diff --git a/rowbot b/rowbot
index 94e528b..89cfb6a 100755
--- a/rowbot
+++ b/rowbot
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ fi
 
 if [[ $markov_seed ]]; then
   if [[ -f $markov_seed ]]; then
+    debug "loading markov seed file"
+
     declare -A markov_chains enabled
     read -ra words < "$markov_seed"
 
@@ -200,6 +202,8 @@ if [[ $markov_seed ]]; then
         markov_chains[$key]+=" ${words[$idx + 2]}"
       fi
     done
+
+    debug "markov seeds: %s" "${!markov_chains[*]}"
   else
     die "seed file does not exist: %s" "$markov_seed"
   fi
@@ -677,7 +681,7 @@ hook_pre_PRIVMSG_CTCP() {
 }
 
 hook_post_PRIVMSG_markov() {
-  if [[ ! ${markov_chains@A} ]]; then
+  if [[ ! -v markov_chains[@] ]]; then
     return 0
   elif [[ ${to:0:1} = \# && ${enabled[$to]} != yes ]]; then
     return 0
@@ -701,7 +705,7 @@ hook_post_PRIVMSG_markov() {
 hook_cmd_markov() {
   local keys idx key str chains next vals val_idx
 
-  if [[ ! ${markov_chains@A} ]]; then
+  if [[ ! -v markov_chains[@] ]]; then
     if [[ $action = markov ]]; then
       privmsg "$to" "markov chains are not enabled"
     fi