diff --git a/src/cli/list.rs b/src/cli/list.rs
index f6cf516..c43ba0a 100644
--- a/src/cli/list.rs
+++ b/src/cli/list.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ use clap::Subcommand;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Subcommand)]
 pub enum ListCommand {
+    /// Activate a download list.
+    #[clap(visible_alias = "a")]
+    Activate {
+        /// The name of the list to activate.
+        name: String,
+    },
     /// Create a new download list.
     #[clap(visible_alias = "c", visible_alias = "new")]
     Create {
diff --git a/src/cli/mod.rs b/src/cli/mod.rs
index 64dd911..1d2004e 100644
--- a/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ pub use list::*;
 pub struct CLI {
     #[clap(subcommand)]
     pub command: Command,
+    /// Print the state before and after executing the specified operation.
+    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+    #[clap(long)]
+    pub debug_state: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Subcommand)]
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 59b3176..3a74e80 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,38 +7,48 @@ use anyhow::{ensure, Context};
 use clap::Parser;
 use directories::ProjectDirs;
 
-use crate::store::DownloadListStore;
+use crate::{state::State, store::DownloadListStore};
 
 mod cli;
 mod data;
+mod state;
 mod store;
 
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     human_panic::setup_panic!();
     let cli = cli::CLI::parse();
-    let (state, data) = prepare_directories()?;
+
+    let (state_dir, data) = prepare_directories()?;
+    let mut state = State::load(&state_dir).context("failed to read state")?;
+
+    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+    if cli.debug_state {
+        dbg!(&state);
+    }
 
     match cli.command {
         cli::Command::List { command } => match command {
+            cli::ListCommand::Activate { name } => {
+                let _ = DownloadListStore::load(&name, &data)?;
+                state.set_active_list(name);
+            }
             cli::ListCommand::Create { name, description } => {
                 let mut list = DownloadListStore::new(name, &data)?;
 
                 list.set_description(description);
 
-                list.save()
+                list.save()?;
             }
-            cli::ListCommand::Delete { name } => DownloadListStore::delete(&name, &data),
+            cli::ListCommand::Delete { name } => DownloadListStore::delete(&name, &data)?,
             cli::ListCommand::Info { name } => {
                 let list = DownloadListStore::load(&name, &data)?;
 
                 println!("name:        {}", list.name());
                 println!("description: {}", list.description());
-
-                Ok(())
             }
-            cli::ListCommand::List => Ok(DownloadListStore::list(&data)?
+            cli::ListCommand::List => DownloadListStore::list(&data)?
                 .into_iter()
-                .for_each(|n| println!("{n}"))),
+                .for_each(|n| println!("{n}")),
             cli::ListCommand::Update { name, description } => {
                 let mut list = DownloadListStore::load(&name, &data)?;
 
@@ -46,10 +56,21 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                     list.set_description(description);
                 }
 
-                list.save()
+                list.save()?;
             }
         },
     }
+
+    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+    if cli.debug_state {
+        dbg!(&state);
+    }
+
+    if state.changed() {
+        state.save(&state_dir)?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 fn prepare_directories() -> anyhow::Result<(PathBuf, PathBuf)> {
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49428ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+use std::{fs, path::Path};
+
+use anyhow::Context;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
+pub struct State {
+    active_list: String,
+    #[serde(skip, default)]
+    changed: bool,
+}
+
+impl State {
+    pub fn active_list(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.active_list
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_active_list(&mut self, active_list: String) {
+        self.active_list = active_list;
+        self.changed = true;
+    }
+
+    pub fn changed(&self) -> bool {
+        self.changed
+    }
+}
+
+impl State {
+    pub fn load(directory: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        Self::load_file(&directory.join("state.json"))
+    }
+
+    pub fn load_file(file: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        if !file.is_file() {
+            return Ok(Self::default());
+        }
+
+        serde_json::from_slice(&fs::read(file).context("failed to read state file")?)
+            .context("failed to deserialize state")
+    }
+
+    pub fn save(&mut self, directory: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        self.save_file(&directory.join("state.json"))
+    }
+
+    pub fn save_file(&mut self, file: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        self.changed = false;
+        fs::write(
+            file,
+            serde_json::to_vec(&self).context("failed to serialize state")?,
+        )
+        .context("failed to write state file")
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for State {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            active_list: String::from("default"),
+            changed: false,
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/store.rs b/src/store.rs
index fd2197c..0577fe7 100644
--- a/src/store.rs
+++ b/src/store.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ impl DownloadListStore {
             .read(true)
             .write(true)
             .open(&path)
-            .context("failed to create list file")?;
+            .context(format!("failed to create list file: {}", path.display()))?;
 
         file.lock_exclusive()
             .context("failed to acquire list file lock")?;
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ impl DownloadListStore {
             .read(true)
             .write(true)
             .open(&path)
-            .context("failed to open list file")?;
+            .context(format!("failed to open list file: {}", path.display()))?;
 
         file.lock_exclusive()
             .context("failed to acquire list file lock")?;