diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 603551b..499e722 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,8 +65,10 @@ Empty `config.yml` should be generated. Fill it with your data:
 - auth.chatgpt_api_key
 - stt.whisperBaseUrl
 - http.http_token (per-chat tokens use chat.http_token)
-- useChatsDir (optional, default `false`)
-- chatsDir (optional, default `data/chats`)
+- useChatsDir (optional, default `false`) – when enabled, chat configs are loaded from separate files
+  inside `chatsDir` instead of the `chats` section of `config.yml`.
+- chatsDir (optional, default `data/chats`) – directory where per-chat YAML files are stored when
+  `useChatsDir` is turned on.
 
 ### Multiple Bots / Secondary bot_token
 
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 9946f23..decdce5 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 import * as yaml from "js-yaml";
-import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync, watchFile } from "fs";
+import {
+  readFileSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+  existsSync,
+  watchFile,
+  readdirSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+} from "fs";
+import path from "path";
 import {
   ChatParamsType,
   ConfigChatType,
@@ -8,13 +16,43 @@ import {
   ButtonsSyncConfigType,
   ConfigChatButtonType,
 } from "./types.js";
-import { log } from "./helpers.ts";
+import { log, safeFilename } from "./helpers.ts";
 import { readGoogleSheet } from "./helpers/readGoogleSheet";
 import { OAuth2Client } from "google-auth-library/build/src/auth/oauth2client";
 import { GoogleAuth } from "google-auth-library";
 import debounce from "lodash.debounce";
 import { useThreads } from "./threads";
 
+export function loadChatsFromDir(dir: string): ConfigChatType[] {
+  if (!existsSync(dir)) return [];
+  const files = readdirSync(dir).filter(
+    (f) => f.endsWith(".yml") || f.endsWith(".yaml"),
+  );
+  const chats: ConfigChatType[] = [];
+  for (const file of files) {
+    const content = readFileSync(path.join(dir, file), "utf8");
+    const chat = yaml.load(content) as ConfigChatType;
+    chats.push(chat);
+  }
+  return chats;
+}
+
+export function saveChatsToDir(dir: string, chats: ConfigChatType[]) {
+  if (!existsSync(dir)) {
+    mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+  chats.forEach((chat) => {
+    const safe = safeFilename(`${chat.name || chat.id}`, `${chat.id || 0}`);
+    const filePath = path.join(dir, `${safe}.yml`);
+    const yamlRaw = yaml.dump(chat, {
+      lineWidth: -1,
+      noCompatMode: true,
+      quotingType: '"',
+    });
+    writeFileSync(filePath, yamlRaw);
+  });
+}
+
 export function readConfig(path?: string): ConfigType {
   if (!path) path = process.env.CONFIG || "config.yml";
   if (!existsSync(path)) {
@@ -27,6 +65,11 @@ export function readConfig(path?: string): ConfigType {
   }
   const config = yaml.load(readFileSync(path, "utf8")) as ConfigType;
 
+  if (config.useChatsDir) {
+    const dir = config.chatsDir || "data/chats";
+    config.chats = loadChatsFromDir(dir);
+  }
+
   if (config.auth.proxy_url === generateConfig().auth.proxy_url) {
     delete config.auth.proxy_url;
   }
@@ -65,7 +108,15 @@ export function writeConfig(
   config: ConfigType,
 ): ConfigType {
   try {
-    const yamlRaw = yaml.dump(config, {
+    let cfgToSave: ConfigType | Omit<ConfigType, "chats"> = config;
+    if (config.useChatsDir) {
+      const dir = config.chatsDir || "data/chats";
+      saveChatsToDir(dir, config.chats);
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+      const { chats, ...rest } = config;
+      cfgToSave = rest;
+    }
+    const yamlRaw = yaml.dump(cfgToSave, {
       lineWidth: -1,
       noCompatMode: true,
       quotingType: '"',
diff --git a/tests/config.test.ts b/tests/config.test.ts
index 804945d..1ee7658 100644
--- a/tests/config.test.ts
+++ b/tests/config.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { jest } from "@jest/globals";
+import path from "path";
 import { ConfigChatType } from "../src/types.ts";
 
 // Mock the modules using jest.requireMock
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@ const mockWatchFile = jest.fn();
 const mockAppendFileSync = jest.fn();
 const mockDump = jest.fn();
 const mockLoad = jest.fn();
+const mockReaddirSync = jest.fn();
+const mockMkdirSync = jest.fn();
 
 // Mock the modules before importing the module under test
 jest.unstable_mockModule("fs", () => ({
@@ -19,12 +22,16 @@ jest.unstable_mockModule("fs", () => ({
     writeFileSync: mockWriteFileSync,
     watchFile: mockWatchFile,
     appendFileSync: mockAppendFileSync,
+    readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
+    mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
   },
   existsSync: mockExistsSync,
   readFileSync: mockReadFileSync,
   writeFileSync: mockWriteFileSync,
   watchFile: mockWatchFile,
   appendFileSync: mockAppendFileSync,
+  readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
+  mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
 }));
 
 jest.unstable_mockModule("js-yaml", () => ({
@@ -39,7 +46,13 @@ jest.unstable_mockModule("js-yaml", () => ({
 
 // Import the module under test after setting up mocks
 const configMod = await import("../src/config.ts");
-const { readConfig, writeConfig, generateConfig } = configMod;
+const {
+  readConfig,
+  writeConfig,
+  generateConfig,
+  loadChatsFromDir,
+  saveChatsToDir,
+} = configMod;
 
 describe("generateConfig", () => {
   it("sets defaults for chat directory fields", () => {
@@ -84,6 +97,29 @@ describe("readConfig", () => {
     expect(mockLoad).toHaveBeenCalledWith("mockYaml");
     expect(config).toEqual(mockConfig);
   });
+
+  it("loads chats from directory when useChatsDir enabled", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+    const cfg = generateConfig();
+    cfg.useChatsDir = true;
+    cfg.chatsDir = "chats";
+    mockReadFileSync
+      .mockReturnValueOnce("cfgYaml")
+      .mockReturnValueOnce("c1yaml")
+      .mockReturnValueOnce("c2yaml");
+    const chat1 = { name: "c1", agent_name: "c1" } as ConfigChatType;
+    const chat2 = { name: "c2", agent_name: "c2" } as ConfigChatType;
+    mockLoad
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(cfg)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(chat1)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(chat2);
+    mockReaddirSync.mockReturnValue(["c1.yml", "c2.yml"]);
+
+    const res = readConfig("testConfig.yml");
+
+    expect(mockReaddirSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith("chats");
+    expect(res.chats).toEqual([chat1, chat2]);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("writeConfig", () => {
@@ -128,6 +164,100 @@ describe("writeConfig", () => {
     // Clean up
     consoleErrorSpy.mockRestore();
   });
+
+  it("saves chats to directory when useChatsDir enabled", () => {
+    const cfg = generateConfig();
+    cfg.useChatsDir = true;
+    cfg.chatsDir = "chats";
+    cfg.chats = [
+      {
+        name: "c1",
+        completionParams: {},
+        chatParams: {},
+        toolParams: {},
+      } as ConfigChatType,
+    ];
+    mockDump.mockReturnValueOnce("chatYaml").mockReturnValueOnce("mainYaml");
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+
+    const res = writeConfig("cfg.yml", cfg);
+
+    expect(mockWriteFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      path.join("chats", "c1.yml"),
+      "chatYaml",
+    );
+    expect(mockWriteFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith("cfg.yml", "mainYaml");
+    const mainDumpCall = mockDump.mock.calls.find((c) => c[0].auth);
+    expect(mainDumpCall[0].chats).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(res).toEqual(cfg);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("loadChatsFromDir", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("reads yaml files from directory", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(true);
+    mockReaddirSync.mockReturnValue(["a.yml", "b.yaml", "c.txt"]);
+    mockReadFileSync.mockReturnValueOnce("ayaml").mockReturnValueOnce("byaml");
+    const chatA = { name: "a" } as ConfigChatType;
+    const chatB = { name: "b" } as ConfigChatType;
+    mockLoad.mockReturnValueOnce(chatA).mockReturnValueOnce(chatB);
+    const res = loadChatsFromDir("dir");
+    expect(res).toEqual([chatA, chatB]);
+    expect(mockReadFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      path.join("dir", "a.yml"),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    expect(mockReadFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      path.join("dir", "b.yaml"),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("returns empty array when directory missing", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(false);
+    const res = loadChatsFromDir("dir");
+    expect(res).toEqual([]);
+    expect(mockReaddirSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("saveChatsToDir", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("writes chats to files", () => {
+    mockExistsSync.mockReturnValue(false);
+    const chats = [
+      {
+        name: "a",
+        completionParams: {},
+        chatParams: {},
+        toolParams: {},
+      } as ConfigChatType,
+      {
+        name: "b",
+        completionParams: {},
+        chatParams: {},
+        toolParams: {},
+      } as ConfigChatType,
+    ];
+    mockDump.mockReturnValueOnce("ayaml").mockReturnValueOnce("byaml");
+    saveChatsToDir("dir", chats);
+    expect(mockMkdirSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith("dir", { recursive: true });
+    expect(mockWriteFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      path.join("dir", "a.yml"),
+      "ayaml",
+    );
+    expect(mockWriteFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      path.join("dir", "b.yml"),
+      "byaml",
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe("readConfig agent_name", () => {
diff --git a/tests/configExtras.test.ts b/tests/configExtras.test.ts
index d9c745a..32fcb04 100644
--- a/tests/configExtras.test.ts
+++ b/tests/configExtras.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ const mockDebounce = jest.fn((fn) => fn);
 const mockUseThreads = jest.fn(() => ({}));
 const mockLoad = jest.fn();
 const mockDump = jest.fn((obj) => JSON.stringify(obj));
+const mockReaddirSync = jest.fn();
+const mockMkdirSync = jest.fn();
 
 jest.unstable_mockModule("../src/helpers.ts", () => ({
   log: mockLog,
@@ -43,11 +45,15 @@ jest.unstable_mockModule("fs", () => ({
     existsSync: mockExistsSync,
     readFileSync: mockReadFileSync,
     watchFile: mockWatchFile,
+    readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
+    mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
   },
   writeFileSync: mockWriteFile,
   existsSync: mockExistsSync,
   readFileSync: mockReadFileSync,
   watchFile: mockWatchFile,
+  readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
+  mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
 }));
 
 let mod: typeof import("../src/config.ts");
@@ -61,6 +67,8 @@ beforeEach(async () => {
   mockWatchFile.mockClear();
   mockExistsSync.mockClear();
   mockReadFileSync.mockClear();
+  mockReaddirSync.mockClear();
+  mockMkdirSync.mockClear();
   mod = await import("../src/config.ts");
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/googleHelpers.test.ts b/tests/googleHelpers.test.ts
index 2198e62..a6f9377 100644
--- a/tests/googleHelpers.test.ts
+++ b/tests/googleHelpers.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ const mockExistsSync = jest.fn();
 const mockReadFileSync = jest.fn();
 const mockWriteFileSync = jest.fn();
 const mockWatchFile = jest.fn();
+const mockMkdirSync = jest.fn();
+const mockReaddirSync = jest.fn();
 
 jest.unstable_mockModule("fs", () => ({
   __esModule: true,
@@ -14,11 +16,15 @@ jest.unstable_mockModule("fs", () => ({
     readFileSync: mockReadFileSync,
     writeFileSync: mockWriteFileSync,
     watchFile: mockWatchFile,
+    mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
+    readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
   },
   existsSync: mockExistsSync,
   readFileSync: mockReadFileSync,
   writeFileSync: mockWriteFileSync,
   watchFile: mockWatchFile,
+  mkdirSync: mockMkdirSync,
+  readdirSync: mockReaddirSync,
 }));
 
 let googleHelpers: typeof import("../src/helpers/google.ts");
@@ -28,6 +34,8 @@ beforeEach(async () => {
   mockExistsSync.mockReset();
   mockReadFileSync.mockReset();
   mockWriteFileSync.mockReset();
+  mockMkdirSync.mockReset();
+  mockReaddirSync.mockReset();
   googleHelpers = await import("../src/helpers/google.ts");
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/telegram/sendMessageExtra.test.ts b/tests/telegram/sendMessageExtra.test.ts
index dd3923f..4e48269 100644
--- a/tests/telegram/sendMessageExtra.test.ts
+++ b/tests/telegram/sendMessageExtra.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ jest.unstable_mockModule("../../src/bot.ts", () => ({
 
 jest.unstable_mockModule("../../src/helpers.ts", () => ({
   log: jest.fn(),
+  safeFilename: jest.fn((v) => v),
 }));
 
 // mock splitBigMessage so we control number of parts