diff --git a/stdplugins/chain.py b/stdplugins/chain.py
index 8c28ffc..f35bfff 100644
--- a/stdplugins/chain.py
+++ b/stdplugins/chain.py
@@ -2,22 +2,48 @@
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
+from collections import defaultdict
+
 from telethon import events
 from telethon.tl.functions.messages import SaveDraftRequest
 
+def intify(d):
+    for k, v in d.items():
+        if isinstance(v, dict):
+            v = dict(intify(v))
+        yield int(k), v
+
+global_cache = defaultdict(lambda: {}, intify(storage.cache or {}))
+
 @borg.on(events.NewMessage(pattern=r"\.chain", outgoing=True))
 async def _(event):
-    await event.edit("Counting...")
-    count = -1
-    message = event.message
-    while message:
-        reply = await message.get_reply_message()
+    cache = global_cache[event.chat_id]
+
+    message = event.reply_to_msg_id
+    count = 0
+    while message is not None:
+        reply = cache.get(message, -1)
+        if reply == -1:
+            reply = None
+            async for m in borg.iter_messages(
+                event.chat_id,
+                ids=message
+            ):
+                reply = m.reply_to_msg_id
+                cache[message] = reply
+                if len(cache) % 10 == 0:
+                    await event.edit(f"Counting... ({len(cache)} cached entries)")
+
         if reply is None:
             await borg(SaveDraftRequest(
                 await event.get_input_chat(),
                 "",
-                reply_to_msg_id=message.id
+                reply_to_msg_id=message
             ))
+
         message = reply
         count += 1
+
+    if count:
+        storage.cache = global_cache
     await event.edit(f"Chain length: {count}")