diff --git a/datastock/_class0.py b/datastock/_class0.py
index 26b909d..0c54855 100644
--- a/datastock/_class0.py
+++ b/datastock/_class0.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def to_dict(
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_dict(cls, din=None, isflat=None, sep=None):
+    def from_dict(cls, din=None, isflat=None, sep=None, obj=None):
         """ Populate the instances attributes using an input dict
 
         The input dict must be properly formatted
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ def from_dict(cls, din=None, isflat=None, sep=None):
         # ---------------------
         # Instanciate and populate
 
-        obj = cls()
+        if obj is None:
+            obj = cls()
+
         for k0 in din.keys():
             if k0 == '_ddef':
                 if 'dobj' not in din[k0]['params'].keys():
diff --git a/datastock/_class1.py b/datastock/_class1.py
index 27e2304..d4003c9 100644
--- a/datastock/_class1.py
+++ b/datastock/_class1.py
@@ -369,8 +369,8 @@ def remove_param(
     ###########
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_dict(cls, din=None, sep=None):
-        obj = super().from_dict(din=din, sep=sep)
+    def from_dict(cls, din=None, sep=None, obj=None):
+        obj = super().from_dict(din=din, sep=sep, obj=obj)
         obj.update()
         return obj
 
diff --git a/datastock/_saveload.py b/datastock/_saveload.py
index 1524c42..62053d8 100644
--- a/datastock/_saveload.py
+++ b/datastock/_saveload.py
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ def save(
 def load(
     pfe=None,
     cls=None,
+    coll=None,
     allow_pickle=None,
     sep=None,
     verb=None,
@@ -206,16 +207,24 @@ def load(
 
     # -------------
     # check inputs
+    # -------------
 
+    # ---------
     # pfe
+
     if not os.path.isfile(pfe):
         msg = f"Arg pfe must be a valid path to a file!\n\t- Provided: {pfe}"
         raise Exception(msg)
 
-    # cls
-    if cls is None:
-        from ._class import DataStock
-        cls = DataStock
+    # --------------
+    # cls vs coll
+
+    if coll is None:
+        if cls is None:
+            from ._class import DataStock
+            cls = DataStock
+    else:
+        cls = coll.__class__
 
     if not (type(cls) is type and hasattr(cls, 'from_dict')):
         msg = (
@@ -224,14 +233,18 @@ def load(
         )
         raise Exception(msg)
 
+    # ------------
     # allow_pickle
+
     allow_pickle = _generic_check._check_var(
         allow_pickle, 'allow_pickle',
         default=True,
         types=bool,
     )
 
+    # -------
     # verb
+
     verb = _generic_check._check_var(
         verb, 'verb',
         default=True,
@@ -240,11 +253,13 @@ def load(
 
     # --------------
     # load flat dict
+    # --------------
 
     dflat = dict(np.load(pfe, allow_pickle=allow_pickle))
 
     # ------------------------------
     # load sep from file if exists
+    # ------------------------------
 
     if _KEY_SEP in dflat.keys():
         # new
@@ -256,6 +271,7 @@ def load(
 
     # ----------
     # reshape
+    # ----------
 
     dout = {}
     for k0, v0 in dflat.items():
@@ -310,14 +326,19 @@ def load(
 
     # -----------
     # Instanciate
+    # -----------
 
-    obj = cls.from_dict(dout)
+    coll = cls.from_dict(dout, obj=coll)
+
+    # -----------
+    # verb
+    # -----------
 
     if verb:
         msg = f"Loaded from\n\t{pfe}"
         print(msg)
 
-    return obj
+    return coll
 
 
 # #################################################################
diff --git a/datastock/tests/test_01_DataStock.py b/datastock/tests/test_01_DataStock.py
index 2b2213d..374bab1 100644
--- a/datastock/tests/test_01_DataStock.py
+++ b/datastock/tests/test_01_DataStock.py
@@ -612,6 +612,16 @@ def test24_saveload(self, verb=False):
         st2 = load(pfe, verb=verb)
         # Just to check the loaded version works fine
         msg = st2.__eq__(self.st, returnas=str)
+        if msg is not True:
+            raise Exception(msg)
+        os.remove(pfe)
+
+    def test25_saveload_coll(self, verb=False):
+        pfe = self.st.save(path=_PATH_OUTPUT, verb=verb, return_pfe=True)
+        st = DataStock()
+        st2 = load(pfe, coll=st, verb=verb)
+        # Just to check the loaded version works fine
+        msg = st2.__eq__(self.st, returnas=str)
         if msg is not True:
             raise Exception(msg)
         os.remove(pfe)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/datastock/version.py b/datastock/version.py
index ef44963..b880254 100644
--- a/datastock/version.py
+++ b/datastock/version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 # Do not edit, pipeline versioning governed by git tags!
-__version__ = '0.0.43'
+__version__ = '0.0.44'