diff --git a/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php b/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bd24539a40b05199f98d1da77d75fe4ed007a29b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 Robin Appelman <icewind@owncloud.com>
+ * This file is licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or
+ * later.
+ * See the COPYING-README file.
+ */
+
+namespace OC\Hooks;
+
+abstract class BasicEmitter implements Emitter {
+
+	/**
+	 * @var (callable[])[] $listeners
+	 */
+	private $listeners = array();
+
+	/**
+	 * @param string $scope
+	 * @param string $method
+	 * @param callable $callback
+	 */
+	public function listen($scope, $method, $callback) {
+		$eventName = $scope . '::' . $method;
+		if (!isset($this->listeners[$eventName])) {
+			$this->listeners[$eventName] = array();
+		}
+		if (array_search($callback, $this->listeners[$eventName]) === false) {
+			$this->listeners[$eventName][] = $callback;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param string $scope optional
+	 * @param string $method optional
+	 * @param callable $callback optional
+	 */
+	public function remoteListener($scope = null, $method = null, $callback = null) {
+		$names = array();
+		$allNames = array_keys($this->listeners);
+		if ($scope and $method) {
+			$name = $scope . '::' . $method;
+			if (isset($this->listeners[$name])) {
+				$names[] = $name;
+			}
+		} elseif ($scope) {
+			foreach ($allNames as $name) {
+				$parts = explode('::', $name, 2);
+				if ($parts[0] == $scope) {
+					$names[] = $name;
+				}
+			}
+		} elseif ($method) {
+			foreach ($allNames as $name) {
+				$parts = explode('::', $name, 2);
+				if ($parts[1] == $method) {
+					$names[] = $name;
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			$names = $allNames;
+		}
+
+		foreach ($names as $name) {
+			if ($callback) {
+				$index = array_search($callback, $this->listeners[$name]);
+				if ($index !== false) {
+					unset($this->listeners[$name][$index]);
+				}
+			} else {
+				$this->listeners[$name] = array();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param string $scope
+	 * @param string $method
+	 * @param array $arguments optional
+	 */
+	protected function emit($scope, $method, $arguments = array()) {
+		$eventName = $scope . '::' . $method;
+		if (isset($this->listeners[$eventName])) {
+			foreach ($this->listeners[$eventName] as $callback) {
+				call_user_func_array($callback, $arguments);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/hooks/emitter.php b/lib/hooks/emitter.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4219b6f3545b641881635e63f2de47102343412a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hooks/emitter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 Robin Appelman <icewind@owncloud.com>
+ * This file is licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or
+ * later.
+ * See the COPYING-README file.
+ */
+
+namespace OC\Hooks;
+
+/**
+ * Class Emitter
+ *
+ * interface for all classes that are able to emit events
+ *
+ * @package OC\Hooks
+ */
+interface Emitter {
+	/**
+	 * @param string $scope
+	 * @param string $method
+	 * @param callable $callback
+	 */
+	public function listen($scope, $method, $callback);
+
+	/**
+	 * @param string $scope optional
+	 * @param string $method optional
+	 * @param callable $callback optional
+	 */
+	public function remoteListener($scope = null, $method = null, $callback = null);
+}
diff --git a/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php b/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a2d16ace9a7ef8be7f2d8740e2a2b4437558802f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 Robin Appelman <icewind@owncloud.com>
+ * This file is licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or
+ * later.
+ * See the COPYING-README file.
+ */
+
+namespace OC\Hooks;
+
+abstract class LegacyEmitter extends BasicEmitter {
+	protected function emit($scope, $method, $arguments = array()) {
+		\OC_Hook::emit($scope, $method, $arguments);
+		parent::emit($scope, $method, $arguments);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php b/tests/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..53de996c5c9075c17fe0fa4e0bbc2c86a145285b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/hooks/basicemitter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 Robin Appelman <icewind@owncloud.com>
+ * This file is licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or
+ * later.
+ * See the COPYING-README file.
+ */
+
+namespace Test\Hooks;
+
+/**
+ * Class DummyEmitter
+ *
+ * class to make BasicEmitter::emit publicly available
+ *
+ * @package Test\Hooks
+ */
+class DummyEmitter extends \OC\Hooks\BasicEmitter {
+	public function emitEvent($scope, $method, $arguments = array()) {
+		$this->emit($scope, $method, $arguments);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Class EmittedException
+ *
+ * a dummy exception so we can check if an event is emitted
+ *
+ * @package Test\Hooks
+ */
+class EmittedException extends \Exception {
+}
+
+class BasicEmitter extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
+	/**
+	 * @var \OC\Hooks\Emitter $emitter
+	 */
+	protected $emitter;
+
+	public function setUp() {
+		$this->emitter = new DummyEmitter();
+	}
+
+	public function nonStaticCallBack() {
+		throw new EmittedException;
+	}
+
+	public static function staticCallBack() {
+		throw new EmittedException;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testAnonymousFunction() {
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		});
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testStaticCallback() {
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', array('\Test\Hooks\BasicEmitter', 'staticCallBack'));
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testNonStaticCallback() {
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', array($this, 'nonStaticCallBack'));
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	public function testOnlyCallOnce() {
+		$count = 0;
+		$listener = function () use (&$count) {
+			$count++;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->assertEquals(1, $count, 'Listener called an invalid number of times (' . $count . ') expected 1');
+	}
+
+	public function testDifferentMethods() {
+		$count = 0;
+		$listener = function () use (&$count) {
+			$count++;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'foo');
+		$this->assertEquals(2, $count, 'Listener called an invalid number of times (' . $count . ') expected 2');
+	}
+
+	public function testDifferentScopes() {
+		$count = 0;
+		$listener = function () use (&$count) {
+			$count++;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Bar', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Bar', 'test');
+		$this->assertEquals(2, $count, 'Listener called an invalid number of times (' . $count . ') expected 2');
+	}
+
+	public function testDifferentCallbacks() {
+		$count = 0;
+		$listener1 = function () use (&$count) {
+			$count++;
+		};
+		$listener2 = function () use (&$count) {
+			$count++;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener1);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener2);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->assertEquals(2, $count, 'Listener called an invalid number of times (' . $count . ') expected 2');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testArguments() {
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', function ($foo, $bar) {
+			if ($foo == 'foo' and $bar == 'bar') {
+				throw new EmittedException;
+			}
+		});
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test', array('foo', 'bar'));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testNamedArguments() {
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', function ($foo, $bar) {
+			if ($foo == 'foo' and $bar == 'bar') {
+				throw new EmittedException;
+			}
+		});
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test', array('foo' => 'foo', 'bar' => 'bar'));
+	}
+
+	public function testRemoveAllSpecified() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	public function testRemoveWildcardListener() {
+		$listener1 = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$listener2 = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener1);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener2);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	public function testRemoveWildcardMethod() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Test', null, $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'foo');
+	}
+
+	public function testRemoveWildcardScope() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Bar', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener(null, 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Bar', 'test');
+	}
+
+	public function testRemoveWildcardScopeAndMethod() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Bar', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener(null, null, $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'foo');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Bar', 'foo');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testRemoveKeepOtherCallback() {
+		$listener1 = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$listener2 = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener1);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener2);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Test', 'test', $listener1);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testRemoveKeepOtherMethod() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Test', 'foo', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testRemoveKeepOtherScope() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->listen('Bar', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Bar', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \Test\Hooks\EmittedException
+	 */
+	public function testRemoveNonExistingName() {
+		$listener = function () {
+			throw new EmittedException;
+		};
+		$this->emitter->listen('Test', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->remoteListener('Bar', 'test', $listener);
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php b/tests/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a7bed879a722959414bee8752688ceb0f0fcfeda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/hooks/legacyemitter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 Robin Appelman <icewind@owncloud.com>
+ * This file is licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or
+ * later.
+ * See the COPYING-README file.
+ */
+
+namespace Test\Hooks;
+
+/**
+ * Class DummyLegacyEmitter
+ *
+ * class to make LegacyEmitter::emit publicly available
+ *
+ * @package Test\Hooks
+ */
+class DummyLegacyEmitter extends \OC\Hooks\LegacyEmitter {
+	public function emitEvent($scope, $method, $arguments = array()) {
+		$this->emit($scope, $method, $arguments);
+	}
+}
+
+class LegacyEmitter extends BasicEmitter {
+
+	//we can't use exceptions here since OC_Hooks catches all exceptions
+	private static $emitted = false;
+
+	public function setUp() {
+		$this->emitter = new DummyLegacyEmitter();
+		self::$emitted = false;
+		\OC_Hook::clear('Test','test');
+	}
+
+	public static function staticLegacyCallBack() {
+		self::$emitted = true;
+	}
+
+	public static function staticLegacyArgumentsCallBack($arguments) {
+		if ($arguments['foo'] == 'foo' and $arguments['bar'] == 'bar')
+			self::$emitted = true;
+	}
+
+	public function testLegacyHook() {
+		\OC_Hook::connect('Test', 'test', '\Test\Hooks\LegacyEmitter', 'staticLegacyCallBack');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test');
+		$this->assertEquals(true, self::$emitted);
+	}
+
+	public function testLegacyArguments() {
+		\OC_Hook::connect('Test', 'test', '\Test\Hooks\LegacyEmitter', 'staticLegacyArgumentsCallBack');
+		$this->emitter->emitEvent('Test', 'test', array('foo' => 'foo', 'bar' => 'bar'));
+		$this->assertEquals(true, self::$emitted);
+	}
+}