diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b1cbb3b..4504e73 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@ Julia 1.3 through 1.5 as well.
 
 ## API
 
-The public API of `Downloads` consists of three functions and three types:
+The public API of `Downloads` consists of the following functions and types:
 
 - `download` — download a file from a URL, erroring if it can't be downloaded
 - `request` — request a URL, returning a `Response` object indicating success
 - `default_downloader!` - set the default `Downloader` object
+- `pushhook!` — add a hook which allows for customizing downloading parameters
+- `deletehook!` — remove a previously added parameter customization hook
 - `Response` — a type capturing the status and other metadata about a request
 - `RequestError` — an error type thrown by `download` and `request` on error
 - `Downloader` — an object encapsulating shared resources for downloading
@@ -141,6 +143,52 @@ with getting a response at all, then a `RequestError` is thrown or returned.
 Set the default `Downloader`. If no argument is provided, resets the default downloader 
 so that a fresh one is created the next time the default downloader is needed.
 
+### pushhook!
+```jl
+    pushhook!(hook) -> key
+```
+- `hook       :: Function`
+- `key        :: HookKey`
+
+Add a hook to customize download parameters for all downloads.  
+
+The signature `hook` should be `(easy::Easy, info::Dict) -> Nothing`. 
+Multiple hooks can be added with repeated calls to `pushhook!`.  Hooks are 
+applied in the order they were added. 
+
+The returned `key` maybe used to remove a previously added `hook` cf. `deletehook!`
+
+Examples:
+```jl
+# define hook
+hook = (easy, info) -> begin
+    # allow for long pauses during downloads 
+    # (perhaps for malware scanning)
+    setopt(easy, Downloads.Curl.CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_LIMIT, 1   #= bytes   =#)
+    setopt(easy, Downloads.Curl.CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_TIME , 200 #= seconds =#)
+    # other possibilities
+      # set ca_roots
+      # disable certificate verification
+      # block or rewrite URLs
+end
+
+# add hook
+key = pushhook!(hook)
+
+# would fail with default download parameters...
+download("https://httpbingo.julialang.org/delay/40", "test.txt")
+
+# cleanup
+deletehook!(key)
+```
+
+### deletehook!
+```jl
+    deletehook!(key) 
+```
+- `key        :: HookKey`
+
+Remove a hook previously added with `pushhook!.
 ### Response
 
 ```jl
diff --git a/src/Downloads.jl b/src/Downloads.jl
index 58e0422..9beebf5 100644
--- a/src/Downloads.jl
+++ b/src/Downloads.jl
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ More generally, the module exports functions and types that provide lower-level
 for file downloading:
 - [`download`](@ref) — download a file from a URL, erroring if it can't be downloaded
 - [`request`](@ref) — request a URL, returning a `Response` object indicating success
+- [`pushhook!`](@ref) — add a hook which allows for customizing downloading parameters
+- [`deletehook!`](@ref) — remove a previously added parameter customization hook
 - [`Response`](@ref) — a type capturing the status and other metadata about a request
 - [`RequestError`](@ref) — an error type thrown by `download` and `request` on error
 - [`Downloader`](@ref) — an object encapsulating shared resources for downloading
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ using ArgTools
 include("Curl/Curl.jl")
 using .Curl
 
-export download, request, Downloader, Response, RequestError, default_downloader!
+export download, request, Downloader, Response, RequestError, default_downloader!, pushhook!, deletehook!
 
 ## public API types ##
 
@@ -74,6 +76,90 @@ It is expected to be function taking two arguments: an `Easy` struct and an
 """
 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
+"""
+    pushhook!(hook) -> key
+
+    hook       :: Function
+    key        :: HookKey
+Add a hook to customize download parameters for all downloads.  
+
+The signature `hook` should be `(easy::Easy, info::Dict) -> Nothing``. 
+Mulitple hooks can be added with repeated calls to `pushhook!`.  Hooks are 
+applied in the order they were added. 
+
+The returned `key` maybe used to remove a previously added `hook` cf. [deletehook!](@ref)
+
+Examples:
+```jl
+# define hook
+hook = (easy, info) -> begin
+    # allow for long pauses during downloads (perhaps for malware scanning)
+    setopt(easy, Downloads.Curl.CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_LIMIT, 1   #= bytes   =#)
+    setopt(easy, Downloads.Curl.CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_TIME , 200 #= seconds =#)
+
+    # other possibilities
+      # set ca_roots
+      # disable certificate verification
+      # block or rewrite URLs
+
+end
+
+# add hook
+key = pushhook!(hook)
+
+# would fail with default download parameters...
+download("https://httpbingo.julialang.org/delay/40", "test.txt")
+
+# cleanup
+deletehook!(key)
+```
+"""
+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
+    key
+end
+
+"""
+    deletehook!(key)
+    key        :: HookKey
+
+Remove a hook previously added with [`pushhook!`](@ref).  
+"""
+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
+    nothing
+end
+
+function apply_global_hooks(easy::Easy, info::NamedTuple) 
+    lock(GLOBAL_HOOK_LOCK) do
+        for (_,h) in GLOBAL_HOOKS
+            h(easy, info)
+        end
+    end
+    nothing
+end
+
+
 """
     struct Response
         proto   :: String
@@ -367,6 +453,8 @@ 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 530adcf..919f48d 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -586,6 +586,27 @@ include("setup.jl")
         @test Downloads.content_length(["Accept"=>"*/*",]) === nothing
         @test Downloads.content_length(["Accept"=>"*/*", "Content-Length"=>"100"]) == 100
     end
+
+    @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
 end
 
 Downloads.DOWNLOADER[] = nothing