diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8c03c21..ecbd5a1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 build/
 .vscode/
+.vim/
 *.log
 tags
diff --git a/src/bytenuts.c b/src/bytenuts.c
index 1382f3e..a77cd6f 100644
--- a/src/bytenuts.c
+++ b/src/bytenuts.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 static int parse_args(int argc, char **argv);
 static int load_configs();
+static int read_state();
 static int load_state();
 static speed_t string_to_speed(const char *speed);
 static const char *speed_to_string(speed_t speed);
@@ -49,6 +50,10 @@ bytenuts_run(int argc, char **argv)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (bytenuts.resume) {
+        read_state();
+    }
+
     bytenuts.serial_fd = serial_open(bytenuts.config.serial_path, bytenuts.config.baud);
     if (bytenuts.serial_fd < 0) {
         return -1;
@@ -109,6 +114,13 @@ bytenuts_run(int argc, char **argv)
 
     if (bytenuts.resume) {
         load_state();
+    } else {
+        cheerios_insert(
+            "Welcome to Bytenuts\r\n"
+            "To quit press ctrl-b q\r\n"
+            "To see all commands, press ctrl-b h\r\n",
+            82
+        );
     }
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&bytenuts.lock);
@@ -392,54 +404,70 @@ load_configs()
 }
 
 static int
-load_state()
+read_state()
 {
     struct stat st;
     char *buf;
+    char *cwd = getcwd(NULL, 0);
     char *home = getenv("HOME");
     FILE *fd;
 
-    buf = calloc(1, snprintf(NULL, 0, "%s/.config/bytenuts/inbuf.log", home) + 1);
-    sprintf(buf, "%s/.config/bytenuts/inbuf.log", home);
-    fd = fopen(buf, "r");
-    stat(buf, &st);
-    free(buf);
-
-    if (fd) {
-        char **history = NULL;
-        int history_len = 0;
+    chdir(home);
 
+    fd = fopen(".config/bytenuts/inbuf.log", "r");
+    stat(".config/bytenuts/inbuf.log", &st);
+    if (fd && st.st_size > 0) {
         buf = calloc(1, st.st_size + 1);
         while (fgets(buf, st.st_size+1, fd)) {
-            history_len++;
-            history = realloc(history, sizeof(char *) * history_len);
-            history[history_len-1] = strdup(buf);
-        }
-        fclose(fd);
-
-        if (history) {
-            ingest_set_history(history);
-            for (int i = 0; i < history_len; i++) {
-                free(history[i]);
-            }
-            free(history);
+            bytenuts.state.history_len++;
+            bytenuts.state.history = realloc(
+                bytenuts.state.history,
+                sizeof(char *) * bytenuts.state.history_len
+            );
+            bytenuts.state.history[bytenuts.state.history_len-1] = strdup(buf);
         }
 
         free(buf);
     }
-
-    buf = calloc(1, snprintf(NULL, 0, "%s/.config/bytenuts/outbuf.log", home) + 1);
-    sprintf(buf, "%s/.config/bytenuts/outbuf.log", home);
-    fd = fopen(buf, "r");
-    stat(buf, &st);
-    free(buf);
-
-    if (fd) {
-        buf = malloc(st.st_size);
-        fread(buf, 1, st.st_size, fd);
-        cheerios_insert(buf, st.st_size);
-        free(buf);
+    if (fd)
         fclose(fd);
+
+    stat(".config/bytenuts/outbuf.log", &st);
+    fd = fopen(".config/bytenuts/outbuf.log", "r");
+
+    if (fd && st.st_size > 0) {
+        bytenuts.state.buf = malloc(st.st_size);
+        bytenuts.state.buf_len = st.st_size;
+        fread(bytenuts.state.buf, 1, st.st_size, fd);
+    }
+    if (fd)
+        fclose(fd);
+
+    chdir(cwd);
+    free(cwd);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+load_state()
+{
+    if (bytenuts.state.history) {
+        ingest_set_history(bytenuts.state.history, bytenuts.state.history_len);
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < bytenuts.state.history_len; i++) {
+            free(bytenuts.state.history[i]);
+        }
+        free(bytenuts.state.history);
+        bytenuts.state.history = NULL;
+        bytenuts.state.history_len = 0;
+    }
+
+    if (bytenuts.state.buf) {
+        cheerios_insert(bytenuts.state.buf, bytenuts.state.buf_len);
+        free(bytenuts.state.buf);
+        bytenuts.state.buf = NULL;
+        bytenuts.state.buf_len = 0;
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/bytenuts.h b/src/bytenuts.h
index 364e5b2..a8f470a 100644
--- a/src/bytenuts.h
+++ b/src/bytenuts.h
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 /* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_character#How_control_characters_map_to_keyboards */
 #define CTRL(c) ((c)&31)
 
+typedef struct bytenuts_state_struct {
+    char **history; /* commands from previous session */
+    int history_len;
+    char *buf; /* previous buffer */
+    size_t buf_len;
+} bytenuts_state_t;
+
 typedef struct bytenuts_config_struct {
     int colors; /* enable terminal colors, default 1 */
     int echo; /* echo user input to the output window, default 0 */
@@ -38,6 +45,7 @@ typedef struct bytenuts_struct {
     bytenuts_config_t config;
     int config_overrides[4];
     int resume;
+    bytenuts_state_t state;
     WINDOW *status_win;
     WINDOW *out_win;
     WINDOW *in_win;
diff --git a/src/cheerios.c b/src/cheerios.c
index 557ebae..1527a6d 100644
--- a/src/cheerios.c
+++ b/src/cheerios.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ static int newline(line_buffer_t *lines);
 int
 cheerios_start(bytenuts_t *bytenuts)
 {
-    char *home;
+    char *home = getenv("HOME");
     char *cwd;
 
     memset(&cheerios, 0, sizeof(cheerios_t));
diff --git a/src/ingest.c b/src/ingest.c
index 7f1801b..3b48079 100644
--- a/src/ingest.c
+++ b/src/ingest.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ ingest_stop()
 }
 
 int
-ingest_set_history(char **history)
+ingest_set_history(char **history, int history_len)
 {
     if (ingest.history) {
         for (int i = 0; ingest.history[i] != NULL; i++) {
@@ -90,16 +90,28 @@ ingest_set_history(char **history)
         free(ingest.history);
     }
 
-    ingest.history = calloc(1, sizeof(char *));
-    for (int i = 0; history[i] != NULL; i++) {
-        ingest.history = realloc(
-            ingest.history,
-            (i+2) * sizeof(char *)
-        );
+    ingest.history = calloc(1, sizeof(char *) * (history_len+1));
+    for (int i = 0; i < history_len; i++) {
+        size_t item_len = strlen(history[i]);
         ingest.history[i] = strdup(history[i]);
-        ingest.history[i+1] = NULL;
+
+        while (
+            ingest.history[i][item_len-1] == '\n' ||
+            ingest.history[i][item_len-1] == '\r'
+        ) {
+            item_len--;
+            ingest.history[i][item_len] = '\0';
+        }
+
+        if (ingest.history_fd) {
+            fwrite(ingest.history[i], 1, item_len, ingest.history_fd);
+            fwrite("\n", 1, 1, ingest.history_fd);
+        }
     }
 
+    ingest.history_len = history_len;
+    ingest.history_pos = ingest.history_len;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -112,12 +124,6 @@ ingest_thread(void *arg)
     memset(ingest.inbuf, 0, sizeof(ingest.inbuf));
     ingest.inpos = 0;
 
-    cheerios_insert(
-        "Welcome to Bytenuts\r\n"
-        "To quit press ctrl-b q\r\n"
-        "To see all commands, press ctrl-b h\r\n",
-        82
-    );
     bytenuts_set_status(STATUS_INGEST, "normal");
 
     while (ingest.running) {
diff --git a/src/ingest.h b/src/ingest.h
index 66235ad..d069827 100644
--- a/src/ingest.h
+++ b/src/ingest.h
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ typedef struct ingest_struct {
     pthread_t thr;
     volatile int running;
     char *prepend; /* string to be prepended in the prompt */
-    char inbuf[1024];
+    char inbuf[4096];
     int inpos; /* cursor position within the inbuf itself */
     int inlen; /* length of the input buffer */
     char **history; /* array of strings representing the command history */
     FILE *history_fd;
-    char tmp_history[1024]; /* copy of inbuf before we load in history */
+    char tmp_history[4096]; /* copy of inbuf before we load in history */
     int history_len;
     int history_pos; /* where we currently reside in the history */
     int mode;
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@ int ingest_start(bytenuts_t *bytenuts);
 int ingest_stop();
 
 /* Set the the command history directly. Values are copied */
-int ingest_set_history(char **history);
+int ingest_set_history(char **history, int history_len);
 
 #endif /* _INGEST_H_ */