diff --git a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/api/GitChangelogApi.java b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/api/GitChangelogApi.java
index bb53b03..e07daea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/api/GitChangelogApi.java
+++ b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/api/GitChangelogApi.java
@@ -184,20 +184,23 @@ public void prependToFile(final File file) throws GitChangelogRepositoryExceptio
    * been configured.
    */
   public SemanticVersion getNextSemanticVersion() throws GitChangelogRepositoryException {
-    final boolean fromGiven = this.settings.getFromRevision().isPresent();
-    final SemanticVersion highestSemanticVersion = this.getHighestSemanticVersion();
+    final GitChangelogApi api = GitChangelogApi.gitChangelogApiBuilder();
+    api.settings = this.settings.copy();
+
+    final boolean fromGiven = api.getSettings().getFromRevision().isPresent();
+    final SemanticVersion highestSemanticVersion = api.getHighestSemanticVersion();
     if (!fromGiven) {
       final Optional<String> tag = highestSemanticVersion.findTag();
       if (tag.isPresent()) {
-        this.withFromRevision(tag.get());
+        api.withFromRevision(tag.get());
       }
     }
-    final Changelog changelog = this.getChangelog(false);
-    final List<String> tags = this.getTagsAsStrings(changelog);
-    final List<String> commits = this.getCommitMessages(changelog);
-    final String majorVersionPattern = this.settings.getSemanticMajorPattern().orElse(null);
-    final String minorVersionPattern = this.settings.getSemanticMinorPattern();
-    final String patchVersionPattern = this.settings.getSemanticPatchPattern();
+    final Changelog changelog = api.getChangelog(false);
+    final List<String> tags = api.getTagsAsStrings(changelog);
+    final List<String> commits = api.getCommitMessages(changelog);
+    final String majorVersionPattern = api.settings.getSemanticMajorPattern().orElse(null);
+    final String minorVersionPattern = api.settings.getSemanticMinorPattern();
+    final String patchVersionPattern = api.settings.getSemanticPatchPattern();
     final SemanticVersioning semanticVersioning =
         new SemanticVersioning(
             tags, commits, majorVersionPattern, minorVersionPattern, patchVersionPattern);
diff --git a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/Settings.java b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/Settings.java
index c3730dc..75dbc60 100644
--- a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/Settings.java
+++ b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/Settings.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException;
@@ -373,13 +374,25 @@ public Optional<String> getRedmineServer() {
 
   public static Settings fromFile(final URL url) {
     try {
-      return gson.fromJson(
-          new String(Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get(url.toURI())), UTF_8), Settings.class);
+      final String json = new String(Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get(url.toURI())), UTF_8);
+      return fromJson(json);
     } catch (final Exception e) {
       throw new RuntimeException("Cannot read " + url, e);
     }
   }
 
+  public static Settings fromJson(final String json) {
+    return gson.fromJson(json, Settings.class);
+  }
+
+  public String toJson() {
+    return gson.toJson(this);
+  }
+
+  public Settings copy() {
+    return Settings.fromJson(this.toJson());
+  }
+
   public String getUntaggedName() {
     return ofNullable(this.untaggedName).orElse(DEFAULT_UNTAGGED_NAME);
   }
@@ -710,4 +723,228 @@ public void addJiraIssueAdditionalField(final String jiraIssueAdditionalField) {
     }
     this.jiraIssueAdditionalFields.add(jiraIssueAdditionalField);
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public int hashCode() {
+    return Objects.hash(
+        this.customIssues,
+        this.dateFormat,
+        this.encoding,
+        this.extendedRestHeaders,
+        this.extendedVariables,
+        this.fromRepo,
+        this.fromRevision,
+        this.fromRevisionStrategy,
+        this.gitHubApi,
+        this.gitHubEnabled,
+        this.gitHubIssuePattern,
+        this.gitHubToken,
+        this.gitLabEnabled,
+        this.gitLabIssuePattern,
+        this.gitLabProjectName,
+        this.gitLabServer,
+        this.gitLabToken,
+        this.ignoreCommitsIfMessageMatches,
+        this.ignoreCommitsIfOlderThan,
+        this.ignoreCommitsWithoutIssue,
+        this.ignoreTagsIfNameMatches,
+        this.jiraBearer,
+        this.jiraEnabled,
+        this.jiraIssueAdditionalFields,
+        this.jiraIssuePattern,
+        this.jiraPassword,
+        this.jiraServer,
+        this.jiraToken,
+        this.jiraUsername,
+        this.noIssueName,
+        this.readableTagName,
+        this.redmineEnabled,
+        this.redmineIssuePattern,
+        this.redminePassword,
+        this.redmineServer,
+        this.redmineToken,
+        this.redmineUsername,
+        this.removeIssueFromMessage,
+        this.semanticMajorPattern,
+        this.semanticMinorPattern,
+        this.semanticPatchPattern,
+        this.subDirFilter,
+        this.templateBaseDir,
+        this.templatePath,
+        this.templateSuffix,
+        this.timeZone,
+        this.toRevision,
+        this.toRevisionStrategy,
+        this.untaggedName,
+        this.useIntegrations);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
+    if (this == obj) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (obj == null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (this.getClass() != obj.getClass()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    final Settings other = (Settings) obj;
+    return Objects.equals(this.customIssues, other.customIssues)
+        && Objects.equals(this.dateFormat, other.dateFormat)
+        && Objects.equals(this.encoding, other.encoding)
+        && Objects.equals(this.extendedRestHeaders, other.extendedRestHeaders)
+        && Objects.equals(this.extendedVariables, other.extendedVariables)
+        && Objects.equals(this.fromRepo, other.fromRepo)
+        && Objects.equals(this.fromRevision, other.fromRevision)
+        && this.fromRevisionStrategy == other.fromRevisionStrategy
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitHubApi, other.gitHubApi)
+        && this.gitHubEnabled == other.gitHubEnabled
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitHubIssuePattern, other.gitHubIssuePattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitHubToken, other.gitHubToken)
+        && this.gitLabEnabled == other.gitLabEnabled
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitLabIssuePattern, other.gitLabIssuePattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitLabProjectName, other.gitLabProjectName)
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitLabServer, other.gitLabServer)
+        && Objects.equals(this.gitLabToken, other.gitLabToken)
+        && Objects.equals(this.ignoreCommitsIfMessageMatches, other.ignoreCommitsIfMessageMatches)
+        && Objects.equals(this.ignoreCommitsIfOlderThan, other.ignoreCommitsIfOlderThan)
+        && this.ignoreCommitsWithoutIssue == other.ignoreCommitsWithoutIssue
+        && Objects.equals(this.ignoreTagsIfNameMatches, other.ignoreTagsIfNameMatches)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraBearer, other.jiraBearer)
+        && this.jiraEnabled == other.jiraEnabled
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraIssueAdditionalFields, other.jiraIssueAdditionalFields)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraIssuePattern, other.jiraIssuePattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraPassword, other.jiraPassword)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraServer, other.jiraServer)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraToken, other.jiraToken)
+        && Objects.equals(this.jiraUsername, other.jiraUsername)
+        && Objects.equals(this.noIssueName, other.noIssueName)
+        && Objects.equals(this.readableTagName, other.readableTagName)
+        && this.redmineEnabled == other.redmineEnabled
+        && Objects.equals(this.redmineIssuePattern, other.redmineIssuePattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.redminePassword, other.redminePassword)
+        && Objects.equals(this.redmineServer, other.redmineServer)
+        && Objects.equals(this.redmineToken, other.redmineToken)
+        && Objects.equals(this.redmineUsername, other.redmineUsername)
+        && this.removeIssueFromMessage == other.removeIssueFromMessage
+        && Objects.equals(this.semanticMajorPattern, other.semanticMajorPattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.semanticMinorPattern, other.semanticMinorPattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.semanticPatchPattern, other.semanticPatchPattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.subDirFilter, other.subDirFilter)
+        && Objects.equals(this.templateBaseDir, other.templateBaseDir)
+        && Objects.equals(this.templatePath, other.templatePath)
+        && Objects.equals(this.templateSuffix, other.templateSuffix)
+        && Objects.equals(this.timeZone, other.timeZone)
+        && Objects.equals(this.toRevision, other.toRevision)
+        && this.toRevisionStrategy == other.toRevisionStrategy
+        && Objects.equals(this.untaggedName, other.untaggedName)
+        && this.useIntegrations == other.useIntegrations;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public String toString() {
+    return "Settings [fromRepo="
+        + this.fromRepo
+        + ", fromRevision="
+        + this.fromRevision
+        + ", fromRevisionStrategy="
+        + this.fromRevisionStrategy
+        + ", toRevision="
+        + this.toRevision
+        + ", toRevisionStrategy="
+        + this.toRevisionStrategy
+        + ", ignoreTagsIfNameMatches="
+        + this.ignoreTagsIfNameMatches
+        + ", ignoreCommitsIfMessageMatches="
+        + this.ignoreCommitsIfMessageMatches
+        + ", ignoreCommitsIfOlderThan="
+        + this.ignoreCommitsIfOlderThan
+        + ", untaggedName="
+        + this.untaggedName
+        + ", templatePath="
+        + this.templatePath
+        + ", templateBaseDir="
+        + this.templateBaseDir
+        + ", templateSuffix="
+        + this.templateSuffix
+        + ", readableTagName="
+        + this.readableTagName
+        + ", dateFormat="
+        + this.dateFormat
+        + ", noIssueName="
+        + this.noIssueName
+        + ", timeZone="
+        + this.timeZone
+        + ", removeIssueFromMessage="
+        + this.removeIssueFromMessage
+        + ", jiraEnabled="
+        + this.jiraEnabled
+        + ", jiraServer="
+        + this.jiraServer
+        + ", jiraIssuePattern="
+        + this.jiraIssuePattern
+        + ", jiraIssueAdditionalFields="
+        + this.jiraIssueAdditionalFields
+        + ", jiraUsername="
+        + this.jiraUsername
+        + ", jiraPassword="
+        + this.jiraPassword
+        + ", jiraToken="
+        + this.jiraToken
+        + ", jiraBearer="
+        + this.jiraBearer
+        + ", redmineEnabled="
+        + this.redmineEnabled
+        + ", redmineServer="
+        + this.redmineServer
+        + ", redmineIssuePattern="
+        + this.redmineIssuePattern
+        + ", redmineUsername="
+        + this.redmineUsername
+        + ", redminePassword="
+        + this.redminePassword
+        + ", redmineToken="
+        + this.redmineToken
+        + ", gitHubEnabled="
+        + this.gitHubEnabled
+        + ", gitHubApi="
+        + this.gitHubApi
+        + ", gitHubToken="
+        + this.gitHubToken
+        + ", gitHubIssuePattern="
+        + this.gitHubIssuePattern
+        + ", customIssues="
+        + this.customIssues
+        + ", extendedVariables="
+        + this.extendedVariables
+        + ", extendedRestHeaders="
+        + this.extendedRestHeaders
+        + ", ignoreCommitsWithoutIssue="
+        + this.ignoreCommitsWithoutIssue
+        + ", gitLabEnabled="
+        + this.gitLabEnabled
+        + ", gitLabServer="
+        + this.gitLabServer
+        + ", gitLabToken="
+        + this.gitLabToken
+        + ", gitLabIssuePattern="
+        + this.gitLabIssuePattern
+        + ", gitLabProjectName="
+        + this.gitLabProjectName
+        + ", semanticMajorPattern="
+        + this.semanticMajorPattern
+        + ", semanticMinorPattern="
+        + this.semanticMinorPattern
+        + ", semanticPatchPattern="
+        + this.semanticPatchPattern
+        + ", useIntegrations="
+        + this.useIntegrations
+        + ", subDirFilter="
+        + this.subDirFilter
+        + ", encoding="
+        + this.encoding
+        + "]";
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsIssue.java b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsIssue.java
index 18ba85a..b375d95 100644
--- a/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsIssue.java
+++ b/src/main/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsIssue.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import static se.bjurr.gitchangelog.internal.util.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import se.bjurr.gitchangelog.api.model.Issue;
 
@@ -72,4 +73,43 @@ public String getName() {
   public String getPattern() {
     return this.pattern;
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public int hashCode() {
+    return Objects.hash(this.link, this.name, this.pattern, this.title, this.type);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
+    if (this == obj) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (obj == null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (this.getClass() != obj.getClass()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    final SettingsIssue other = (SettingsIssue) obj;
+    return Objects.equals(this.link, other.link)
+        && Objects.equals(this.name, other.name)
+        && Objects.equals(this.pattern, other.pattern)
+        && Objects.equals(this.title, other.title)
+        && this.type == other.type;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public String toString() {
+    return "SettingsIssue [type="
+        + this.type
+        + ", name="
+        + this.name
+        + ", title="
+        + this.title
+        + ", pattern="
+        + this.pattern
+        + ", link="
+        + this.link
+        + "]";
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsTest.java b/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsTest.java
index 1c2b5d3..46485f7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/internal/settings/SettingsTest.java
@@ -11,15 +11,32 @@ public class SettingsTest {
 
   @Test
   public void nullFromRevisionCanBeSet() {
-    Settings settings = new Settings();
+    final Settings settings = new Settings();
     settings.setFromRevision(null);
     assertThat(settings.getFromRevision()).isEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void nullToRevisionCanBeSet() {
-    Settings settings = new Settings();
+    final Settings settings = new Settings();
     settings.setToRevision(null);
     assertThat(settings.getToRevision()).isEmpty();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void canBeSerializedAndDeserialized() {
+    final Settings settings =
+        Settings.fromFile(Settings.class.getResource("/settings/git-changelog-test-settings.json"));
+    final String settingsSerialized = settings.toJson();
+    final Settings settingsDeserialized = Settings.fromJson(settingsSerialized);
+    assertThat(settingsDeserialized).isEqualTo(settings);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void canBeCopied() {
+    final Settings settings =
+        Settings.fromFile(Settings.class.getResource("/settings/git-changelog-test-settings.json"));
+    final Settings settingsCopy = settings.copy();
+    assertThat(settingsCopy).isEqualTo(settings);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/semantic/SemanticVersioningTest.java b/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/semantic/SemanticVersioningTest.java
index 7d754c4..490112c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/semantic/SemanticVersioningTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/se/bjurr/gitchangelog/semantic/SemanticVersioningTest.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public void before() {
   public void smokeTest1() throws Throwable {
     final GitChangelogApi builder1 =
         gitChangelogApiBuilder() //
-            .withToCommit("7c1c366") //
+            .withToRevision("7c1c366") //
             .withSemanticMajorVersionPattern("breaking:.*") //
             .withSemanticMinorVersionPattern("update:.*");
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public void smokeTest1() throws Throwable {
 
     final GitChangelogApi builder2 =
         gitChangelogApiBuilder() //
-            .withToCommit("7c1c366") //
+            .withToRevision("7c1c366") //
             .withSemanticMajorVersionPattern("breaking:.*") //
             .withSemanticMinorVersionPattern("update:.*");
     assertThat(builder2.getHighestSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.144.4");
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public void smokeTest1() throws Throwable {
   public void smokeTest2() throws Throwable {
     final SemanticVersion nextSemanticVersion =
         gitChangelogApiBuilder()
-            .withToRef("1.155.0") //
+            .withToRevision("1.155.0") //
             .withSemanticMajorVersionPattern("^[Bb]reaking.*")
             .withSemanticMinorVersionPattern("^[Ff]eat.*")
             .getNextSemanticVersion();
@@ -70,6 +70,19 @@ public void smokeTest2() throws Throwable {
     assertThat(nextSemanticVersion.getVersionStep()).isEqualTo(PATCH);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void nextSemanticVersionShouldNotEffectHighestSemanticVersion() throws Throwable {
+    final GitChangelogApi api = gitChangelogApiBuilder().withToRevision("1.155.0");
+    assertThat(api.getNextSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.1");
+    assertThat(api.getNextSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.1");
+    assertThat(api.getHighestSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.0");
+    assertThat(api.getHighestSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.0");
+    assertThat(api.getNextSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.1");
+    assertThat(api.getNextSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.1");
+    assertThat(api.getHighestSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.0");
+    assertThat(api.getHighestSemanticVersion().toString()).isEqualTo("1.155.0");
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testMajorStep() throws Throwable {
     this.tags.add("v1.0.0");