diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index d29c287..34abfdb 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -319,6 +319,15 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    */
   function load(id, cb) {
     assertDBPlugin(peer)
+    if (accountID === id) {
+      loaded(cb)
+      return
+    }
+    if (accountID !== null) {
+      // prettier-ignore
+      cb(new Error(`Cannot load Set for account "${id}" because Set for account "${accountID}" is already loaded`))
+      return
+    }
     accountID = id
     loadPromise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       for (const rec of peer.db.records()) {
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index 89911fd..03f538a 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ test('setup', async (t) => {
     _nonce: 'alice',
   })
   await p(peer.set.load)(aliceID)
+  await p(peer.set.load)(aliceID) // on purpose, test that re-load is idempotent
 
   peer.set.setGhostSpan(4)
   assert.equal(peer.set.getGhostSpan(), 4, 'getGhostSpan')