diff --git a/lib/contrib/markov/chain.ex b/lib/contrib/markov/chain.ex
index c54cf2a..895f241 100644
--- a/lib/contrib/markov/chain.ex
+++ b/lib/contrib/markov/chain.ex
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 defmodule Omnibot.Contrib.Markov.Chain do
   alias Omnibot.{Contrib.Markov.Chain, Util}
+  require Logger
 
   @enforce_keys [:order]
   defstruct order: 2, chain: %{}
@@ -33,22 +34,6 @@ defmodule Omnibot.Contrib.Markov.Chain do
     %Chain{chain: chain, order: order}
   end
 
-  def get(chain, key) when is_list(chain) do
-    item = Enum.find(chain, fn {listkey, _} -> listkey == key end)
-    case item do
-      nil -> nil
-      {_, weights} -> weights
-    end
-  end
-
-  def get(chain, key), do: get(chain.chain, key)
-
-  def find_index(chain, key) when is_list(chain) do
-    Enum.find_index(chain, fn {listkey, _} -> listkey == key end)
-  end
-
-  def find_index(chain = %Chain{}, key), do: find_index(chain.chain, key)
-
   def generate(chain) do
     {seed, _} = Stream.filter(chain.chain, fn {key, _} -> length(key) == chain.order end)
                 |> Enum.random()
@@ -59,10 +44,44 @@ defmodule Omnibot.Contrib.Markov.Chain do
     do_generate(chain, key) |> Enum.join(" ")
   end
 
+  def load!(path) do
+    {:ok, chain} = load(path)
+    chain
+  end
+
+  def load(path) do
+    Logger.debug("Loading markov chain #{path}")
+    with {:ok, contents} <- File.read(path),
+         do: {:ok, :erlang.binary_to_term(contents)}
+  end
+
+  def save!(chain, path) do
+    :ok = save(chain, path)
+  end
+
+  def save(chain, path) do
+    File.write!(path, :erlang.term_to_binary(chain))
+  end
+
+  def merge(lhs, rhs) do
+    if lhs.order != rhs.order do
+      raise(ArgumentError, message: "markov chain orders must match (#{lhs.order} vs #{rhs.order})")
+    end
+
+    merged = Map.merge(lhs.chain, rhs.chain,
+      fn _k, lhs, rhs -> Map.merge(lhs, rhs, fn _k, w1, w2-> w1 + w2 end) end
+    )
+    %Chain{order: lhs.order, chain: merged}
+  end
+
+  def merge([chain]), do: chain
+
+  def merge([chain | tail]), do: merge(tail) |> merge(chain)
+
   defp do_generate(_chain, [nil | _]), do: []
 
   defp do_generate(chain, key) do
-    weights = get(chain, key) || []
+    weights = chain.chain[key] || %{}
     [next | key] = key ++ [Util.weighted_random(weights)]
     [next | do_generate(chain, key)]
   end
diff --git a/test/contrib/markov/chain_test.exs b/test/contrib/markov/chain_test.exs
index 446c497..78bdf01 100644
--- a/test/contrib/markov/chain_test.exs
+++ b/test/contrib/markov/chain_test.exs
@@ -67,4 +67,19 @@ defmodule MarkovChainTest do
       ["foo", "bar"] => %{"baz" => 3, "qux" => 1},
     }
   end
+
+  test "chain merge works correctly" do
+    chain1 = %Chain {order: 2}
+            |> Chain.add_weight(["foo", "bar"], "baz")
+
+    chain2 = %Chain {order: 2}
+            |> Chain.add_weight(["foo", "bar"], "baz")
+            |> Chain.add_weight(["bar", "baz"], "qux")
+
+    merged = Chain.merge(chain1, chain2)
+    assert merged.chain == %{
+      ["foo", "bar"] => %{"baz" => 2},
+      ["bar", "baz"] => %{"qux" => 1},
+    }
+  end
 end