diff --git a/lib/libfrr.c b/lib/libfrr.c
index ee02e019e3..38f994bdfc 100644
--- a/lib/libfrr.c
+++ b/lib/libfrr.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "frrscript.h"
 
 DEFINE_HOOK(frr_late_init, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
+DEFINE_HOOK(frr_config_pre, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
 DEFINE_HOOK(frr_config_post, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
 DEFINE_KOOH(frr_early_fini, (), ());
 DEFINE_KOOH(frr_fini, (), ());
@@ -931,6 +932,8 @@ static void frr_daemonize(void)
  */
 static int frr_config_read_in(struct thread *t)
 {
+	hook_call(frr_config_pre, master);
+
 	if (!vty_read_config(vty_shared_candidate_config, di->config_file,
 			     config_default)
 	    && di->backup_config_file) {
diff --git a/lib/libfrr.h b/lib/libfrr.h
index 114e631226..47ded8f313 100644
--- a/lib/libfrr.h
+++ b/lib/libfrr.h
@@ -141,8 +141,12 @@ extern enum frr_cli_mode frr_get_cli_mode(void);
 extern uint32_t frr_get_fd_limit(void);
 extern bool frr_is_startup_fd(int fd);
 
+/* call order of these hooks is as ordered here */
 DECLARE_HOOK(frr_late_init, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
+/* fork() happens between late_init and config_pre */
+DECLARE_HOOK(frr_config_pre, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
 DECLARE_HOOK(frr_config_post, (struct thread_master * tm), (tm));
+
 extern void frr_config_fork(void);
 
 extern void frr_run(struct thread_master *master);