diff --git a/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec b/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
index 90f250219..35652673a 100644
--- a/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
+++ b/alot/defaults/alot.rc.spec
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ edit_headers_blacklist = force_list(default=list(Content-Type,MIME-Version,Refer
 flush_retry_timeout = integer(default=5)
 
 # where to look up hooks
-hooksfile = string(default='$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/alot/hooks.py')
+hooksfile = string(default=None)
 
 # time in secs to display status messages
 notify_timeout = integer(default=2)
diff --git a/alot/settings/manager.py b/alot/settings/manager.py
index 4f1e39227..26402d8ce 100644
--- a/alot/settings/manager.py
+++ b/alot/settings/manager.py
@@ -77,13 +77,21 @@ def read_config(self, path):
         self._config.merge(newconfig)
         self._config.walk(self._expand_config_values)
 
-        hooks_path = os.path.expanduser(self._config.get('hooksfile'))
-        try:
-            spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location('hooks', hooks_path)
-            self.hooks = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
-            spec.loader.exec_module(self.hooks)
-        except:
-            logging.exception('unable to load hooks file:%s', hooks_path)
+        # set up hooks module if requested
+        hooks_path = self._config.get('hooksfile')
+        if hooks_path:
+            hooks_path = os.path.expanduser(hooks_path)
+            logging.debug('hooks: loading from: %s', hooks_path)
+            try:
+                spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location('hooks',
+                                                              hooks_path)
+                self.hooks = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+                spec.loader.exec_module(self.hooks)
+            except:
+                logging.exception('unable to load hooks file:%s', hooks_path)
+        else:
+            logging.debug('hooks: hooksfile config option is unset')
+
         if 'bindings' in newconfig:
             self._update_bindings(newconfig['bindings'])
 
diff --git a/docs/source/configuration/alotrc_table b/docs/source/configuration/alotrc_table
index a244cf020..f71654bee 100644
--- a/docs/source/configuration/alotrc_table
+++ b/docs/source/configuration/alotrc_table
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@
      where to look up hooks
 
     :type: string
-    :default: "~/.config/alot/hooks.py"
+    :default: None
 
 
 .. _initial-command:
diff --git a/docs/source/configuration/hooks.rst b/docs/source/configuration/hooks.rst
index be8972b36..fbfd06d45 100644
--- a/docs/source/configuration/hooks.rst
+++ b/docs/source/configuration/hooks.rst
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 Hooks
 =====
 Hooks are python callables that live in a module specified by `hooksfile` in
-the config. Per default this points to :file:`~/.config/alot/hooks.py`.
+the config. 
+
+.. versionadded:: 0.11
+   in newer versions of alot, `hooksfile` does *not* default to :file:`~/.config/alot/hooks.py`
+   but instead needs to be explicitly set if you want to use hooks.
 
 Pre/Post Command Hooks
 ----------------------