diff --git a/src/selfextract.nim b/src/selfextract.nim
index 7ed45bb3..b5ada9a7 100644
--- a/src/selfextract.nim
+++ b/src/selfextract.nim
@@ -390,8 +390,12 @@ proc handleConfigLoad*(inpath: string) =
 
   if not alreadyCached or replace:
     let
+      lines   = newEmbedded.splitLines()
       useLine = "use " & module  & " from \"" & base & "\""
-      withUse = newEmbedded & "\n" & useLine
+      withUse = if useLine in lines:
+                  newEmbedded
+                else:
+                  newEmbedded & "\n" & useLine
     newEmbedded = withUse.strip()
 
   if chalkConfig.loadConfig.getParamsViaStdin():
diff --git a/tests/chalk/runner.py b/tests/chalk/runner.py
index 18af5921..5ae64850 100644
--- a/tests/chalk/runner.py
+++ b/tests/chalk/runner.py
@@ -352,10 +352,14 @@ def delete(self, artifact: Path) -> ChalkProgram:
             log_level="error",
         )
 
-    def dump(self, path: Path) -> ChalkProgram:
-        assert not path.is_file()
-        result = self.run(command="dump", params=[str(path)])
-        assert path.is_file()
+    def dump(self, path: Optional[Path] = None) -> ChalkProgram:
+        args: list[str] = []
+        if path is not None:
+            assert not path.is_file()
+            args = [str(path)]
+        result = self.run(command="dump", params=args)
+        if path is not None:
+            assert path.is_file()
         return result
 
     def load(
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 7824ec46..5071cb13 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -140,6 +140,21 @@ def test_load_url(
     )
 
 
+def test_load_duplicate(
+    chalk_copy: Chalk,
+    server_chalkdust: str,
+):
+    """
+    even if same component is loaded multiple times, it should be referenced once
+    """
+    for _ in range(4):
+        chalk_copy.load(
+            f"{server_chalkdust}/debug.c4m",
+        )
+    config = chalk_copy.dump()
+    assert len(config.text.splitlines()) == 1
+
+
 # tests for configs that are found in the chalk search path
 # these configs are NOT loaded directly into the binary
 # as these configs are global across the system,