diff --git a/src/pluggy/hooks.py b/src/pluggy/hooks.py
index 0a1c2871..79d246ac 100644
--- a/src/pluggy/hooks.py
+++ b/src/pluggy/hooks.py
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ def __call__(
         optionalhook=False,
         tryfirst=False,
         trylast=False,
+        specname=None,
     ):
 
         """ if passed a function, directly sets attributes on the function
@@ -96,6 +97,9 @@ def __call__(
         representing the exception or result outcome of the inner calls (including other
         hookwrapper calls).
 
+        If ``specname`` is provided, it will be used instead of the function name when
+        matching this hook implementation to a hook specification during registration.
+
         """
 
         def setattr_hookimpl_opts(func):
@@ -107,6 +111,7 @@ def setattr_hookimpl_opts(func):
                     optionalhook=optionalhook,
                     tryfirst=tryfirst,
                     trylast=trylast,
+                    specname=specname,
                 ),
             )
             return func
@@ -122,6 +127,7 @@ def normalize_hookimpl_opts(opts):
     opts.setdefault("trylast", False)
     opts.setdefault("hookwrapper", False)
     opts.setdefault("optionalhook", False)
+    opts.setdefault("specname", None)
 
 
 if hasattr(inspect, "getfullargspec"):
diff --git a/src/pluggy/manager.py b/src/pluggy/manager.py
index 07b42cba..22dd78d6 100644
--- a/src/pluggy/manager.py
+++ b/src/pluggy/manager.py
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ def register(self, plugin, name=None):
                 normalize_hookimpl_opts(hookimpl_opts)
                 method = getattr(plugin, name)
                 hookimpl = HookImpl(plugin, plugin_name, method, hookimpl_opts)
+                name = hookimpl_opts.get("specname") or name
                 hook = getattr(self.hook, name, None)
                 if hook is None:
                     hook = _HookCaller(name, self._hookexec)
diff --git a/testing/test_hookcaller.py b/testing/test_hookcaller.py
index 5664f2bb..cc345d4c 100644
--- a/testing/test_hookcaller.py
+++ b/testing/test_hookcaller.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 
-from pluggy import HookimplMarker, HookspecMarker
+from pluggy import HookimplMarker, HookspecMarker, PluginValidationError
 from pluggy.hooks import HookImpl
 
 hookspec = HookspecMarker("example")
@@ -213,3 +213,60 @@ def hello(self, arg):
     assert not hasattr(hook, "world")
     pm.unregister(plugin)
     assert hook.hello(arg=3) == []
+
+
+def test_hookrelay_registration_by_specname(pm):
+    """Verify hook caller instances may also be registered by specifying a
+    specname option to the hookimpl"""
+
+    class Api(object):
+        @hookspec
+        def hello(self, arg):
+            "api hook 1"
+
+    pm.add_hookspecs(Api)
+    hook = pm.hook
+    assert hasattr(hook, "hello")
+    assert len(pm.hook.hello.get_hookimpls()) == 0
+
+    class Plugin(object):
+        @hookimpl(specname="hello")
+        def foo(self, arg):
+            return arg + 1
+
+    plugin = Plugin()
+    pm.register(plugin)
+    out = hook.hello(arg=3)
+    assert out == [4]
+
+
+def test_hookrelay_registration_by_specname_raises(pm):
+    """Verify using specname still raises the types of errors during registration as it
+    would have without using specname."""
+
+    class Api(object):
+        @hookspec
+        def hello(self, arg):
+            "api hook 1"
+
+    pm.add_hookspecs(Api)
+
+    # make sure a bad signature still raises an error when using specname
+    class Plugin(object):
+        @hookimpl(specname="hello")
+        def foo(self, arg, too, many, args):
+            return arg + 1
+
+    with pytest.raises(PluginValidationError):
+        pm.register(Plugin())
+
+    # make sure check_pending still fails if specname doesn't have a
+    # corresponding spec.  EVEN if the function name matches one.
+    class Plugin2(object):
+        @hookimpl(specname="bar")
+        def hello(self, arg):
+            return arg + 1
+
+    pm.register(Plugin2())
+    with pytest.raises(PluginValidationError):
+        pm.check_pending()