diff --git a/gpt_buddy_bot/app/app_page_templates.py b/gpt_buddy_bot/app/app_page_templates.py
index 328fd8d..29a1952 100644
--- a/gpt_buddy_bot/app/app_page_templates.py
+++ b/gpt_buddy_bot/app/app_page_templates.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 """Utilities for creating pages in a streamlit app."""
-import pickle
 import sys
 import uuid
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
@@ -127,8 +126,7 @@ def chat_configs(self) -> ChatOptions:
         """Return the configs used for the page's chat object."""
         if "chat_configs" not in self.state:
             chat_options_file_path = sys.argv[-1]
-            with open(chat_options_file_path, "rb") as chat_configs_file:
-                self.state["chat_configs"] = pickle.load(chat_configs_file)
+            self.state["chat_configs"] = ChatOptions.from_file(chat_options_file_path)
         return self.state["chat_configs"]
 
     @chat_configs.setter
diff --git a/gpt_buddy_bot/chat.py b/gpt_buddy_bot/chat.py
index 5513ecc..4ea7bc7 100644
--- a/gpt_buddy_bot/chat.py
+++ b/gpt_buddy_bot/chat.py
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ def cache_dir(self, value):
 
     def save_cache(self):
         """Store the chat's configs and metadata to the cache directory."""
-        with open(self.configs_file, "w") as configs_f:
-            configs_f.write(self.configs.model_dump_json(indent=2))
+        self.configs.export(self.configs_file)
 
         metadata = self.metadata  # Trigger loading metadata if not yet done
         with open(self.metadata_file, "w") as metadata_f:
diff --git a/gpt_buddy_bot/chat_configs.py b/gpt_buddy_bot/chat_configs.py
index c753c03..4e81bd3 100644
--- a/gpt_buddy_bot/chat_configs.py
+++ b/gpt_buddy_bot/chat_configs.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 """Registration and validation of options."""
 import argparse
+import json
 import types
 import typing
 from getpass import getuser
@@ -68,6 +69,17 @@ def __getitem__(self, item):
         except AttributeError as error:
             raise KeyError(item) from error
 
+    def export(self, fpath: Path):
+        """Export the model's data to a file."""
+        with open(fpath, "w") as configs_file:
+            configs_file.write(self.model_dump_json(indent=2, exclude_unset=True))
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_file(cls, fpath: Path):
+        """Return an instance of the class given configs stored in a json file."""
+        with open(fpath, "r") as configs_file:
+            return cls.model_validate(json.load(configs_file))
+
 
 class OpenAiApiCallOptions(BaseConfigModel):
     """Model for configuring options for OpenAI API calls."""
diff --git a/gpt_buddy_bot/command_definitions.py b/gpt_buddy_bot/command_definitions.py
index 64b1c6c..98f1fde 100644
--- a/gpt_buddy_bot/command_definitions.py
+++ b/gpt_buddy_bot/command_definitions.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 """Commands supported by the package's script."""
-import pickle
 import subprocess
 
 from . import GeneralConstants
@@ -23,9 +22,7 @@ def run_on_terminal(args):
 
 def run_on_ui(args):
     """Run the chat on the browser."""
-    with open(GeneralConstants.PARSED_ARGS_FILE, "wb") as chat_options_file:
-        pickle.dump(ChatOptions.from_cli_args(args), chat_options_file)
-
+    ChatOptions.from_cli_args(args).export(fpath=GeneralConstants.PARSED_ARGS_FILE)
     try:
         subprocess.run(
             [  # noqa: S603, S607