diff --git a/gnucash/report/report-system/html-table.scm b/gnucash/report/report-system/html-table.scm
index eb4cea9905..755fa01516 100644
--- a/gnucash/report/report-system/html-table.scm
+++ b/gnucash/report/report-system/html-table.scm
@@ -376,80 +376,34 @@
              (len (length dd)))
     (list-ref-safe dd (- len row 1))))
 
-;; if the 4th arg is a cell, overwrite the existing cell,
-;; otherwise, append all remaining objects to the existing cell
-(define (gnc:html-table-set-cell! table row col . objects)
-  (let ((rowdata #f)
-        (row-loc #f)
-        (l (length (gnc:html-table-data table)))
-        (objs (length objects))
-        )
-    ;; ensure the row-data is there 
-    (if (>= row l)
-        (begin
-          (let loop ((i l))
-            (gnc:html-table-append-row! table (list))
-            (if (< i row)
-                (loop (+ i 1))))
-          (set! l (gnc:html-table-num-rows table))
-          (set! row-loc (- (- l 1) row))
-          (set! rowdata (list)))
-        (begin
-          (set! row-loc (- (- l 1) row))
-          (set! rowdata (list-ref (gnc:html-table-data table) row-loc))))
-    
-    ;; make a table-cell and set the data 
-    (let* ((tc (gnc:make-html-table-cell))
-           (first (car objects)))
-      (if (and (equal? objs 1) (gnc:html-table-cell? first))
-          (set! tc first)
-          (apply gnc:html-table-cell-append-objects! tc objects)
-          )
-      (set! rowdata (list-set-safe! rowdata col tc))
-      
-      ;; add the row-data back to the table 
-      (gnc:html-table-set-data! 
-       table (list-set-safe! 
-              (gnc:html-table-data table) 
-              row-loc rowdata)))))
+;; this function is not exported
+(define (gnc:html-table-set-cell-datum! table row col datum)
+  (let lp ((len (length (gnc:html-table-data table))))
+    (cond
+     ((< row len)
+      (let* ((row-loc (- len row 1))
+             (old-tbldata (gnc:html-table-data table))
+             (old-rowdata (list-ref old-tbldata row-loc))
+             (new-rowdata (list-set-safe! old-rowdata col datum))
+             (new-tbldata (list-set-safe! old-tbldata row-loc new-rowdata)))
+        ;; add the row-data back to the table
+        (gnc:html-table-set-data! table new-tbldata)))
+     (else
+      (gnc:html-table-append-row! table '())
+      (lp (1+ len))))))
+
+(define (gnc:html-table-set-cell! table row col . objects)
+  (let ((tc (if (and (= (length objects) 1) (gnc:html-table-cell? (car objects)))
+                (car objects)
+                (apply gnc:make-html-table-cell objects))))
+    (gnc:html-table-set-cell-datum! table row col tc)))
 
-;; if the 4th arg is a cell, overwrite the existing cell,
-;; otherwise, append all remaining objects to the existing cell
 (define (gnc:html-table-set-cell/tag! table row col tag . objects)
-  (let ((rowdata #f)
-        (row-loc #f)
-        (l (length (gnc:html-table-data table)))
-        (num-objs (length objects))
-        )
-    ;; ensure the row-data is there 
-    (if (>= row l)
-        (begin
-          (let loop ((i l))
-            (gnc:html-table-append-row! table (list))
-            (if (< i row)
-                (loop (+ i 1))))
-          (set! l (gnc:html-table-num-rows table))
-          (set! row-loc (- (- l 1) row))
-          (set! rowdata (list)))
-        (begin
-          (set! row-loc (- (- l 1) row))
-          (set! rowdata (list-ref (gnc:html-table-data table) row-loc))))
-    
-    ;; make a table-cell and set the data 
-    (let* ((tc (gnc:make-html-table-cell))
-           (first (car objects)))
-      (if (and (equal? num-objs 1) (gnc:html-table-cell? first))
-          (set! tc first)
-          (apply gnc:html-table-cell-append-objects! tc objects)
-          )
-      (gnc:html-table-cell-set-tag! tc tag)
-      (set! rowdata (list-set-safe! rowdata col tc))
-      
-      ;; add the row-data back to the table 
-      (gnc:html-table-set-data! 
-       table (list-set-safe! 
-              (gnc:html-table-data table) 
-              row-loc rowdata)))))
+  (let ((tc (if (and (= (length objects) 1) (gnc:html-table-cell? (car objects)))
+                (car objects)
+                (apply gnc:make-html-table-cell objects))))
+    (gnc:html-table-cell-set-tag! tc tag)
+    (gnc:html-table-set-cell-datum! table row col tc)))
 
 (define (gnc:html-table-append-column! table newcol)