diff --git a/slk/repl/repl.py b/slk/repl/repl.py
index d97d72b..69e53bc 100644
--- a/slk/repl/repl.py
+++ b/slk/repl/repl.py
@@ -349,7 +349,8 @@ def do_balance(self: SidechainRepl, line: str) -> None:
             elif not chains[0].is_asset_alias(asset_alias):
                 print(f"Error: {asset_alias} is not a valid asset alias")
                 return
-            assets = [[chains[0].asset_from_alias(asset_alias)]]
+            else:
+                assets = [[chains[0].asset_from_alias(asset_alias)]]
         else:
             # XRP and all assets in the assets alias list
             assets = [
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ def do_balance(self: SidechainRepl, line: str) -> None:
                 tablefmt="presto",
                 floatfmt=",.6f",
                 numalign="right",
+                colalign=("left", "right"),
             )
         )
 
diff --git a/slk/repl/repl_functionality.py b/slk/repl/repl_functionality.py
index 540da41..08245d0 100644
--- a/slk/repl/repl_functionality.py
+++ b/slk/repl/repl_functionality.py
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ def get_balances_data(
             chain.substitute_nicknames(chain_res)
             if not in_drops and chain_res["currency"] == "XRP":
                 chain_res["balance"] = drops_to_xrp(chain_res["balance"])
+                # TODO: do this in a neater way (by removing this extra formatting)
+                # when https://github.com/astanin/python-tabulate/pull/176 is approved
+                chain_res["balance"] = format(chain_res["balance"], ",.6f")
             else:
                 try:
                     chain_res["balance"] = int(chain_res["balance"])