diff --git a/src/pickledb.rs b/src/pickledb.rs
index 68f4a47..2c203b4 100644
--- a/src/pickledb.rs
+++ b/src/pickledb.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use crate::iterators::{PickleDbIterator, PickleDbListIterator};
 use crate::serialization::SerializationMethod;
 use crate::serialization::Serializer;
 
+#[derive(Copy, Clone)]
 /// An enum that determines the policy of dumping PickleDb changes into the file
 pub enum PickleDbDumpPolicy {
     /// Never dump any change, file will always remain read-only
@@ -71,6 +72,34 @@ impl PickleDb {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Attempts to load a DB from a file, and if it fails to load, constructs a new `PickleDb` instance.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `db_path` - a path where the DB will be stored
+    /// * `dump_policy` - an enum value that determines the policy of dumping DB changes into the file. Please see
+    ///    [PickleDb::load()](#method.load) to understand the different policy options
+    /// * `serialization_method` - the serialization method to use for storing the data to memory and file
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```no_run
+    /// use pickledb::{PickleDb, PickleDbDumpPolicy, SerializationMethod};
+    ///
+    /// let mut db = PickleDb::load_or_new("example.db", PickleDbDumpPolicy::AutoDump, SerializationMethod::Json);
+    /// ```
+    ///
+    pub fn load_or_new<P: AsRef<Path>>(
+        db_path: P,
+        dump_policy: PickleDbDumpPolicy,
+        serialization_method: SerializationMethod,
+    ) -> Result<PickleDb> {
+        match db_path.as_ref().exists() {
+            true => PickleDb::load(db_path, dump_policy, serialization_method),
+            false => Ok(PickleDb::new(db_path, dump_policy, serialization_method)),
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Constructs a new `PickleDb` instance that uses [JSON serialization](https://crates.io/crates/serde_json) for storing the data.
     ///
     /// # Arguments
@@ -550,14 +579,8 @@ impl PickleDb {
     ///
     pub fn get_all(&self) -> Vec<String> {
         [
-            self.map
-                .iter()
-                .map(|(key, _)| key.clone())
-                .collect::<Vec<String>>(),
-            self.list_map
-                .iter()
-                .map(|(key, _)| key.clone())
-                .collect::<Vec<String>>(),
+            self.map.keys().cloned().collect::<Vec<String>>(),
+            self.list_map.keys().cloned().collect::<Vec<String>>(),
         ]
         .concat()
     }
diff --git a/src/serialization.rs b/src/serialization.rs
index 4ce0194..eb11b61 100644
--- a/src/serialization.rs
+++ b/src/serialization.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ type DbListMap = HashMap<String, Vec<Vec<u8>>>;
 
 /// An enum for specifying the serialization method to use when creating a new PickleDB database
 /// or loading one from a file
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
 pub enum SerializationMethod {
     /// [JSON serialization](https://crates.io/crates/serde_json)
     Json,
diff --git a/tests/pickledb_key_value_tests.rs b/tests/pickledb_key_value_tests.rs
index 8d979b1..6bbeb70 100644
--- a/tests/pickledb_key_value_tests.rs
+++ b/tests/pickledb_key_value_tests.rs
@@ -414,3 +414,123 @@ fn iter_test(ser_method_int: i32) {
     // verify all 5 keys were seen
     assert_eq!(keys_seen.iter().filter(|&t| *t).count(), 5);
 }
+
+#[rstest_parametrize(ser_method_int, case(0), case(1), case(2), case(3))]
+fn basic_set_get_load_or_new(ser_method_int: i32) {
+    test_setup!("basic_set_get_load_or_new", ser_method_int, db_name);
+
+    let mut db = PickleDb::load_or_new(
+        &db_name,
+        PickleDbDumpPolicy::AutoDump,
+        ser_method!(ser_method_int),
+    );
+
+    // set a number
+    let num = 100;
+    db.set("num", &num).unwrap();
+
+    // set a floating point number
+    let float_num = 1.224;
+    db.set("float", &float_num).unwrap();
+
+    // set a String
+    let mystr = String::from("my string");
+    db.set("string", &mystr).unwrap();
+
+    // set a Vec
+    let myvec = vec![1, 2, 3];
+    db.set("vec", &myvec).unwrap();
+
+    // set a struct
+    #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+    struct Coor {
+        x: i32,
+        y: i32,
+    }
+    let mycoor = Coor { x: 1, y: 2 };
+    db.set("struct", &mycoor).unwrap();
+
+    // read a num
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<i32>("num").unwrap(), num);
+    // read a floating point number
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<f32>("float").unwrap(), float_num);
+    // read a String
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<String>("string").unwrap(), mystr);
+    // read a Vec
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Vec<i32>>("vec").unwrap(), myvec);
+    // read a struct
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().x, mycoor.x);
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().y, mycoor.y);
+}
+
+#[rstest_parametrize(ser_method_int, case(0), case(1), case(2), case(3))]
+fn load_or_new(ser_method_int: i32) {
+    test_setup!("load_or_new", ser_method_int, db_name);
+
+    let mut db = PickleDb::new(
+        &db_name,
+        PickleDbDumpPolicy::AutoDump,
+        ser_method!(ser_method_int),
+    );
+
+    // set a number
+    let num = 100;
+    db.set("num", &num).unwrap();
+
+    // set a floating point number
+    let float_num = 1.224;
+    db.set("float", &float_num).unwrap();
+
+    // set a String
+    let mystr = String::from("my string");
+    db.set("string", &mystr).unwrap();
+
+    // set a Vec
+    let myvec = vec![1, 2, 3];
+    db.set("vec", &myvec).unwrap();
+
+    // set a struct
+    #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+    struct Coor {
+        x: i32,
+        y: i32,
+    }
+    let mycoor = Coor { x: 1, y: 2 };
+    db.set("struct", &mycoor).unwrap();
+
+    // read a num
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<i32>("num").unwrap(), num);
+    // read a floating point number
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<f32>("float").unwrap(), float_num);
+    // read a String
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<String>("string").unwrap(), mystr);
+    // read a Vec
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Vec<i32>>("vec").unwrap(), myvec);
+    // read a struct
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().x, mycoor.x);
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().y, mycoor.y);
+
+    // drop database
+    drop(db);
+
+    // create new database that should load from existing database
+    let db = PickleDb::load_or_new(
+        &db_name,
+        PickleDbDumpPolicy::AutoDump,
+        ser_method!(ser_method_int),
+    );
+
+    // assert data is identical to existing database
+
+    // read a num
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<i32>("num").unwrap(), num);
+    // read a floating point number
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<f32>("float").unwrap(), float_num);
+    // read a String
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<String>("string").unwrap(), mystr);
+    // read a Vec
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Vec<i32>>("vec").unwrap(), myvec);
+    // read a struct
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().x, mycoor.x);
+    assert_eq!(db.get::<Coor>("struct").unwrap().y, mycoor.y);
+}