diff --git a/conf/example.gitolite.rc b/conf/example.gitolite.rc
index bda9d2d..b1a921f 100644
--- a/conf/example.gitolite.rc
+++ b/conf/example.gitolite.rc
@@ -158,6 +158,18 @@ $RSYNC_BASE = "";
 # Please see doc/4-wildcard-repositories.mkd for details.
 $GL_WILDREPOS = 0;
 
+# --------------------------------------
+# HOOK CHAINING
+
+# by default, the update hook in every repo chains to "update.secondary".
+# Similarly, the post-update hook in the admin repo chains to
+# "post-update.secondary".  If you're fine with the defaults, there's no need
+# to do anything here.  However, if you want to use different names or paths,
+# change these variables
+
+# $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO = "hooks/update.secondary";
+# $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO = "hooks/post-update.secondary";
+
 # --------------------------------------
 # per perl rules, this should be the last line in such a file:
 1;
diff --git a/doc/2-admin.mkd b/doc/2-admin.mkd
index 4190fc6..4b27d59 100644
--- a/doc/2-admin.mkd
+++ b/doc/2-admin.mkd
@@ -131,6 +131,10 @@ if such a hook exists.  People wishing to do exotic things on the server side
 when the admin repo is pushed should see doc/shell-games.notes for how to
 exploit this :-)
 
+Finally, these names (`update.secondary` and `post-update.secondary`) are
+merely the defaults.  You can change them to anything you want; look in
+conf/example.gitolite.rc for details.
+
 #### custom git config
 
 The custom hooks feature is a blunt instrument -- all repos get the hook you
diff --git a/hooks/common/update b/hooks/common/update
index 2a3e3e6..dc87d03 100755
--- a/hooks/common/update
+++ b/hooks/common/update
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use warnings;
 #       common definitions
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-our ($GL_CONF_COMPILED);
+our ($GL_CONF_COMPILED, $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO);
 our %repos;
 
 # people with shell access should be allowed to bypass the update hook, simply
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ my $log_refex = check_ref(\@allowed_refs, $ENV{GL_REPO}, (shift @refs), $perm);
     "\t$reported_repo\t$ref\t$ENV{GL_USER}\t$log_refex\n");
 
 # now chain to the local admin defined update hook, if present
-exec "./hooks/update.secondary", @saved_ARGV
-    if -f "hooks/update.secondary" or -l "hooks/update.secondary";
+$UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ||= 'hooks/update.secondary';
+exec $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO, @saved_ARGV
+    if -f $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO or -l $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO;
 
 exit 0;
diff --git a/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update b/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
index 8fcb182..891c273 100755
--- a/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
+++ b/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ $GL_BINDIR/gl-compile-conf
 
 cd $od
 
-if [ -f hooks/post-update.secondary ] || [ -L hooks/post-update.secondary ]
+ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO=` cd;perl -e 'do ".gitolite.rc"; print $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO'`
+[ -n "$ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO" ] || ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO=hooks/post-update.secondary
+
+if [ -f $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ] || [ -L $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ]
 then
-    exec hooks/post-update.secondary "$@"
+    exec $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO "$@"
 fi