diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 3206667..3854dbd 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 
 use sequoia_openpgp::{
     cert::CertBuilder,
-    packet::signature::SignatureBuilder,
+    packet::{signature::SignatureBuilder, Signature},
     types::{KeyFlags, SignatureType},
+    Cert,
 };
 
-use spec::KeyFlag;
+use spec::{KeyFlag, Spec};
 
 mod paths;
 mod setup;
@@ -14,6 +15,14 @@ mod spec;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let (paths, spec) = crate::setup::setup().context("Failed to setup application")?;
+    let (cert, rev) = paths.load()?.ok_or(()).or_else(|()| generate_new(spec))?;
+    paths
+        .write(cert, rev)
+        .context("Failed to store certificate!")?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn generate_new(spec: Spec) -> Result<(Cert, Signature)> {
     let mut builder = CertBuilder::new()
         .set_primary_key_flags(
             spec.primary
@@ -57,11 +66,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             ))?;
     }
 
-    let (cert, rev) = builder
+    builder
         .generate()
-        .context("Failed to generate certificate!")?;
-    paths
-        .write(cert, rev)
-        .context("Failed to store certificate!")?;
-    Ok(())
+        .context("Failed to generate certificate!")
 }
diff --git a/src/paths.rs b/src/paths.rs
index 0c29e54..ea9b7a4 100644
--- a/src/paths.rs
+++ b/src/paths.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,17 @@
-use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::{
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    time::SystemTime,
+};
 
-use anyhow::{Context, Result};
-use sequoia_openpgp::{packet::Signature, serialize::SerializeInto, Cert};
+use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
+use sequoia_openpgp::{
+    cert::CertRevocationBuilder,
+    packet::Signature,
+    parse::Parse,
+    serialize::SerializeInto,
+    types::{ReasonForRevocation, SignatureType},
+    Cert, Packet,
+};
 
 pub(crate) struct Paths {
     pub(crate) spec: PathBuf,
@@ -27,6 +37,102 @@ impl Paths {
             rev,
         }
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn load(&self) -> Result<Option<(Cert, Signature)>> {
+        let mut merged = if self
+            .secret
+            .try_exists()
+            .context("Couldn't check if secret part of certificate exists")?
+        {
+            Cert::from_file(&self.secret)
+                .context("Couldn't load secret part of certificate from file")?
+        } else {
+            return Ok(None);
+        };
+
+        if let (_, Some(secret_material)) = merged.primary_key().key().clone().take_secret() {
+            if secret_material.is_encrypted() {
+                bail!("Secret material for primary key is encrypted!");
+            }
+        } else {
+            bail!("Primary key has no secret material!")
+        }
+
+        if self
+            .public
+            .try_exists()
+            .context("Couldn't check if public part of certificate exists")?
+        {
+            merged = merged
+                .merge_public_and_secret(
+                    Cert::from_file(&self.public)
+                        .context("Couldn't load public part from certificate from file")?,
+                )
+                .context("Couldn't merge public part onto secret part of certificate")?
+        }
+        if self.rev.try_exists()? {
+            merged = merged
+                .merge_public_and_secret(
+                    Cert::from_file(&self.rev)
+                        .context("Couldn't load revocation for certificate from file")?,
+                )
+                .context("Couldn't merge revocation onto secret part of certificate")?
+        }
+
+        let fingerprint = merged.fingerprint();
+        let mut filtered = vec![];
+
+        let mut revocation = None;
+
+        // strip revocation for primary key
+        for packet in merged.into_packets() {
+            match packet {
+                Packet::Signature(Signature::V4(sig)) => {
+                    if sig.typ() == SignatureType::KeyRevocation
+                        && sig
+                            .issuer_fingerprints()
+                            .any(|issuer| issuer.eq(&fingerprint))
+                    {
+                        revocation = Some(Signature::V4(sig));
+                    } else {
+                        filtered.push(Packet::Signature(Signature::V4(sig)));
+                    }
+                }
+                packet => filtered.push(packet),
+            }
+        }
+
+        let filtered = Cert::from_packets(filtered.into_iter())
+            .context("Could't parse cert from packets after removing primary key revocations")?;
+
+        let revocation = revocation
+            .ok_or(())
+            .or_else(|()| {
+                let now = SystemTime::now();
+                CertRevocationBuilder::new()
+                    .set_signature_creation_time(now)
+                    .context("Failed to set signature creation time")?
+                    .set_reason_for_revocation(ReasonForRevocation::Unspecified, b"Unspecified")
+                    .context("Failed to set revocation reason")?
+                    .build(
+                        &mut filtered
+                            .primary_key()
+                            .key()
+                            .clone()
+                            .parts_into_secret()
+                            .context("Failed to get secret parts of certificate primary key")?
+                            .into_keypair()
+                            .context("Failed to convert primary key into keypair")?,
+                        &filtered,
+                        None,
+                    )
+                    .context("Failed to generate revocation for certificate primary key")
+            })
+            .context("Failed to generate new revocation after not finding an existing one")?;
+
+        Ok(Some((filtered, revocation)))
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn write(&self, cert: Cert, rev: Signature) -> Result<()> {
         self.write_part(Self::public, cert.armored())
             .context("Failed to write public certificate to file")?;