diff --git a/src/Downloads.jl b/src/Downloads.jl
index 7259e00..b9f18c0 100644
--- a/src/Downloads.jl
+++ b/src/Downloads.jl
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ using ArgTools
 include("Curl/Curl.jl")
 using .Curl
 
-export download, request, Downloader, Response, RequestError
+export download, request, Downloader, Response, RequestError, pushhook!, deletehook!
 
 ## public API types ##
 
@@ -65,6 +65,44 @@ const DOWNLOAD_LOCK = ReentrantLock()
 const DOWNLOADER = Ref{Union{Downloader, Nothing}}(nothing)
 const EASY_HOOK = Ref{Union{Function, Nothing}}(nothing)
 
+## Allow for a set of global hooks that can customize each download (via setting parameters on the 
+## `Easy` object associated with a request 
+const HookKey = Int
+current_key = 0
+GlobalHookEntry = Tuple{HookKey, Function}
+const GLOBAL_HOOK_LOCK = ReentrantLock() 
+const GLOBAL_HOOKS = Array{GlobalHookEntry,1}(undef, 0)
+
+## Add hook
+function pushhook!(hook::Function) :: HookKey
+    global current_key
+    key = -1
+    lock(GLOBAL_HOOK_LOCK) do
+        key = current_key
+        push!(GLOBAL_HOOKS, (key, hook))
+        current_key += 1
+    end
+    return key
+end
+
+function deletehook!(key::HookKey)
+    keep = x -> x[1] != key
+    lock(GLOBAL_HOOK_LOCK) do
+        count(keep, GLOBAL_HOOKS) < length(GLOBAL_HOOKS) || 
+          warn("Downloads.jl: Hook key $(key) not found in global hooks")
+        filter!(keep, GLOBAL_HOOKS)
+    end
+end
+
+function apply_global_hooks(easy::Easy, info::NamedTuple) 
+    lock(GLOBAL_HOOK_LOCK) do
+        for (_,h) in GLOBAL_HOOKS
+            h(easy, info)
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+
 """
     struct Response
         proto   :: String
@@ -358,6 +396,8 @@ function request(
                 progress !== nothing && enable_progress(easy)
                 set_ca_roots(downloader, easy)
                 info = (url = url, method = method, headers = headers)
+                
+                apply_global_hooks(easy, info)
                 easy_hook(downloader, easy, info)
 
                 # do the request
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index ddc963f..bff3601 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 include("setup.jl")
 
 @testset "Downloads.jl" begin
+    @testset "Global easy hooks" begin
+        trip_wire = 0
+        original_hook_count = length(Downloads.GLOBAL_HOOKS)
+        url = "$server/get"
+        hook = (easy, info) -> trip_wire += 1
+        key1 = pushhook!(hook)
+        _ = download_body(url)
+        @test trip_wire == 1
+        key2 = pushhook!(hook)
+        _ = download_body(url)
+        @test trip_wire == 3
+        deletehook!(key1)
+        _ = download_body(url)
+        @test trip_wire == 4
+        deletehook!(key2)
+        _ = download_body(url)
+        @test trip_wire == 4
+
+        @test length(Downloads.GLOBAL_HOOKS) == original_hook_count
+    end
+    #=
     @testset "libcurl configuration" begin
         julia = "$(VERSION.major).$(VERSION.minor)"
         @test Curl.USER_AGENT == "curl/$(Curl.CURL_VERSION) julia/$julia"
@@ -560,6 +581,7 @@ include("setup.jl")
         @test Downloads.content_length(["Accept"=>"*/*",]) === nothing
         @test Downloads.content_length(["Accept"=>"*/*", "Content-Length"=>"100"]) == 100
     end
+    =#
 end
 
 Downloads.DOWNLOADER[] = nothing