diff --git a/src/FileDialog.c b/src/FileDialog.c
index 549c80dc15..d7dc07d307 100644
--- a/src/FileDialog.c
+++ b/src/FileDialog.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ gncFileQuerySave (void)
    * up the file-selection dialog, we don't blow em out of the water;
    * instead, give them another chance to say "no" to the verify box.
    */
-  while ( xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (grp) ) 
+  while ( xaccGroupNotSaved (grp) ) 
   {
     GNCVerifyResult result;
 
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ gncFileSave (void)
   /* going down -- abandon ship */
   if (uh_oh) return;
 
-  xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (topgroup);
+  xaccGroupMarkSaved (topgroup);
 }
 
 /* ======================================================== */
diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index 343e29c6b3..161b23f8b1 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ xaccInitAccount (Account * acc)
 
   acc->changed     = 0;
   acc->open        = 0;
+  acc->mark        = 0;
 }
 
 /********************************************************************\
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ xaccFreeAccount( Account *acc )
 
   acc->changed     = 0;
   acc->open        = 0;
+  acc->mark        = 0;
 
   _free(acc);
 }
@@ -269,6 +271,68 @@ xaccGetAccountFlags (Account *acc)
   return acc->flags;
 }
 
+/********************************************************************\
+\********************************************************************/
+
+short
+xaccAccountGetMark (Account *acc)
+{
+  if (!acc) return 0;
+  return acc->mark;
+}
+
+void
+xaccAccountSetMark (Account *acc, short m)
+{
+  if (!acc) return;
+  acc->mark = m;
+}
+
+void
+xaccClearMark (Account *acc, short val)
+{
+   AccountGroup *topgrp;
+
+   if (!acc) return;
+   topgrp = xaccGetAccountRoot (acc);
+   if (topgrp) {
+      int i, nacc = topgrp->numAcc;
+      for (i=0; i<nacc; i++) {
+         xaccClearMarkDown (topgrp->account[i], val);
+      }
+   } else {
+      xaccClearMarkDown (acc, val);
+   }
+}
+
+void
+xaccClearMarkDown (Account *acc, short val)
+{
+   AccountGroup *chillin;
+   if (!acc) return;
+   acc->mark = val;
+
+   chillin = acc->children;
+   if (chillin) {
+      int i, nacc = chillin->numAcc;
+      for (i=0; i<nacc; i++) {
+         xaccClearMarkDown (chillin->account[i], val);
+      }
+   }
+}
+
+void
+xaccClearMarkDownGr (AccountGroup *grp, short val)
+{
+   int i, nacc;
+   if (!grp) return;
+   nacc = grp->numAcc;
+   for (i=0; i<nacc; i++) {
+      xaccClearMarkDown (grp->account[i], val);
+   }
+}
+
+
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Account.h b/src/engine/Account.h
index 9d758950fb..d9c2c258d8 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.h
+++ b/src/engine/Account.h
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ const GUID * xaccAccountGetGUID (Account *account);
 Account    * xaccAccountLookup (const GUID *guid);
 
 int          xaccGetAccountID (Account *);
+
+/* AccountFlags is currently not used for anything.
+ * If you need to add a bitflag, this may not be a bad 
+ * way to go.  This flag *is* stored in the file-file DB.
+ */
 char         xaccGetAccountFlags (Account *);
 
 /*
@@ -182,4 +187,21 @@ gncBoolean xaccAccountsHaveCommonCurrency(Account *account_1,
  * Returns false if either is NULL. */
 gncBoolean     xaccAccountHasAncestor (Account *, Account * ancestor);
 
+/* Get and Set a mark on the account.  The meaning of this mark is
+ * completely undefined. Its presented here as a utility for the
+ * programmer, to use as desired.  Handy for performing customer traversals
+ * over the account tree.  The mark is *not* stored in the database/file
+ * format.  When accounts are newly created, the mark is set to zero.
+ *
+ * The xaccClearMark will find the topmost group, and clear the mark in
+ * the entire group tree.  
+ * The xaccClearMarkDown will clear the mark inly in this and in
+ * sub-accounts.
+ */
+short          xaccAccountGetMark (Account *acc); 
+void           xaccAccountSetMark (Account *acc, short mark); 
+void           xaccClearMark (Account *, short val);
+void           xaccClearMarkDown (Account *, short val);
+void           xaccClearMarkDownGr (AccountGroup *, short val);
+
 #endif /* __XACC_ACCOUNT_H__ */
diff --git a/src/engine/AccountP.h b/src/engine/AccountP.h
index 0e54cb9b8e..7d3c982f31 100644
--- a/src/engine/AccountP.h
+++ b/src/engine/AccountP.h
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ struct _account {
    * various housekeeping operations by the engine.
    */
   int       id;            /* unique account id, internally assigned */
+
+  /* the 'flags' field is currently unused.  If you need some
+   * persistant flags, this is it.  It *is* stored in the flat-file DB.
+   */
   char      flags;
 
   /* protected data, cached parameters */
@@ -132,13 +136,18 @@ struct _account {
   Split **splits;               /* ptr to array of ptrs to splits */
 
   /* The "changed" flag is used to invalidate cached values in this structure.
-   * currently, the balances and the cost basis are cached.
+   * Currently, the balances and the cost basis are cached.
    */
   short changed;
 
-  /* the "open" flag indicates if the account has been 
+  /* The "open" flag indicates if the account has been 
    * opened for editing. */
   short open;
+
+  /* The "mark" flag can be used by the user to mark this account
+   * in any way desired.  Handy for specialty traversals of the 
+   * account tree. */
+  short mark;
 };
 
 /* bitfields for the changed flag */
diff --git a/src/engine/FileIO.c b/src/engine/FileIO.c
index f16fe7bb7f..273d7787ae 100644
--- a/src/engine/FileIO.c
+++ b/src/engine/FileIO.c
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ xaccReadAccountGroup( int fd )
   /* mark the newly read group as saved, since the act of putting 
    * it together will have caused it to be marked up as not-saved. 
    */
-  xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (grp);
+  xaccGroupMarkSaved (grp);
 
   /* auto-number the accounts, if they are not already numbered */
   xaccGroupDepthAutoCode (grp);
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.c b/src/engine/Group.c
index 52eebadb0e..74eedee015 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.c
+++ b/src/engine/Group.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ xaccFreeAccountGroup( AccountGroup *grp )
 \********************************************************************/
 
 void
-xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
+xaccGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 {
    int i;
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
    grp->saved = GNC_T;
 
    for (i=0; i<grp->numAcc; i++) {
-      xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (grp->account[i]->children); 
+      xaccGroupMarkSaved (grp->account[i]->children); 
    }
 }
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 \********************************************************************/
 
 void
-xaccAccountGroupMarkNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
+xaccGroupMarkNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 {
    if (!grp) return;
    grp->saved = GNC_F;
@@ -136,8 +136,9 @@ xaccAccountGroupMarkNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
+
 int
-xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
+xaccGroupNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 {
    int not_saved;
    int i;
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
    if (GNC_F == grp->saved) return 1;
 
    for (i=0; i<grp->numAcc; i++) {
-      not_saved = xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (grp->account[i]->children); 
+      not_saved = xaccGroupNotSaved (grp->account[i]->children); 
       if (not_saved) return 1;
    }
    return 0;
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
 
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
+
 const GUID *
 xaccGroupGetGUID (AccountGroup *group)
 {
@@ -165,7 +167,9 @@ xaccGroupGetGUID (AccountGroup *group)
 
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
-void xaccGroupSetGUID (AccountGroup *group, GUID *guid)
+
+void 
+xaccGroupSetGUID (AccountGroup *group, GUID *guid)
 {
   if (!group || !guid) return;
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.h b/src/engine/Group.h
index 055964cea4..1a0aefa56e 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.h
+++ b/src/engine/Group.h
@@ -59,20 +59,20 @@ void    xaccConcatGroups (AccountGroup *to, AccountGroup *from);
 void    xaccMergeAccounts (AccountGroup *grp);
 
 /*
- * The xaccAccountGroupNotSaved() subroutine will return 
+ * The xaccGroupNotSaved() subroutine will return 
  *    a non-zero value if any account in the group or in
  *    any subgroup hasn't been saved.
  *
- * The xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved() subroutine will mark
+ * The xaccGroupMarkSaved() subroutine will mark
  *    the entire group as having been saved, including 
  *    all of the child accounts.
  *
- * The xaccAccountGroupMarkNotSaved() subroutine will mark
+ * The xaccGroupMarkNotSaved() subroutine will mark
  *    the given group as not having been saved.
  */
-int     xaccAccountGroupNotSaved  (AccountGroup *grp);
-void    xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp);
-void    xaccAccountGroupMarkNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp);
+int     xaccGroupNotSaved  (AccountGroup *grp);
+void    xaccGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp);
+void    xaccGroupMarkNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp);
 
 /*
  * The xaccRemoveAccount() subroutine will remove the indicated
diff --git a/src/engine/Transaction.c b/src/engine/Transaction.c
index 476e12422d..8d988c16a5 100644
--- a/src/engine/Transaction.c
+++ b/src/engine/Transaction.c
@@ -243,10 +243,10 @@ xaccConfigGetForceDoubleEntry (void)
 /********************************************************************\
 \********************************************************************/
 
-#define MARK_SPLIT(split) {			       \
-   Account *acc = (Account *) ((split)->acc);	       \
-   if (acc) acc->changed |= ACC_INVALIDATE_ALL;	       \
-   if (acc) xaccAccountGroupMarkNotSaved(acc->parent); \
+#define MARK_SPLIT(split) {				\
+   Account *acc = (Account *) ((split)->acc);		\
+   if (acc) acc->changed |= ACC_INVALIDATE_ALL;		\
+   if (acc) xaccGroupMarkNotSaved(acc->parent);		\
 }
 
 static void