diff --git a/piker/cli.py b/piker/cli.py
index daefd1e1..65377937 100644
--- a/piker/cli.py
+++ b/piker/cli.py
@@ -2,17 +2,26 @@
 Console interface to broker client/daemons.
 """
 from functools import partial
+from importlib import import_module
+import os
+from collections import defaultdict
+import json
 
 import click
 import trio
 import pandas as pd
 
+
 from .log import get_console_log, colorize_json, get_logger
+from . import watchlists as wl
 from .brokers import core, get_brokermod
 
 log = get_logger('cli')
 DEFAULT_BROKER = 'robinhood'
 
+_config_dir = click.get_app_dir('piker')
+_watchlists_data_path = os.path.join(_config_dir, 'watchlists.json')
+
 
 def run(main, loglevel='info'):
     log = get_console_log(loglevel)
@@ -112,7 +121,7 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
     log = get_console_log(loglevel)  # activate console logging
     brokermod = get_brokermod(broker)
 
-    watchlists = {
+    watchlists_base = {
         'cannabis': [
             'EMH.VN', 'LEAF.TO', 'HVT.VN', 'HMMJ.TO', 'APH.TO',
             'CBW.VN', 'TRST.CN', 'VFF.TO', 'ACB.TO', 'ABCN.VN',
@@ -127,6 +136,8 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
         'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
         'indexes': ['SPY', 'DAX', 'QQQ', 'DIA'],
     }
+    watchlist_from_file = wl.ensure_watchlists(_watchlists_data_path)
+    watchlists = wl.merge_watchlist(watchlist_from_file, watchlists_base)
     # broker_conf_path = os.path.join(
     #     click.get_app_dir('piker'), 'watchlists.json')
     # from piker.testing import _quote_streamer as brokermod
@@ -135,3 +146,83 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
         rate = broker_limit
         log.warn(f"Limiting {brokermod.__name__} query rate to {rate}/sec")
     trio.run(_async_main, name, watchlists[name], brokermod, rate)
+    # broker_conf_path = os.path.join(
+    #     click.get_app_dir('piker'), 'watchlists.json')
+    # from piker.testing import _quote_streamer as brokermod
+
+
+@cli.group()
+@click.option('--loglevel', '-l', default='warning', help='Logging level')
+@click.option('--config_dir', '-d', default=_watchlists_data_path,
+              help='Path to piker configuration directory')
+@click.pass_context
+def watchlists(ctx, loglevel, config_dir):
+    """Watchlists commands and operations
+    """
+    get_console_log(loglevel)  # activate console logging
+    wl.make_config_dir(_config_dir)
+    ctx.obj = {'path': config_dir,
+               'watchlist': wl.ensure_watchlists(config_dir)}
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='show watchlist')
+@click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=False)
+@click.pass_context
+def show(ctx, name):
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
+    click.echo(colorize_json(
+               watchlist if name is None else watchlist[name]))
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='load passed in watchlist')
+@click.argument('data', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.pass_context
+def load(ctx, data):
+    try:
+        wl.write_sorted_json(json.loads(data), ctx.obj['path'])
+    except (json.JSONDecodeError, IndexError):
+        click.echo('You have passed an invalid text respresentation of a '
+                   'JSON object. Try again.')
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='add ticker to watchlist')
+@click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.argument('ticker_name', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.pass_context
+def add(ctx, name, ticker_name):
+    watchlist = wl.add_ticker(name, ticker_name,
+                              ctx.obj['watchlist'])
+    wl.write_sorted_json(watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='remove ticker from watchlist')
+@click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.argument('ticker_name', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.pass_context
+def remove(ctx, name, ticker_name):
+    watchlist = wl.remove_ticker(name, ticker_name, ctx.obj['watchlist'])
+    wl.write_sorted_json(watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='delete watchlist group')
+@click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.pass_context
+def delete(ctx, name):
+    watchlist = wl.delete_group(name, ctx.obj['watchlist'])
+    wl.write_sorted_json(watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='merge a watchlist from another user')
+@click.argument('watchlist_to_merge', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.pass_context
+def merge(ctx, watchlist_to_merge):
+    merged_watchlist = wl.merge_watchlist(json.loads(watchlist_to_merge),
+                                          ctx.obj['watchlist'])
+    wl.write_sorted_json(merged_watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
+
+
+@watchlists.command(help='dump text respresentation of a watchlist to console')
+@click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=False)
+@click.pass_context
+def dump(ctx, name):
+    click.echo(json.dumps(ctx.obj['watchlist']))
diff --git a/piker/watchlists.py b/piker/watchlists.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae777904
--- /dev/null
+++ b/piker/watchlists.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import os
+import json
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+from .log import get_logger
+
+log = get_logger(__name__)
+
+
+def write_sorted_json(watchlist, path):
+    for key in watchlist:
+        watchlist[key] = sorted(list(set(watchlist[key])))
+    with open(path, 'w') as f:
+        json.dump(watchlist, f, sort_keys=True)
+
+
+def make_config_dir(dir_path):
+    if not os.path.isdir(dir_path):
+        log.debug(f"Creating config dir {dir_path}")
+        os.makedirs(dir_path)
+
+
+def ensure_watchlists(file_path):
+    mode = 'r' if os.path.isfile(file_path) else 'w'
+    with open(file_path, mode) as f:
+        return json.load(f) if not os.stat(file_path).st_size == 0 else {}
+
+
+def add_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist):
+    watchlist.setdefault(name, []).append(str(ticker_name).upper())
+    return watchlist
+
+
+def remove_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist):
+    if name in watchlist:
+        watchlist[name].remove(str(ticker_name).upper())
+        if watchlist[name] == []:
+            del watchlist[name]
+    return watchlist
+
+
+def delete_group(name, watchlist):
+    watchlist.pop(name, None)
+    return watchlist
+
+
+def merge_watchlist(watchlist_to_merge, watchlist):
+    merged_watchlist = defaultdict(list)
+    for d in (watchlist, watchlist_to_merge):
+        for key, value in d.items():
+            merged_watchlist[key].extend(value)
+    return merged_watchlist
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index a9c9077e..10e5668f 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -4,12 +4,19 @@ CLI testing, dawg.
 import json
 import subprocess
 import pytest
+import tempfile
+import os.path
+import logging
+
+import piker.watchlists as wl
+import piker.cli as cli
+from piker.log import colorize_json
 
 
-def run(cmd):
+def run(cmd, *args):
     """Run cmd and check for zero return code.
     """
-    cp = subprocess.run(cmd.split())
+    cp = subprocess.run(cmd.split() + list(args))
     cp.check_returncode()
     return cp
 
@@ -85,3 +92,116 @@ def test_api_method_not_found(nyse_tickers, capfd):
     out, err = capfd.readouterr()
     assert 'null' in out
     assert f'No api method `{bad_meth}` could be found?' in err
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def temp_dir():
+    """Creates a path to a pretend config dir in a temporary directory for
+    testing.
+    """
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
+        yield os.path.join(tempdir, 'piker')
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def piker_dir(temp_dir):
+    wl.make_config_dir(temp_dir)
+    json_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir, 'watchlists.json')
+    watchlist = {
+        'dad': ['GM', 'TSLA', 'DOL.TO', 'CIM', 'SPY', 'SHOP.TO'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+        'indexes': ['SPY', 'DAX', 'QQQ', 'DIA'],
+    }
+    wl.write_sorted_json(watchlist, json_file_path)
+    yield json_file_path
+
+
+def test_show_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    """Ensure a watchlist is printed.
+    """
+    expected_out = json.dumps({
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }, indent=4)
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} show")
+    out, err = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert out.strip() == expected_out
+
+
+def test_dump_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    """Ensure watchlist is dumped.
+    """
+    expected_out = json.dumps({
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    })
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} dump")
+    out, err = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert out.strip() == expected_out
+
+
+def test_ticker_added_to_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN', 'CRACK'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} add pharma CRACK")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_ticker_removed_from_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} remove indexes QQQ")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_group_deleted_from_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} delete pharma")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_watchlists_loaded(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    expected_out_text = json.dumps(expected_out)
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} load", expected_out_text)
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_watchlists_are_merged(capfd, piker_dir):
+    orig_watchlist = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    list_to_merge = json.dumps({
+        'drugs': ['CRACK'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN', 'MALI', 'PERCOCET']
+    })
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN', 'MALI', 'PERCOCET'],
+        'drugs': ['CRACK']
+    }
+    wl.write_sorted_json(orig_watchlist, piker_dir)
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} merge", list_to_merge)
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
diff --git a/tests/test_watchlists.py b/tests/test_watchlists.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f198860f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_watchlists.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+"""
+Watchlists testing.
+"""
+import json
+import pytest
+import tempfile
+import os.path
+import logging
+
+import piker.watchlists as wl
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def temp_dir():
+    """Creates a path to a pretend config dir in a temporary directory for
+    testing.
+    """
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
+        config_dir = os.path.join(tempdir, 'piker')
+        yield config_dir
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def piker_dir(temp_dir):
+    wl.make_config_dir(temp_dir)
+    yield os.path.join(temp_dir, 'watchlists.json')
+
+
+def test_watchlist_is_sorted_no_dups_and_saved_to_file(piker_dir):
+    wl_temp = {'test': ['TEST.CN', 'AAA'], 'AA': ['TEST.CN', 'TEST.CN'],
+               'AA': ['TEST.CN']}
+    wl_sort = {'AA': ['TEST.CN'], 'test': ['AAA', 'TEST.CN']}
+    wl.write_sorted_json(wl_temp, piker_dir)
+    temp_sorted = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert temp_sorted == wl_sort
+
+
+def test_watchlists_config_dir_created(caplog, temp_dir):
+    """Ensure that a config directory is created.
+    """
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG):
+        wl.make_config_dir(temp_dir)
+    assert len(caplog.records) == 1
+    record = caplog.records[0]
+    assert record.levelname == 'DEBUG'
+    assert record.message == f"Creating config dir {temp_dir}"
+    assert os.path.isdir(temp_dir)
+    # Test that there is no error and that a log message is not generatd
+    # when trying to create a directory that already exists
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG):
+        wl.make_config_dir(temp_dir)
+    # There should be no additional log message.
+    assert len(caplog.records) == 1
+
+
+def test_watchlist_is_read_from_file(piker_dir):
+    """Ensure json info is read from file or an empty dict is generated
+    and that text respresentation of a watchlist is saved to file.
+    """
+    wl_temp = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert wl_temp == {}
+    wl_temp2 = {"AA": ["TEST.CN"]}
+    wl.write_sorted_json(wl_temp2, piker_dir)
+    assert wl_temp2 == wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+
+
+def test_new_ticker_added():
+    """Ensure that a new ticker is added to a watchlist for both cases.
+    """
+    wl_temp = wl.add_ticker('test', 'TEST.CN', {'test': ['TEST2.CN']})
+    assert len(wl_temp['test']) == 2
+    wl_temp = wl.add_ticker('test2', 'TEST.CN', wl_temp)
+    assert wl_temp['test2']
+
+
+def test_ticker_is_removed():
+    """Verify that passed in ticker is removed and that a group is removed
+    if no tickers left.
+    """
+    wl_temp = {'test': ['TEST.CN', 'TEST2.CN'], 'test2': ['TEST.CN']}
+    wl_temp = wl.remove_ticker('test', 'TEST.CN', wl_temp)
+    wl_temp = wl.remove_ticker('test2', 'TEST.CN', wl_temp)
+    assert wl_temp == {'test': ['TEST2.CN']}
+    assert not wl_temp.get('test2')
+
+
+def test_group_is_deleted():
+    """Check that watchlist group is removed.
+    """
+    wl_temp = {'test': ['TEST.CN']}
+    wl_temp = wl.delete_group('test', wl_temp)
+    assert not wl_temp.get('test')
+
+
+def test_watchlist_is_merged():
+    """Ensure that watchlist is merged.
+    """
+    wl_temp = {'test': ['TEST.CN']}
+    wl_temp2 = {'test': ['TOAST'], "test2": ["TEST2.CN"]}
+    wl_temp3 = wl.merge_watchlist(wl_temp2, wl_temp)
+    assert wl_temp3 == {'test': ['TEST.CN', 'TOAST'], 'test2': ['TEST2.CN']}