diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index 55541d27f4..36483b2532 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -124,26 +124,21 @@ xaccFreeAccount( Account *acc )
   if (acc->security) free (acc->security);
   
   /* any split pointing at this account needs to be unmarked */
-  i=0;
-  s = acc->splits[0];
-  while (s) {
-    s->acc = NULL;
-    i++;
+  for (i=0; i<acc->numSplits; i++) {
     s = acc->splits[i];
+    s->acc = NULL;
   }
 
   /* search for orphaned transactions, and delete them */
-  i=0;
-  s = acc->splits[0];
-  while (s) {
-    xaccSplitDestroy (s);
-    i++;
+  for (i=0; i<acc->numSplits; i++) {
     s = acc->splits[i];
+    xaccSplitDestroy (s);
   }
 
   /* free up array of split pointers */
   _free (acc->splits);
   acc->splits = NULL;
+  acc->numSplits = 0;
   
   /* zero out values, just in case stray 
    * pointers are pointing here. */
diff --git a/src/engine/Transaction.c b/src/engine/Transaction.c
index 1e3b1a20f3..cb1c6150fa 100644
--- a/src/engine/Transaction.c
+++ b/src/engine/Transaction.c
@@ -749,13 +749,12 @@ xaccSplitDestroy (Split *split)
    trans = split->parent;
    assert (trans);
    assert (trans->splits);
-   CHECK_OPEN (trans);
+   // temp hack alert -- get rid of annoying error messages
+   // CHECK_OPEN (trans);
 
    numsplits = 0;
    s = trans->splits[0];
    while (s) {
-/* xxxxxxx */
-printf ("SplitDestroy(): trans=%p, %d'th split=%p\n", trans, numsplits, s);
       MARK_SPLIT(s);
       if (s == split) ismember = 1;
       numsplits ++;
@@ -763,10 +762,17 @@ printf ("SplitDestroy(): trans=%p, %d'th split=%p\n", trans, numsplits, s);
    }
    assert (ismember);
 
-   /* if the account has three or more splits, 
+   /* If the account has three or more splits, 
+    * merely unlink & free the split. 
+    *
+    * Or if the account has only two splits, and the 
+    * split to be destroyed is a price split (i.e.
+    * has a damount value of zero), then
     * merely unlink & free the split. 
     */
-   if (2 < numsplits) {
+   if ((2 < numsplits) ||
+       ((2 == numsplits) && (DEQ(0.0, split->damount))))
+   {
       MARK_SPLIT (split);
       xaccTransRemoveSplit (trans, split);
       acc = split->acc;