diff --git a/src/twister.cpp b/src/twister.cpp
index fd4fdfc3..f1f02779 100644
--- a/src/twister.cpp
+++ b/src/twister.cpp
@@ -46,21 +46,6 @@ static map<std::string, torrent_handle> m_userTorrent;
 static std::string m_preferredSpamLang = "[en]";
 static std::string m_receivedSpamMsgStr;
 static std::string m_receivedSpamUserStr;
-
-// in-memory unencrypted DMs
-struct StoredDirectMsg {
-    int64 m_utcTime;
-    std::string m_text;
-    bool m_fromMe;
-};
-
-// in-memory data per wallet user
-struct UserData {
-    std::set<std::string> m_following;
-    // m_directmsg key is the other username
-    std::map<std::string, std::list<StoredDirectMsg> > m_directmsg;
-};
-
 static std::map<std::string,UserData> m_users;
 
 sha1_hash dhtTargetHash(std::string const &username, std::string const &resource, std::string const &type)
@@ -175,6 +160,20 @@ void ThreadWaitExtIP()
     //settings.min_announce_interval = 60; // test
     ses->set_settings(settings);
 
+
+    boost::filesystem::path userDataPath = GetDataDir() / "user_data";
+    loadUserData(userDataPath.string(), m_users);
+    printf("loaded user_data for %d users\n", m_users.size());
+
+    // now restart the user torrents (all m_following)
+    std::map<std::string,UserData>::const_iterator i;
+    for (i = m_users.begin(); i != m_users.end(); ++i) {
+        UserData const &data = i->second;
+        BOOST_FOREACH(string username, data.m_following) {
+            startTorrentUser(username);
+        }
+    }
+
     printf("libtorrent + dht started\n");
 }
 
@@ -452,6 +451,13 @@ void stopSessionTorrent()
 	    delete ses;
 	    ses = NULL;
     }
+
+    if( m_users.size() ) {
+        printf("saving user_data (followers and DMs)...\n");
+        boost::filesystem::path userDataPath = GetDataDir() / "user_data";
+        saveUserData(userDataPath.string(), m_users);
+    }
+
     printf("libtorrent + dht stopped\n");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/twister_utils.cpp b/src/twister_utils.cpp
index 9ddc023e..ab264568 100644
--- a/src/twister_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/twister_utils.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 #include "twister_utils.h"
 
 #include <libtorrent/session.hpp>
+#include <libtorrent/bencode.hpp>
+
+#include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace boost;
 
 twister_utils::twister_utils()
 {
@@ -125,3 +129,80 @@ entry jsonToEntry(const Value &v)
 }
 
 
+int saveUserData(std::string const& filename, std::map<std::string,UserData> const &users)
+{
+    entry userEntry;
+
+    std::map<std::string,UserData>::const_iterator i;
+    for (i = users.begin(); i != users.end(); ++i) {
+        UserData const &data = i->second;
+
+        entry &dataEntry = userEntry[i->first];
+        entry &followingEntry = dataEntry["following"];
+        BOOST_FOREACH( std::string const &n, data.m_following) {
+            followingEntry.list().push_back(n);
+        }
+
+        entry &dmEntry = dataEntry["dm"];
+
+        std::map<std::string, std::list<StoredDirectMsg> >::const_iterator j;
+        for (j = data.m_directmsg.begin(); j != data.m_directmsg.end(); ++j) {
+            std::list<StoredDirectMsg> const &stoDmList = j->second;
+
+            entry &stoDmLstEntry = dmEntry[j->first];
+            BOOST_FOREACH( StoredDirectMsg const &dm, stoDmList) {
+                entry stoDmEntry;
+                stoDmEntry["time"] = dm.m_utcTime;
+                stoDmEntry["text"] = dm.m_text;
+                stoDmEntry["fromMe"] = dm.m_fromMe;
+                stoDmLstEntry.list().push_back(stoDmEntry);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    std::vector<char> buf;
+    bencode(std::back_inserter(buf), userEntry);
+
+    return save_file(filename, buf);
+}
+
+
+int loadUserData(std::string const& filename, std::map<std::string,UserData> &users)
+{
+    std::vector<char> in;
+    if (load_file(filename, in) == 0) {
+        lazy_entry userEntry;
+        error_code ec;
+        if (lazy_bdecode(&in[0], &in[0] + in.size(), userEntry, ec) == 0) {
+            for( int i = 0; i < userEntry.dict_size(); i++) {
+                UserData data;
+
+                const lazy_entry *dataEntry = userEntry.dict_at(i).second;
+                const lazy_entry *followingEntry = dataEntry->dict_find("following");
+                for( int j = 0; j < followingEntry->list_size(); j++ ) {
+                    data.m_following.insert( followingEntry->list_string_value_at(j) );
+                }
+
+                const lazy_entry *dmEntry = dataEntry->dict_find("dm");
+                for( int j = 0; j < dmEntry->dict_size(); j++ ) {
+                    const lazy_entry *stoDmLstEntry = dmEntry->dict_at(j).second;
+
+                    for( int k = 0; k < stoDmLstEntry->list_size(); k++ ) {
+                        const lazy_entry *stoDmEntry = stoDmLstEntry->list_at(k);
+                        StoredDirectMsg dm;
+                        dm.m_text    = stoDmEntry->dict_find_string_value("text");
+                        dm.m_utcTime = stoDmEntry->dict_find_int_value("time");
+                        dm.m_fromMe  = stoDmEntry->dict_find_int_value("fromMe");
+                        data.m_directmsg[dmEntry->dict_at(j).first].push_back(dm);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                users[userEntry.dict_at(i).first] = data;
+            }
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/twister_utils.h b/src/twister_utils.h
index e25c0c23..7eaa9945 100644
--- a/src/twister_utils.h
+++ b/src/twister_utils.h
@@ -6,6 +6,22 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <set>
+
+// in-memory unencrypted DMs
+struct StoredDirectMsg {
+    int64_t m_utcTime;
+    std::string m_text;
+    bool m_fromMe;
+};
+
+// in-memory data per wallet user
+struct UserData {
+    std::set<std::string> m_following;
+    // m_directmsg key is the other username
+    std::map<std::string, std::list<StoredDirectMsg> > m_directmsg;
+};
+
 
 class twister_utils
 {
@@ -19,4 +35,7 @@ int save_file(std::string const& filename, std::vector<char>& v);
 json_spirit::Value entryToJson(const libtorrent::entry &e);
 libtorrent::entry jsonToEntry(const json_spirit::Value &v);
 
+int saveUserData(std::string const& filename, std::map<std::string,UserData> const &users);
+int loadUserData(std::string const& filename, std::map<std::string,UserData> &users);
+
 #endif // TWISTER_UTILS_H