share_balance;
-      acc -> share_cleared_balance = share_cleared_balance;
-      acc -> share_reconciled_balance = share_reconciled_balance;
       acc -> balance = price_xfer(last_split, share_balance);
       acc -> cleared_balance = price_xfer(last_split, share_cleared_balance);
       acc -> reconciled_balance = 
         price_xfer(last_split, share_reconciled_balance);
     } 
     else {
-      acc -> share_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-      acc -> share_cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
-      acc -> share_reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
       acc -> balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
       acc -> cleared_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
       acc -> reconciled_balance = gnc_numeric_zero();
@@ -742,6 +747,47 @@ xaccAccountRecomputeBalance (Account * acc)
   return;
 }
 
+/********************************************************************\
+\********************************************************************/
+
+void 
+xaccAccountSetStartingBalance(Account *acc,
+                              const gnc_numeric start_baln,
+                              const gnc_numeric start_cleared_baln,
+                              const gnc_numeric start_reconciled_baln)  
+{
+  if (!acc) return;
+
+  /* hack alert -- this routine is meant to set the one and only
+   * account commodity starting balance. However, until we remove
+   * the 'reporting currency' from accounts, we will have to guess
+   * which to set based on the account type.
+   */
+  switch (acc->type) 
+  {
+     case BANK:
+     case CASH:
+     case CREDIT:
+     case ASSET:
+     case LIABILITY:
+     case INCOME:
+     case EXPENSE:
+     case EQUITY:
+        acc->starting_balance = start_baln;
+        acc->starting_cleared_balance = start_cleared_baln;
+        acc->starting_reconciled_balance = start_reconciled_baln;
+        break;
+     case STOCK:
+     case MUTUAL:
+     case CURRENCY:
+        acc->starting_share_balance = start_baln;
+        acc->starting_share_cleared_balance = start_cleared_baln;
+        acc->starting_share_reconciled_balance = start_reconciled_baln;
+        break;
+     default:
+  }
+  acc->balance_dirty = TRUE;
+}
 
 /********************************************************************\
  * xaccAccountFixSplitDateOrder                                     *
diff --git a/src/engine/AccountP.h b/src/engine/AccountP.h
index 5b158414b6..f05dd9f302 100644
--- a/src/engine/AccountP.h
+++ b/src/engine/AccountP.h
@@ -108,6 +108,14 @@ struct _account {
   AccountGroup *children;  /* pointer to sub-accounts */
 
   /* protected data, cached parameters */
+  gnc_numeric starting_balance;
+  gnc_numeric starting_cleared_balance;
+  gnc_numeric starting_reconciled_balance;
+
+  gnc_numeric starting_share_balance;
+  gnc_numeric starting_share_cleared_balance;
+  gnc_numeric starting_share_reconciled_balance;
+
   gnc_numeric balance;
   gnc_numeric cleared_balance;
   gnc_numeric reconciled_balance;
@@ -168,4 +176,25 @@ void         xaccAccountRecomputeBalance (Account *);
  * call this on an existing account! */
 void         xaccAccountSetGUID (Account *account, GUID *guid);
 
+/* The xaccAccountSetStartingBalance() routine will set the starting
+ *    commodity balance for this account.  This routine is intended for
+ *    use with backends that do not return the complete list of splits
+ *    for an account, but rather return a partial list.  In such a case,
+ *    the backend will typically return all of the splits after some 
+ *    certain date, and the 'starting balance' will represent the summation 
+ *    of the splits up to that date.
+ *
+ *    Design Note: this routine assumes that there is only one commodity
+ *    associated with this account, and that the reporting currency will
+ *    no longer be stored with the account.
+ *
+ *    This routine is in the private .h file because only backends are 
+ *    allowed to set the starting balance.  This is *not* a user interface
+ *    function.
+ */
+void xaccAccountSetStartingBalance(Account *account, 
+                                   const gnc_numeric start_baln, 
+                                   const gnc_numeric start_cleared_baln, 
+                                   const gnc_numeric start_reconciled_baln); 
+
 #endif /* __XACC_ACCOUNT_P_H__ */