diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/lib.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/lib.py
index 6996122..d5d802a 100644
--- a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/lib.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/lib.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 if False:
     from mypy_extensions import NoReturn
-from typing import Any, Optional, List, Dict, IO, Text
+from typing import Any, Optional, List, Dict, IO, Text, Set
 from types import ModuleType
 
 from zulip import Client
@@ -52,16 +52,26 @@ class RateLimit(object):
         logging.error(self.error_message)
         sys.exit(1)
 
+class StateHandlerError(Exception):
+    pass
+
 class StateHandler(object):
-    def __init__(self):
-        # type: () -> None
-        self.state_ = {}  # type: Dict[Text, Text]
+    def __init__(self, client):
+        # type: (Client) -> None
+        self._client = client
         self.marshal = lambda obj: json.dumps(obj)
         self.demarshal = lambda obj: json.loads(obj)
+        response = self._client.get_state()
+        if response['result'] == 'success':
+            self.state_ = response['state']
+            self._modified_entries = set()  # type: Set[Text]
+        else:
+            raise StateHandlerError("Error initializing state: {}".format(str(response)))
 
     def put(self, key, value):
         # type: (Text, Text) -> None
         self.state_[key] = self.marshal(value)
+        self._modified_entries.add(key)
 
     def get(self, key):
         # type: (Text) -> Text
@@ -71,6 +81,16 @@ class StateHandler(object):
         # type: (Text) -> bool
         return key in self.state_
 
+    def _save(self):
+        # type: () -> None
+        state_update = {'state': {key: self.state_[key] for key in self._modified_entries}}
+        if state_update:
+            response = self._client.update_state(state_update)
+            if response['result'] == 'success':
+                self._modified_entries.clear()
+            else:
+                raise StateHandlerError("Error updating state: {}".format(str(response)))
+
 class ExternalBotHandler(object):
     def __init__(self, client, root_dir):
         # type: (Client, str) -> None
@@ -79,7 +99,7 @@ class ExternalBotHandler(object):
         self._rate_limit = RateLimit(20, 5)
         self._client = client
         self._root_dir = root_dir
-        self.storage = StateHandler()
+        self.storage = StateHandler(client)
         try:
             self.user_id = user_profile['user_id']
             self.full_name = user_profile['full_name']
@@ -218,6 +238,7 @@ def run_message_handler_for_bot(lib_module, quiet, config_file, bot_name):
                 message=message,
                 bot_handler=restricted_client
             )
+        restricted_client.storage._save()
 
     signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, exit_gracefully)
 
diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/test_lib.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/test_lib.py
index f0d6a49..3d76e09 100755
--- a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/test_lib.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/test_lib.py
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ class BotTestCaseBase(TestCase):
         self.patcher = patch('zulip_bots.lib.ExternalBotHandler', autospec=True)
         self.MockClass = self.patcher.start()
         self.mock_bot_handler = self.MockClass(None, None)
-        self.mock_bot_handler.storage = StateHandler()
+        self.mock_client = MagicMock()
+        self.mock_client.get_state.return_value = {'result': 'success', 'state': {}}
+        self.mock_bot_handler.storage = StateHandler(self.mock_client)
         self.mock_bot_handler.send_message.return_value = {'id': 42}
         self.mock_bot_handler.send_reply.return_value = {'id': 42}
         self.message_handler = self.get_bot_message_handler()
diff --git a/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py b/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
index 048303d..b870679 100644
--- a/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ class BotServerTests(BotServerTestCase):
                                         check_success=False)
 
     @mock.patch('logging.error')
-    def test_wrong_bot_credentials(self, mock_LoggingError):
-        # type: (mock.Mock) -> None
+    @mock.patch('zulip_bots.lib.StateHandler')
+    def test_wrong_bot_credentials(self, mock_StateHandler, mock_LoggingError):
+        # type: (mock.Mock, mock.Mock) -> None
         available_bots = ['nonexistent-bot']
         bots_config = {
             'nonexistent-bot': {