diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5fddb19..b39f770 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 __version__.py
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*.egg-info/
+src/letsdo.egg-info
 build/
 dist/
-src/letsdo.egg-info
+.eggs/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c94cd3f..b92bf76 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,6 +111,33 @@ color: true
 data_directory: /home/username/
 ```
 
+An optional `hooks_directory` field can also be set:
+
+```
+color: true
+data_directory: /home/username/
+hooks_directory: /home/username/.letsdo-hooks/
+```
+
+## Hooks
+
+Letsdo supports hooks similarly to Taskwarrior. A hook is any executable script placed in the directory defined by `hooks_directory` in `.letsdo.yaml`. If `hooks_directory` is not set, the feature is silently ignored.
+
+Hook scripts are called with two arguments:
+1. The event name: `start` when a task has just started, `stop` when a task has just stopped.
+2. The full description of the task.
+
+Example hook script (`~/.letsdo-hooks/notify`):
+
+```sh
+#!/bin/sh
+event="$1"
+task="$2"
+notify-send "letsdo" "$event: $task"
+```
+
+All executable files in `hooks_directory` are called in alphabetical order on each event.
+
 Let's see now the history: you can rapidly have a look at **today** and **yesterday** work done by typing:
 
 ```
diff --git a/src/configuration.py b/src/configuration.py
index 8a1570b..8d1020e 100644
--- a/src/configuration.py
+++ b/src/configuration.py
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ def create_default_configuration(home="~"):
         return yaml.dump(default_config, f)
 
 
+def get_hooks_directory(home="~"):
+    """Return the hooks directory path if configured, otherwise None"""
+    config = get_configuration(home)
+    hooks_dir = config.get("hooks_directory")
+    if hooks_dir:
+        return os.path.expanduser(hooks_dir)
+    return None
+
+
 def get_task_file_path(home="~"):
     """Return the running task data file path"""
     return os.path.join(get_configuration(home)["data_directory"], TASK_FILE_NAME)
diff --git a/src/handlers.py b/src/handlers.py
index 42652b8..bc4fc65 100644
--- a/src/handlers.py
+++ b/src/handlers.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from app import Task, guess_task_id_from_string, work_on
 from configuration import autocomplete, create_default_configuration
+from hooks import run_hooks
 from typing import Tuple
 
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ def start_task_handler(description: str, start_str: str="") -> Tuple[bool, str]:
 
     task = Task.get_running()
     if task:
+        run_hooks("start", task.name)
         return True, f"{task.start_time}: {task.name} started"
     return False, "No task running"
 
@@ -53,10 +55,13 @@ def edit_file_handler(filename) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
 
 def cancel_task_handler() -> Tuple[bool, str]:
     """handles a request to cancel the current task"""
-    msg = Task.cancel()
-    if not msg:
+    task = Task.get_running()
+    if not task:
         return False, "No task running, nothing to do"
-    return True, f"cancelled task: {msg}"
+    task_name = task.name
+    Task.cancel()
+    run_hooks("cancel", task_name)
+    return True, f"cancelled task: {task_name}"
 
 
 def stop_task_handler(stop_time: str) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
@@ -65,11 +70,13 @@ def stop_task_handler(stop_time: str) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
     if not task:
         return False, "no task running, nothing to do"
 
+    task_name = task.name
     work_time = Task.stop(stop_time)
     if not work_time:
         return False, "error: could not get stop time"
+    run_hooks("stop", task_name)
     now = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M")
-    msg = f"{now}: stopped task: {task.name}, after {work_time[0]}hours, {work_time[1]} minutes"
+    msg = f"{now}: stopped task: {task_name}, after {work_time[0]}hours, {work_time[1]} minutes"
     return True, msg
 
 
diff --git a/src/hooks.py b/src/hooks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..763ef75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+"""
+Hook execution support. Hooks are scripts placed in the hooks_directory
+configured in .letsdo.yaml. Each executable file in that directory is called
+with two arguments: the event name ("start" or "stop") and the task description.
+"""
+import os
+import subprocess
+from log import LOGGER
+from configuration import get_hooks_directory
+
+
+def run_hooks(event: str, task_description: str) -> None:
+    """Run all executable hook scripts in the configured hooks directory."""
+    hooks_dir = get_hooks_directory()
+    if not hooks_dir:
+        return
+
+    if not os.path.isdir(hooks_dir):
+        LOGGER.warning(f"hooks_directory '{hooks_dir}' does not exist or is not a directory")
+        return
+
+    for entry in sorted(os.listdir(hooks_dir)):
+        script_path = os.path.join(hooks_dir, entry)
+        if os.path.isfile(script_path) and os.access(script_path, os.X_OK):
+            try:
+                subprocess.run([script_path, event, task_description], check=False)
+            except Exception as exc:
+                LOGGER.warning(f"hook '{script_path}' failed: {exc}")