diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.c b/src/lxc/conf.c
index 724a26c74..4b79d50b5 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.c
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.c
@@ -1617,6 +1617,7 @@ static int setup_private_host_hw_addr(char *veth1)
 struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf_init(void)
 {
 	struct lxc_conf *new;
+	int i;
 
 	new = 	malloc(sizeof(*new));
 	if (!new) {
@@ -1636,6 +1637,8 @@ struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf_init(void)
 	lxc_list_init(&new->network);
 	lxc_list_init(&new->mount_list);
 	lxc_list_init(&new->caps);
+	for (i=0; i<NUM_LXC_HOOKS; i++)
+		lxc_list_init(&new->hooks[i]);
 #if HAVE_APPARMOR
 	new->aa_profile = NULL;
 #endif
@@ -2067,6 +2070,7 @@ int lxc_setup(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	HOOK(name, "mount", lxc_conf);
 	if (setup_cgroup(name, &lxc_conf->cgroup)) {
 		ERROR("failed to setup the cgroups for '%s'", name);
 		return -1;
@@ -2116,3 +2120,28 @@ int lxc_setup(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf)
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int run_lxc_hooks(const char *name, char *hook, struct lxc_conf *conf)
+{
+	int which = -1;
+	struct lxc_list *it;
+
+	if (strcmp(hook, "pre-start") == 0)
+		which = LXCHOOK_PRESTART;
+	else if (strcmp(hook, "mount") == 0)
+		which = LXCHOOK_MOUNT;
+	else if (strcmp(hook, "start") == 0)
+		which = LXCHOOK_START;
+	else if (strcmp(hook, "post-stop") == 0)
+		which = LXCHOOK_POSTSTOP;
+	else
+		return -1;
+	lxc_list_for_each(it, &conf->hooks[which]) {
+		int ret;
+		char *hookname = it->elem;
+		ret = run_script(name, "lxc", hookname, hook, NULL);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.h b/src/lxc/conf.h
index 0c1f5c317..7c1ded00f 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.h
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.h
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@ struct lxc_rootfs {
  * @aa_profile : apparmor profile to switch to
 #endif
  */
+enum lxchooks {
+	LXCHOOK_PRESTART, LXCHOOK_MOUNT, LXCHOOK_START,
+	LXCHOOK_POSTSTOP, NUM_LXC_HOOKS};
 struct lxc_conf {
 	char *fstab;
 	int tty;
@@ -219,6 +222,7 @@ struct lxc_conf {
 	struct lxc_rootfs rootfs;
 	char *ttydir;
 	int close_all_fds;
+	struct lxc_list hooks[NUM_LXC_HOOKS];
 #if HAVE_APPARMOR
 	char *aa_profile;
 #endif
@@ -227,6 +231,14 @@ struct lxc_conf {
 #endif
 };
 
+int run_lxc_hooks(const char *name, char *hook, struct lxc_conf *conf);
+/* we don't want to stick with the HOOK define, it's just to easily start */
+#define HOOK(name, which, conf) \
+	do { \
+		int hookret = run_lxc_hooks(name, which, conf); \
+		if (hookret) return -1; \
+	} while (0);
+
 /*
  * Initialize the lxc configuration structure
  */
diff --git a/src/lxc/confile.c b/src/lxc/confile.c
index 09902ba4b..b7b990ee0 100644
--- a/src/lxc/confile.c
+++ b/src/lxc/confile.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ static int config_rootfs(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
 static int config_rootfs_mount(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
 static int config_pivotdir(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
 static int config_utsname(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
+static int config_hook(const char *key, char *value, struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf);
 static int config_network_type(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
 static int config_network_flags(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
 static int config_network_link(const char *, char *, struct lxc_conf *);
@@ -97,6 +98,10 @@ static struct config config[] = {
 	{ "lxc.rootfs",               config_rootfs               },
 	{ "lxc.pivotdir",             config_pivotdir             },
 	{ "lxc.utsname",              config_utsname              },
+	{ "lxc.hook.pre-start",       config_hook                 },
+	{ "lxc.hook.mount",           config_hook                 },
+	{ "lxc.hook.start",           config_hook                 },
+	{ "lxc.hook.post-stop",       config_hook                 },
 	{ "lxc.network.type",         config_network_type         },
 	{ "lxc.network.flags",        config_network_flags        },
 	{ "lxc.network.link",         config_network_link         },
@@ -590,6 +595,41 @@ static int config_network_script(const char *key, char *value,
 	return -1;
 }
 
+static int add_hook(struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf, int which, char *hook)
+{
+	struct lxc_list *hooklist;
+
+	hooklist = malloc(sizeof(*hooklist));
+	if (!hooklist) {
+		free(hook);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	hooklist->elem = hook;
+	lxc_list_add_tail(&lxc_conf->hooks[which], hooklist);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int config_hook(const char *key, char *value,
+				 struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf)
+{
+	char *copy = strdup(value);
+	if (!copy) {
+		SYSERROR("failed to dup string '%s'", value);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if (strcmp(key, "lxc.hook.pre-start") == 0)
+		return add_hook(lxc_conf, LXCHOOK_PRESTART, copy);
+	else if (strcmp(key, "lxc.hook.mount") == 0)
+		return add_hook(lxc_conf, LXCHOOK_MOUNT, copy);
+	else if (strcmp(key, "lxc.hook.start") == 0)
+		return add_hook(lxc_conf, LXCHOOK_START, copy);
+	else if (strcmp(key, "lxc.hook.post-stop") == 0)
+		return add_hook(lxc_conf, LXCHOOK_POSTSTOP, copy);
+	SYSERROR("Unknown key: %s", key);
+	free(copy);
+	return -1;
+}
+
 static int config_personality(const char *key, char *value,
 			      struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf)
 {
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index fffa4cd2c..48e9962e7 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ struct lxc_handler *lxc_init(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *conf)
 		goto out_free_name;
 	}
 
+	HOOK(name, "pre-start", conf);
+
 	if (lxc_create_tty(name, conf)) {
 		ERROR("failed to create the ttys");
 		goto out_aborting;
@@ -403,6 +405,8 @@ void lxc_fini(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler)
 	lxc_set_state(name, handler, STOPPING);
 	lxc_set_state(name, handler, STOPPED);
 
+	HOOK(name, "post-stop", handler->conf);
+
 	/* reset mask set by setup_signal_fd */
 	if (sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &handler->oldmask, NULL))
 		WARN("failed to restore sigprocmask");
@@ -524,6 +528,8 @@ static int do_start(void *data)
 
 	close(handler->sigfd);
 
+	HOOK(handler->name, "start", handler->conf);
+
 	/* after this call, we are in error because this
 	 * ops should not return as it execs */
 	if (handler->ops->start(handler, handler->data))