diff --git a/docs/api/index.rst b/docs/api/index.rst
index 65a6c875a87afba06f31a7bd5aae96134a475f0a..e266e2f51984e08adcbb40e2dcb3bc8b3db7d692 100644
--- a/docs/api/index.rst
+++ b/docs/api/index.rst
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ attributes and method signatures etc.
    rattail/db/model.batch.purchase
    rattail/db/model.batch.vendorcatalog
    rattail/db/model.datasync
+   rattail/db/model.people
    rattail/db/model.products
    rattail/db/model.purchase
    rattail/db/util
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ attributes and method signatures etc.
    rattail/reporting/handlers
    rattail/logging
    rattail/mail
+   rattail/people
    rattail/time
    rattail/upgrades
    rattail/win32
diff --git a/docs/api/rattail/db/model.people.rst b/docs/api/rattail/db/model.people.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5c31c323dd44b6cf369bb30425a69eca3e487ba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/api/rattail/db/model.people.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+``rattail.db.model.people``
+===========================
+
+.. automodule:: rattail.db.model.people
+  :members:
diff --git a/docs/api/rattail/people.rst b/docs/api/rattail/people.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..404947b34d7c836a35f320ddddc2b92e17092737
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/api/rattail/people.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+``rattail.people``
+==================
+
+.. automodule:: rattail.people
+   :members:
diff --git a/rattail/app.py b/rattail/app.py
index c938e34e64830606e6043d6515785c6e3c87176b..f7bad50aef0b146c42c84db1aba9d7659aa3c425 100644
--- a/rattail/app.py
+++ b/rattail/app.py
@@ -79,9 +79,16 @@ class AppHandler(object):
         return self.mail_handler
 
     def get_people_handler(self, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Returns a reference to the configured People Handler.
+
+        See also :doc:`rattail-manual:base/handlers/other/people`.
+        """
         if not hasattr(self, 'people_handler'):
-            from rattail.people import get_people_handler
-            self.people_handler = get_people_handler(self.config, **kwargs)
+            spec = self.config.get('rattail', 'people.handler',
+                                   default='rattail.people:PeopleHandler')
+            factory = load_object(spec)
+            self.people_handler = factory(self.config, **kwargs)
         return self.people_handler
 
     def get_products_handler(self, **kwargs):
diff --git a/rattail/people.py b/rattail/people.py
index 37fb011131ae7dd017fa7de232ea8fffcf555849..09fffa438bc937ce74997a801488252e072db411 100644
--- a/rattail/people.py
+++ b/rattail/people.py
@@ -22,11 +22,16 @@
 ################################################################################
 """
 People Handler
+
+See also :doc:`rattail-manual:base/handlers/other/people`.
 """
 
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, absolute_import
 
-from rattail.util import load_object
+import warnings
+
+from sqlalchemy import orm
+
 from rattail.app import GenericHandler
 
 
@@ -36,6 +41,14 @@ class PeopleHandler(GenericHandler):
     """
 
     def normalize_full_name(self, first, last, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Normalize a "full" name based on the given first and last
+        names.  Tries to be smart about collapsing whitespace etc.
+
+        :param first: First name.
+        :param last: Last name.
+        :returns: First and last name combined.
+        """
         from rattail.db.util import normalize_full_name
         return normalize_full_name(first, last)
 
@@ -80,14 +93,84 @@ class PeopleHandler(GenericHandler):
             # person.set_primary_address(address)
         return address
 
+    def get_merge_preview_fields(self, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Returns a sequence of fields which will be used during a merge
+        preview.
+        """
+        def F(name, **kwargs):
+            field = {'name': name}
+            field.update(kwargs)
+            return field
+
+        return [
+            F('uuid'),
+            F('first_name'),
+            F('last_name'),
+            F('display_name'),
+            F('usernames', additive=True),
+            F('member_uuids', additive=True),
+        ]
+
+    def get_merge_preview_data(self, person, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Must return a data dictionary for the given person, which can
+        be presented to the user during a merge preview.
+        """
+        return {
+            'uuid': person.uuid,
+            'first_name': person.first_name,
+            'last_name': person.last_name,
+            'display_name': person.display_name,
+            'usernames': [u.username for u in person.users],
+            'member_uuids': [m.uuid for m in person.members],
+        }
+
+    def why_not_merge(self, removing, keeping, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Evaluate the given merge candidates and if there is a reason *not*
+        to merge them, return that reason.
+
+        :param removing: Person record which will be removed, should the
+           merge happen.
+        :param keeping: Person record which will be kept, should the
+           merge happen.
+        :returns: String indicating reason not to merge, or ``None``.
+        """
+
+    def perform_merge(self, removing, keeping, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Perform an actual merge of the 2 given people.
+
+        :param removing: Person record which should be removed.
+        :param keeping: Person record which should be kept.
+        """
+        # move Member records to final Person
+        for member in list(removing.members):
+            removing.members.remove(member)
+            keeping.members.append(member)
+
+        # move User records to final Person
+        for user in list(removing.users):
+            removing.users.remove(user)
+            keeping.users.append(user)
+
+        # delete unwanted Person
+        session = orm.object_session(keeping)
+        session.delete(removing)
+        session.flush()
+
 
 def get_people_handler(config, **kwargs):
     """
     Create and return the configured :class:`PeopleHandler` instance.
+
+    .. warning::
+       This function is deprecated; please use
+       :meth:`~rattail.app.AppHandler.get_people_handler` instead.
     """
-    spec = config.get('rattail', 'people.handler')
-    if spec:
-        factory = load_object(spec)
-    else:
-        factory = PeopleHandler
-    return factory(config, **kwargs)
+    warnings.warn("get_people_handler() function is deprecated, "
+                  "please use app.get_people_handler() method instead",
+                  DeprecationWarning)
+    app = config.get_app()
+    return app.get_people_handler(**kwargs)