diff --git a/lib/CitizensAPI.jar b/lib/CitizensAPI.jar
index 62b719747..36e99a431 100644
Binary files a/lib/CitizensAPI.jar and b/lib/CitizensAPI.jar differ
diff --git a/lib/bukkit-1.2.3-R0.2-SNAPSHOT.jar b/lib/bukkit-1.2.3-R0.2-SNAPSHOT.jar
index c810f7dd9..b918b7532 100644
Binary files a/lib/bukkit-1.2.3-R0.2-SNAPSHOT.jar and b/lib/bukkit-1.2.3-R0.2-SNAPSHOT.jar differ
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/Citizens.java b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/Citizens.java
index baa4ed738..1a1f33208 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/Citizens.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/Citizens.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import net.citizensnpcs.command.exception.UnhandledCommandException;
 import net.citizensnpcs.command.exception.WrappedCommandException;
 import net.citizensnpcs.editor.Editor;
 import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensCharacterManager;
+import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensNPC;
 import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensNPCManager;
 import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensTraitManager;
 import net.citizensnpcs.util.Messaging;
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ public class Citizens extends JavaPlugin {
     public void save() {
         config.save();
         for (NPC npc : npcManager)
-            npc.save(saves.getKey("npc." + npc.getId()));
+            ((CitizensNPC) npc).save(saves.getKey("npc." + npc.getId()));
         saves.save();
     }
 
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ public class Citizens extends JavaPlugin {
             NPC npc = npcManager.createNPC(EntityType.valueOf(key.getString("traits.type").toUpperCase()), id, key
                     .getString("name"), null);
             try {
-                npc.load(key);
+                ((CitizensNPC) npc).load(key);
             } catch (NPCException ex) {
                 Messaging.log(ex.getMessage());
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/NPCUpdater.java b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/NPCUpdater.java
index b3cbf6c4c..2098b236a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/NPCUpdater.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/NPCUpdater.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package net.citizensnpcs;
 
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.npc.NPC;
+import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensNPC;
 import net.citizensnpcs.npc.CitizensNPCManager;
 
 public class NPCUpdater implements Runnable {
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ public class NPCUpdater implements Runnable {
         for (NPC npc : npcManager) {
             if (!npc.isSpawned())
                 continue;
-            npc.update();
+            ((CitizensNPC) npc).update();
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/npc/CitizensNPC.java b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/npc/CitizensNPC.java
index d6da11827..4933e9cbb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/npc/CitizensNPC.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/npc/CitizensNPC.java
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 package net.citizensnpcs.npc;
 
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+
 import net.citizensnpcs.Settings.Setting;
+import net.citizensnpcs.api.CitizensAPI;
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.event.NPCDespawnEvent;
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.event.NPCSpawnEvent;
+import net.citizensnpcs.api.exception.NPCLoadException;
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.npc.AbstractNPC;
+import net.citizensnpcs.api.npc.character.Character;
+import net.citizensnpcs.api.trait.Trait;
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.trait.trait.SpawnLocation;
 import net.citizensnpcs.api.trait.trait.Spawned;
+import net.citizensnpcs.api.util.DataKey;
 import net.citizensnpcs.npc.ai.CitizensAI;
 import net.citizensnpcs.util.Messaging;
 import net.citizensnpcs.util.StringHelper;
@@ -116,9 +123,55 @@ public abstract class CitizensNPC extends AbstractNPC {
         return true;
     }
 
-    @Override
     public void update() {
         super.update();
         ai.update();
     }
+
+    public void load(DataKey root) throws NPCLoadException {
+        Character character = CitizensAPI.getCharacterManager().getCharacter(root.getString("character"));
+
+        // Load the character if it exists
+        if (character != null) {
+            character.load(root.getRelative("characters." + character.getName()));
+            setCharacter(character);
+        }
+
+        // Load traits
+        for (DataKey traitKey : root.getRelative("traits").getSubKeys()) {
+            Trait trait = CitizensAPI.getTraitManager().getTrait(traitKey.name(), this);
+            if (trait == null)
+                throw new NPCLoadException("No trait with the name '" + traitKey.name()
+                        + "' exists. Was it registered properly?");
+            try {
+                trait.load(traitKey);
+            } catch (Exception ex) {
+                Bukkit.getLogger().log(
+                        Level.SEVERE,
+                        "[Citizens] The trait '" + traitKey.name()
+                                + "' failed to load properly for the NPC with the ID '" + getId() + "'. "
+                                + ex.getMessage());
+                ex.printStackTrace();
+            }
+            addTrait(trait);
+        }
+
+        // Spawn the NPC
+        if (getTrait(Spawned.class).shouldSpawn())
+            spawn(getTrait(SpawnLocation.class).getLocation());
+    }
+
+    public void save(DataKey root) {
+        root.setString("name", getFullName());
+
+        // Save the character if it exists
+        if (getCharacter() != null) {
+            root.setString("character", getCharacter().getName());
+            getCharacter().save(root.getRelative("characters." + getCharacter().getName()));
+        }
+
+        // Save all existing traits
+        for (Trait trait : getTraits())
+            trait.save(root.getRelative("traits." + trait.getName()));
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file