diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 90d3ba106..becf74569 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ option(DEBIAN "build for debian" )
 option(TESTNET "testnet build" )
 option(WITH_SHARED "build shared library")
 option(WITH_COVERAGE "generate coverage data")
+option(WITH_SHELLHOOKS "enable shell hooks on compile time (dangerous)" OFF)
 option(WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS "treat all warnings as errors. turn off for development, on for release" OFF)
 
 include(cmake/target_link_libraries_system.cmake)
@@ -94,6 +95,10 @@ if(NON_PC_TARGET)
   set(WITH_STATIC ON)
 endif(NON_PC_TARGET)
 
+if(WITH_SHELLHOOKS)
+  add_definitions(-DENABLE_SHELLHOOKS)
+endif(WITH_SHELLHOOKS)
+
 add_compile_options(${OPTIMIZE_FLAGS} ${CRYPTO_FLAGS})
 
 set(ABSEIL_DIR vendor/abseil-cpp)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4ac8441c5..f189a4ffb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ NON_PC_TARGET ?= OFF
 STATIC_LINK ?= OFF
 # enable network namespace isolation
 NETNS ?= OFF
+# enable shell hooks callbacks 
+SHELL_HOOKS ?= OFF
 # cross compile?
 CROSS ?= OFF
 # build liblokinet-shared.so
@@ -86,13 +88,13 @@ SCAN_BUILD ?= scan-build
 UNAME = $(shell which uname)
 
 ifeq ($(shell $(UNAME)),SunOS)
-CONFIG_CMD = $(shell gecho -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; gecho -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
+CONFIG_CMD = $(shell gecho -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; gecho -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_SHELLHOOKS=$(SHELL_HOOKS) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
 
 ANALYZE_CONFIG_CMD = $(shell gecho -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; gecho -n "$(SCAN_BUILD) cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
 
 COVERAGE_CONFIG_CMD = $(shell gecho -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; gecho -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DWITH_COVERAGE=yes -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
 else
-CONFIG_CMD = $(shell /bin/echo -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; /bin/echo -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
+CONFIG_CMD = $(shell /bin/echo -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; /bin/echo -n "cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_SHELLHOOKS=$(SHELL_HOOKS) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
 
 ANALYZE_CONFIG_CMD = $(shell /bin/echo -n "cd '$(BUILD_ROOT)' && " ; /bin/echo -n "$(SCAN_BUILD) cmake -G'$(CMAKE_GEN)' -DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=$(CROSS) -DSTATIC_LINK_RUNTIME=$(STATIC_LINK) -DUSE_NETNS=$(NETNS) -DUSE_AVX2=$(AVX2) -DNON_PC_TARGET=$(NON_PC_TARGET) -DWITH_SHARED=$(SHARED_LIB) -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON '$(REPO)'")
 
diff --git a/llarp/hook/shell.cpp b/llarp/hook/shell.cpp
index 5e6bcac6b..127120699 100644
--- a/llarp/hook/shell.cpp
+++ b/llarp/hook/shell.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include <hook/shell.hpp>
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-/** put win32 stuff here */
-#else
+
+#if defined(ENABLE_SHELLHOOKS)
 #include <util/thread_pool.hpp>
 #include <util/logger.hpp>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
@@ -10,21 +9,16 @@
 // Not all systems declare this variable
 extern char **environ;
 #endif
-#endif
 #if defined(Darwin)
 #include <crt_externs.h>
 #endif
+#endif
 
 namespace llarp
 {
   namespace hooks
   {
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-    Backend_ptr ExecShellBackend(std::string)
-    {
-      return nullptr;
-    }
-#else
+#if defined(ENABLE_SHELLHOOKS)
     struct ExecShellHookBackend
         : public IBackend,
           public std::enable_shared_from_this< ExecShellHookBackend >
@@ -157,6 +151,11 @@ namespace llarp
         return nullptr;
       return ptr;
     }
+#else
+    Backend_ptr ExecShellBackend(std::string)
+    {
+      return nullptr;
+    }
 #endif
   }  // namespace hooks
 }  // namespace llarp