diff --git a/chatmastermind/chat.py b/chatmastermind/chat.py
index 1a12d64..5f15a64 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/chat.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/chat.py
@@ -325,7 +325,12 @@ class ChatDB(Chat):
         * 'mfilter': use with 'Message.from_file()' to filter messages
           when reading them.
         """
-        messages = read_dir(db_path, glob, mfilter)
+        messages: list[Message] = []
+        if loc in [msg_location.DB, msg_location.DISK, msg_location.ALL]:
+            messages.extend(read_dir(db_path, glob, mfilter))
+        if loc in [msg_location.CACHE, msg_location.DISK, msg_location.ALL]:
+            messages.extend(read_dir(cache_path, glob, mfilter))
+        messages.sort(key=lambda x: x.msg_id())
         return cls(messages, cache_path, db_path, mfilter, glob)
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/chatmastermind/commands/hist.py b/chatmastermind/commands/hist.py
index 4e0320b..b065afb 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/commands/hist.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/commands/hist.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ def convert_messages(args: argparse.Namespace, config: Config) -> None:
     ('.txt', '.yaml') to the latest default message file suffix ('.msg').
     """
     chat = ChatDB.from_dir(Path(config.cache),
-                           Path(config.db))
+                           Path(config.db),
+                           glob='*')
     # read all known message files
     msgs = chat.msg_gather(loc=msg_location.DISK, glob='*.*')
     # make a set of all message IDs
@@ -55,7 +56,9 @@ def print_chat(args: argparse.Namespace, config: Config) -> None:
                             answer_contains=args.answer)
     chat = ChatDB.from_dir(Path(config.cache),
                            Path(config.db),
-                           mfilter=mfilter)
+                           mfilter=mfilter,
+                           loc=msg_location(args.location),
+                           glob=args.glob)
     chat.print(args.source_code_only,
                args.with_metadata,
                paged=not args.no_paging,
diff --git a/chatmastermind/commands/question.py b/chatmastermind/commands/question.py
index 8149620..cd31d54 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/commands/question.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/commands/question.py
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ def question_cmd(args: argparse.Namespace, config: Config) -> None:
                             tags_not=args.exclude_tags)
     chat = ChatDB.from_dir(cache_path=Path(config.cache),
                            db_path=Path(config.db),
-                           mfilter=mfilter)
+                           mfilter=mfilter,
+                           glob=args.glob,
+                           loc=msg_location(args.location))
     # if it's a new question, create and store it immediately
     if args.ask or args.create:
         message = create_message(chat, args)
diff --git a/chatmastermind/main.py b/chatmastermind/main.py
index ff74d6c..702d8c0 100755
--- a/chatmastermind/main.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/main.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from .commands.tags import tags_cmd
 from .commands.config import config_cmd
 from .commands.hist import hist_cmd
 from .commands.print import print_cmd
+from .chat import msg_location
 
 
 def tags_completer(prefix: str, parsed_args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> list[str]:
@@ -65,6 +66,11 @@ def create_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     question_group.add_argument('-c', '--create', nargs='+', help='Create a question', metavar='QUESTION')
     question_group.add_argument('-r', '--repeat', nargs='*', help='Repeat a question', metavar='MESSAGE')
     question_group.add_argument('-p', '--process', nargs='*', help='Process existing questions', metavar='MESSAGE')
+    question_cmd_parser.add_argument('-l', '--location',
+                                     choices=[x.value for x in msg_location],
+                                     default='db',
+                                     help='Select message location, default is \'db\'')
+    question_cmd_parser.add_argument('-g', '--glob', help='Glob for message file names')
     question_cmd_parser.add_argument('-O', '--overwrite', help='Overwrite existing messages when repeating them',
                                      action='store_true')
     question_cmd_parser.add_argument('-s', '--source-text', nargs='+', help='Add content of a file to the query', metavar='FILE')
@@ -87,6 +93,11 @@ def create_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     hist_cmd_parser.add_argument('-Q', '--question', help='Print only questions with given substring', metavar='SUBSTRING')
     hist_cmd_parser.add_argument('-d', '--tight', help='Print without message separators', action='store_true')
     hist_cmd_parser.add_argument('-P', '--no-paging', help='Print without paging', action='store_true')
+    hist_cmd_parser.add_argument('-l', '--location',
+                                 choices=[x.value for x in msg_location],
+                                 default='db',
+                                 help='Select message location, default is \'db\'')
+    hist_cmd_parser.add_argument('-g', '--glob', help='Glob for message file names')
 
     # 'tags' command parser
     tags_cmd_parser = cmdparser.add_parser('tags',
diff --git a/tests/test_chat.py b/tests/test_chat.py
index 03aaf8a..7f68113 100644
--- a/tests/test_chat.py
+++ b/tests/test_chat.py
@@ -240,7 +240,8 @@ class TestChatDB(TestChatBase):
         msg_to_file_force_suffix(duplicate_message)
         with self.assertRaises(ChatError) as cm:
             ChatDB.from_dir(pathlib.Path(self.cache_path.name),
-                            pathlib.Path(self.db_path.name))
+                            pathlib.Path(self.db_path.name),
+                            glob='*')
         self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception), "Validation failed")
 
     def test_file_path_ID_exists(self) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_question_cmd.py b/tests/test_question_cmd.py
index ea82364..b809e4b 100644
--- a/tests/test_question_cmd.py
+++ b/tests/test_question_cmd.py
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ class TestQuestionCmd(TestWithFakeAI):
         # create a mock argparse.Namespace
         self.args = argparse.Namespace(
             ask=['What is the meaning of life?'],
+            glob=None,
+            location='db',
             num_answers=1,
             output_tags=['science'],
             AI='FakeAI',