diff --git a/awscli/plugin.py b/awscli/plugin.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..104b0a0fda30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awscli/plugin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# Copyright 2012-2013 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"). You
+# may not use this file except in compliance with the License. A copy of
+# the License is located at
+#
+#     http://aws.amazon.com/apache2.0/
+#
+# or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is
+# distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
+# ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific
+# language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
+
+from awscli.hooks import EventHooks
+
+
+def load_plugins(plugin_names, event_hooks=None):
+    modules = _import_plugins(plugin_names)
+    if event_hooks is None:
+        event_hooks = EventHooks()
+    cli = CLI(event_hooks)
+    for plugin in modules:
+        plugin.awscli_initialize(cli)
+    return HierarchicalEmitter(event_hooks)
+
+
+def _import_plugins(plugin_names):
+    plugins = []
+    for name in plugin_names:
+        if '.' not in name:
+            plugins.append(__import__(name))
+    return plugins
+
+
+class HierarchicalEmitter(object):
+    def __init__(self, event_hooks):
+        self._event_hooks = event_hooks
+
+    def emit(self, event):
+        responses = []
+        # Invoke the event handlers from most specific
+        # to least specific, each time stripping off a dot.
+        while event:
+            responses.extend(self._event_hooks.emit(event))
+            next_event = event.rsplit('.', 1)
+            if len(next_event) == 2:
+                event = next_event[0]
+            else:
+                event = None
+        return responses
+
+
+class CLI(object):
+    def __init__(self, event_hooks):
+        self._event_hooks = event_hooks
+
+    def before_call(self, handler, service_name=None, operation_name=None):
+        op_event_name = self._get_event_name(service_name, operation_name)
+        if op_event_name:
+            event_name = 'before_call.%s' % op_event_name
+        else:
+            event_name = 'before_call'
+        self._event_hooks.register(event_name, handler)
+
+    def after_call(self, handler, service_name=None, operation_name=None):
+        op_event_name = self._get_event_name(service_name, operation_name)
+        if op_event_name:
+            event_name = 'after_call.%s' % op_event_name
+        else:
+            event_name = 'after_call'
+        self._event_hooks.register(event_name, handler)
+
+    def _get_event_name(self, service_name, operation_name):
+        if service_name is None:
+            return ''
+        if service_name is not None and operation_name is None:
+            return service_name
+        elif service_name is not None and operation_name is not None:
+            return '%s.%s' % (service_name, operation_name)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_plugin.py b/tests/unit/test_plugin.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..01cf2c9fca3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_plugin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Copyright 2012-2013 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"). You
+# may not use this file except in compliance with the License. A copy of
+# the License is located at
+#
+#     http://aws.amazon.com/apache2.0/
+#
+# or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is
+# distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
+# ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific
+# language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
+import sys
+import unittest
+
+from awscli import plugin
+
+
+class FakeModule(object):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.called = False
+        self.context = None
+        self.events_seen = []
+
+    def awscli_initialize(self, context):
+        self.called = True
+        self.context = context
+        self.context.before_call(lambda **kwargs: self.events_seen.append(kwargs))
+
+
+class TestPlugins(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.fake_module = FakeModule()
+        sys.modules['__fake_plugin__'] = self.fake_module
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        del sys.modules['__fake_plugin__']
+
+    def test_plugin_register(self):
+        emitter = plugin.load_plugins(['__fake_plugin__'])
+        self.assertTrue(self.fake_module.called)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(emitter, plugin.HierarchicalEmitter))
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(self.fake_module.context, plugin.CLI))
+
+    def test_event_hooks_can_be_passed_in(self):
+        hooks = plugin.EventHooks()
+        emitter = plugin.load_plugins(['__fake_plugin__'], event_hooks=hooks)
+        emitter.emit('before_call')
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.fake_module.events_seen), 1)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()