diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 User-visible changes in hledger-web.
 See also the hledger changelog.
 
+# 1.20.1 2020-12-06
+
+- don't hang when reloading the journal, eg after adding a transaction
+  or editing the file. (#1409)
+
 # 1.20 2020-12-05
 
 - hledger-web's test suite is re-enabled, now included in the main executable.
diff --git a/Hledger/Web/Foundation.hs b/Hledger/Web/Foundation.hs
--- a/Hledger/Web/Foundation.hs
+++ b/Hledger/Web/Foundation.hs
@@ -205,17 +205,14 @@
 -- | Gather data used by handlers and templates in the current request.
 getViewData :: Handler ViewData
 getViewData = do
-  App {appOpts = opts, appJournal} <- getYesod
+  App{appOpts=opts@WebOpts{cliopts_=copts@CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec@ReportSpec{rsOpts}}}, appJournal} <- getYesod
   today <- liftIO getCurrentDay
-  let copts = cliopts_ opts
-      rspec = (reportspec_ copts){rsOpts=ropts}
-      ropts = (rsOpts rspec){no_elide_ = True}
 
   -- try to read the latest journal content, keeping the old content
   -- if there's an error
   (j, mjerr) <- getCurrentJournal
                 appJournal
-                copts {reportspec_ = rspec}
+                copts{reportspec_=rspec{rsOpts=rsOpts{no_elide_=True}}}
                 today
 
   -- try to parse the query param, assuming no query if there's an error
diff --git a/hledger-web.cabal b/hledger-web.cabal
--- a/hledger-web.cabal
+++ b/hledger-web.cabal
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 45969dc3838910504310c1c5d990df39df069bda28b32738091d3fb6e86a3c06
+-- hash: 3ce58d7aa7b1007242f522b3a6055daa9203cd660b0d9e5aa3f88c76e5495f91
 
 name:           hledger-web
-version:        1.20
+version:        1.20.1
 synopsis:       Web-based user interface for the hledger accounting system
 description:    A simple web-based user interface for the hledger accounting system,
                 providing a more modern UI than the command-line or terminal interfaces.
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       ./.
   ghc-options: -Wall -fwarn-tabs -Wcompat -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wredundant-constraints
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20.1"
   build-depends:
       Decimal >=0.5.1
     , aeson >=1
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       app
   ghc-options: -Wall -fwarn-tabs -Wcompat -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wredundant-constraints
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20.1"
   build-depends:
       base
     , hledger-web
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       test
   ghc-options: -Wall -fwarn-tabs -Wcompat -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wredundant-constraints
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.20.1"
   build-depends:
       base
     , hledger