diff --git a/contrib/pylightning/lightning/plugin.py b/contrib/pylightning/lightning/plugin.py
index 44ec78840..f4e2d05fb 100644
--- a/contrib/pylightning/lightning/plugin.py
+++ b/contrib/pylightning/lightning/plugin.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from lightning import LightningRpc
+from enum import Enum
 
 import inspect
 import json
@@ -9,6 +10,11 @@ import sys
 import traceback
 
 
+class MethodType(Enum):
+    RPCMETHOD = 0
+    HOOK = 1
+
+
 class Plugin(object):
     """Controls interactions with lightningd, and bundles functionality.
 
@@ -66,7 +72,7 @@ class Plugin(object):
             )
 
         # Register the function with the name
-        self.methods[name] = func
+        self.methods[name] = (func, MethodType.RPCMETHOD)
 
     def add_subscription(self, topic, func):
         """Add a subscription to our list of subscriptions.
@@ -133,6 +139,25 @@ class Plugin(object):
             return f
         return decorator
 
+    def add_hook(self, name, func):
+        """Register a hook that is called synchronously by lightningd on events
+        """
+        if name in self.methods:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Method {} was already registered".format(name, self.methods[name])
+            )
+        self.methods[name] = (func, MethodType.HOOK)
+
+    def hook(self, method_name):
+        """Decorator to add a plugin hook to the dispatch table.
+
+        Internally uses add_hook.
+        """
+        def decorator(f):
+            self.add_hook(method_name, f)
+            return f
+        return decorator
+
     def _exec_func(self, func, request):
         params = request['params']
         sig = inspect.signature(func)
@@ -173,7 +198,7 @@ class Plugin(object):
 
         if name not in self.methods:
             raise ValueError("No method {} found.".format(name))
-        func = self.methods[name]
+        func, _ = self.methods[name]
 
         try:
             result = {
@@ -244,7 +269,7 @@ class Plugin(object):
         # then unstash this and call it.
         if 'init' in self.methods:
             self.init = self.methods['init']
-            self.methods['init'] = self._init
+            self.methods['init'] = (self._init, MethodType.RPCMETHOD)
 
         partial = ""
         for l in self.stdin:
@@ -258,11 +283,17 @@ class Plugin(object):
 
     def _getmanifest(self):
         methods = []
-        for name, func in self.methods.items():
+        hooks = []
+        for name, entry in self.methods.items():
+            func, typ = entry
             # Skip the builtin ones, they don't get reported
             if name in ['getmanifest', 'init']:
                 continue
 
+            if typ == MethodType.HOOK:
+                hooks.append(name)
+                continue
+
             doc = inspect.getdoc(func)
             doc = re.sub('\n+', ' ', doc)
             if not doc:
@@ -280,6 +311,7 @@ class Plugin(object):
             'options': list(self.options.values()),
             'rpcmethods': methods,
             'subscriptions': list(self.subscriptions.keys()),
+            'hooks': hooks,
         }
 
     def _init(self, options, configuration, request):
@@ -293,7 +325,7 @@ class Plugin(object):
         # Swap the registered `init` method handler back in and
         # re-dispatch
         if self.init:
-            self.methods['init'] = self.init
+            self.methods['init'], _ = self.init
             self.init = None
             return self._exec_func(self.methods['init'], request)
         return None