diff --git a/lib/Qpsmtpd.pm b/lib/Qpsmtpd.pm
index 50a17e6..4036f1a 100644
--- a/lib/Qpsmtpd.pm
+++ b/lib/Qpsmtpd.pm
@@ -43,7 +43,14 @@ sub version { $VERSION . ($git ? "/$git" : "") }
 
 sub TRACE_LEVEL { $TraceLevel };    # leave for plugin compatibility
 
-sub hooks { $hooks; }
+sub hooks {
+    my ($self, $hook) = @_;
+    if ($hook) {
+        if (!defined $hooks->{$hook}) { return wantarray ? () : []; };
+        return wantarray ? @{$hooks->{$hook}} : $hooks->{$hook};
+    };
+    return $hooks;
+}
 
 sub load_logging {
     my $self = shift;
@@ -252,9 +259,7 @@ sub transaction { return {}; }    # base class implements empty transaction
 
 sub run_hooks {
     my ($self, $hook) = (shift, shift);
-    if ($hooks->{$hook}) {
-        my @r;
-        my @local_hooks = @{$hooks->{$hook}};
+    if (my @local_hooks = $self->hooks($hook)) {
         $self->{_continuation} = [$hook, [@_], @local_hooks];
         return $self->run_continuation();
     }
@@ -265,7 +270,7 @@ sub run_hooks_no_respond {
     my ($self, $hook) = (shift, shift);
     if ($hooks->{$hook}) {
         my @r;
-        for my $code (@{$hooks->{$hook}}) {
+        for my $code ($self->hooks($hook)) {
             eval { (@r) = $code->{code}->($self, $self->transaction, @_); };
             if ($@) {
                 warn("FATAL PLUGIN ERROR [" . $code->{name} . "]: ", $@);
diff --git a/t/qpsmtpd.t b/t/qpsmtpd.t
index f4183b4..b18a6a5 100644
--- a/t/qpsmtpd.t
+++ b/t/qpsmtpd.t
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ BEGIN {
 my $qp = bless {}, 'Qpsmtpd';
 
 ok($qp->version(), "version, " . $qp->version());
-is_deeply(Qpsmtpd::hooks(), {}, 'hooks, empty');
+__hooks_none();
 
 ok(my ($smtpd, $conn) = Test::Qpsmtpd->new_conn(), "get new connection");
-ok(Qpsmtpd::hooks(), "hooks, populated");
+__hooks();
 
 __temp_file();
 __temp_dir();
@@ -40,6 +40,27 @@ __config();
 
 done_testing();
 
+sub __hooks {
+    ok(Qpsmtpd::hooks(), "hooks, populated");
+    my $r = $qp->hooks;
+    ok(%$r, "hooks, populated returns a hashref");
+
+    $r = $qp->hooks('connect');
+    ok(@$r, "hooks, populated, connect");
+    #warn Data::Dumper::Dumper($r);
+
+    my @r = $qp->hooks('connect');
+    ok(@r, "hooks, populated, connect, wants array");
+}
+
+sub __hooks_none {
+    is_deeply(Qpsmtpd::hooks(), {}, 'hooks, empty');
+    is_deeply($qp->hooks, {}, 'hooks, empty');
+
+    my $r = $qp->hooks('connect');
+    is_deeply($r, [], 'hooks, empty, specified');
+}
+
 sub __log {
     my $warned = '';
     local $SIG{__WARN__} = sub {