diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChain.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChain.java
index 01bae508b1..c4f3b34ed8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChain.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChain.java
@@ -16,10 +16,13 @@
  */
 package org.apache.commons.collections4.iterators;
 
+import org.apache.commons.collections4.IteratorUtils;
+
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Queue;
 
 /**
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@
  * @since 2.1
  */
 public class IteratorChain<E> implements Iterator<E> {
-
+    public static long hasNextCalledCount = 0;
     /** The chain of iterators */
     private final Queue<Iterator<? extends E>> iteratorChain = new LinkedList<>();
 
@@ -151,7 +154,21 @@ public IteratorChain(final Collection<Iterator<? extends E>> iteratorChain) {
      */
     public void addIterator(final Iterator<? extends E> iterator) {
         checkLocked();
-        iteratorChain.add(Objects.requireNonNull(iterator, "iterator"));
+        Objects.requireNonNull(iterator, "iterator");
+        if (iterator instanceof UnmodifiableIterator) {
+            Optional<IteratorChain<? extends E>> nestedIteratorChain = ((UnmodifiableIterator)iterator).getIteratorChain();
+            if (nestedIteratorChain.isPresent()) {
+                for (Iterator<? extends E> nestedIterator : nestedIteratorChain.get().iteratorChain) {
+                    iteratorChain.add(IteratorUtils.unmodifiableIterator(nestedIterator));
+                }
+            } else {
+                iteratorChain.add(iterator);
+            }
+        } else if (iterator instanceof IteratorChain) {
+            iteratorChain.addAll(((IteratorChain)iterator).iteratorChain);
+        } else {
+            iteratorChain.add(iterator);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -222,6 +239,7 @@ protected void updateCurrentIterator() {
      */
     @Override
     public boolean hasNext() {
+        hasNextCalledCount++;
         lockChain();
         updateCurrentIterator();
         lastUsedIterator = currentIterator;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/UnmodifiableIterator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/UnmodifiableIterator.java
index 5d86207d5d..de548efd5a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/UnmodifiableIterator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/UnmodifiableIterator.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.Unmodifiable;
 
@@ -35,6 +36,16 @@ public final class UnmodifiableIterator<E> implements Iterator<E>, Unmodifiable
     /** The iterator being decorated */
     private final Iterator<? extends E> iterator;
 
+    /**
+     * Obtain an Optional holding the nested IteratorChain, if it exists.
+     * @return Optional holding the iterator if it is an IteratorChain.
+     */
+    Optional<IteratorChain<? extends E>> getIteratorChain() {
+      return Optional.ofNullable(iterator instanceof IteratorChain
+                                     ? (IteratorChain<? extends E>)iterator
+                                     : null);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Decorates the specified iterator such that it cannot be modified.
      * <p>
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChainTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChainTest.java
index 64e290f116..1d7f49d4ff 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChainTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/iterators/IteratorChainTest.java
@@ -35,12 +35,16 @@
 public class IteratorChainTest extends AbstractIteratorTest<String> {
 
     protected String[] testArray = {
-        "One", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six"
+            "One", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six"
+    };
+    protected String[] testArray1234 = {
+            "One", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six", "Seven", "Eight"
     };
 
     protected List<String> list1 = null;
     protected List<String> list2 = null;
     protected List<String> list3 = null;
+    protected List<String> list4 = null;
 
     public IteratorChainTest() {
         super(IteratorChainTest.class.getSimpleName());
@@ -57,6 +61,9 @@ public void setUp() {
         list3 = new ArrayList<>();
         list3.add("Five");
         list3.add("Six");
+        list4 = new ArrayList<>();
+        list4.add("Seven");
+        list4.add("Eight");
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -170,4 +177,60 @@ public void testEmptyChain() {
         );
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testChainOfChains() {
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain1 = new IteratorChain<>(list1.iterator(), list2.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain2 = new IteratorChain<>(list3.iterator(), list4.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChainOfChains = new IteratorChain<>(iteratorChain1, iteratorChain2);
+
+        for (final String testValue : testArray1234) {
+            final Object iterValue = iteratorChainOfChains.next();
+
+            assertEquals( "Iteration value is correct", testValue, iterValue );
+        }
+
+        assertFalse("Iterator should now be empty", iteratorChainOfChains.hasNext());
+
+        try {
+            iteratorChainOfChains.next();
+        } catch (final Exception e) {
+            assertEquals("NoSuchElementException must be thrown", e.getClass(), NoSuchElementException.class);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testChainOfUnmodifiableChains() {
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain1 = new IteratorChain<>(list1.iterator(), list2.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> unmodifiableChain1 = IteratorUtils.unmodifiableIterator(iteratorChain1);
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain2 = new IteratorChain<>(list3.iterator(), list4.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> unmodifiableChain2 = IteratorUtils.unmodifiableIterator(iteratorChain2);
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChainOfChains = new IteratorChain<>(unmodifiableChain1, unmodifiableChain2);
+
+        for (final String testValue : testArray1234) {
+            final Object iterValue = iteratorChainOfChains.next();
+
+            assertEquals( "Iteration value is correct", testValue, iterValue );
+        }
+
+        assertFalse("Iterator should now be empty", iteratorChainOfChains.hasNext());
+
+        try {
+            iteratorChainOfChains.next();
+        } catch (final Exception e) {
+            assertEquals("NoSuchElementException must be thrown", e.getClass(), NoSuchElementException.class);
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testChainOfUnmodifiableChainsRetainsUnmodifiableBehaviourOfNestedIterator() {
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain1 = new IteratorChain<>(list1.iterator(), list2.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> unmodifiableChain1 = IteratorUtils.unmodifiableIterator(iteratorChain1);
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChain2 = new IteratorChain<>(list3.iterator(), list4.iterator());
+        final Iterator<String> unmodifiableChain2 = IteratorUtils.unmodifiableIterator(iteratorChain2);
+        final Iterator<String> iteratorChainOfChains = new IteratorChain<>(unmodifiableChain1, unmodifiableChain2);
+
+        iteratorChainOfChains.next();
+        assertThrows(UnsupportedOperationException.class, iteratorChainOfChains::remove,
+                "Calling remove must fail when nested iterator is unmodifiable");    }
 }