diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8f44eae..f37d6d1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@ const { url, status, response } = await gretch(
 are good for code that needs to run on every request, like adding tracking
 headers and logging errors.
 
+Hooks should be defined as an array. That way you can compose multiple hooks
+per-request, and define and merge default hooks when [creating
+instances](#creating-instances).
+
 #### `before`
 
 The `before` hook runs just prior to the request being made. You can even modify
@@ -227,24 +231,29 @@ object, and the full options object.
 ```js
 const response = await gretch('/api/user/12', {
   hooks: {
-    before (request, options) {
-      request.headers.set('Tracking-ID', 'abcde')
-    }
+    before: [
+      (request, options) => {
+        request.headers.set('Tracking-ID', 'abcde')
+      }
+    ]
   }
 }).json()
 ```
 
 #### `after`
 
-The `after` hook has the opportunity to read the `gretchen` response. It
+The `after` runs after the request has resolved and any body interface methods
+have been called. It has the opportunity to read the `gretchen` response. It
 _cannot_ modify it. This is mostly useful for logging.
 
 ```js
 const response = await gretch('/api/user/12', {
   hooks: {
-    after ({ url, status, data, error }) {
-      sentry.captureMessage(`${url} returned ${status}`)
-    }
+    after: [
+      ({ url, status, data, error }, options) => {
+        sentry.captureMessage(`${url} returned ${status}`)
+      }
+    ]
   }
 }).json()
 ```
diff --git a/index.ts b/index.ts
index 2b10bbf..10bd751 100644
--- a/index.ts
+++ b/index.ts
@@ -34,9 +34,15 @@ export type GretchResponse<T = DefaultGretchResponse, A = DefaultGretchError> =
       response: Response
     }
 
+export type GretchBeforeHook = (request: Request, opts: GretchOptions) => void
+export type GretchAfterHook = (
+  response: GretchResponse,
+  opts: GretchOptions
+) => void
+
 export type GretchHooks = {
-  before?: (request: Request, opts: GretchOptions) => void
-  after?: (response: GretchResponse, opts: GretchOptions) => void
+  before?: GretchBeforeHook | GretchBeforeHook[]
+  after?: GretchAfterHook | GretchAfterHook[]
 }
 
 export type GretchOptions = {
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ export function gretch<T = DefaultGretchResponse, A = DefaultGretchError> (
     baseURL !== undefined ? normalizeURL(url, { baseURL }) : url
   const request = new Request(normalizedURL, options)
 
-  if (hooks.before) hooks.before(request, opts)
+  if (hooks.before) [].concat(hooks.before).forEach(hook => hook(request, opts))
 
   const fetcher = () =>
     timeout
@@ -152,7 +158,8 @@ export function gretch<T = DefaultGretchResponse, A = DefaultGretchError> (
         response
       }
 
-      if (hooks.after) hooks.after(res, opts)
+      if (hooks.after)
+        [].concat(hooks.after).forEach(hook => hook({ ...res }, opts))
 
       return res
     }
diff --git a/lib/merge.ts b/lib/merge.ts
index a10534e..a08bf2c 100644
--- a/lib/merge.ts
+++ b/lib/merge.ts
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@ export function merge (
           headersToObj(new Headers(a[k])),
           headersToObj(new Headers(v))
         )
-      } else if (v.pop) {
+      } else if (v.pop && a[k].pop) {
         c[k] = [...(a[k] || []), ...v]
-      } else {
+      } else if (typeof a[k] === 'object' && !a[k].pop) {
         c[k] = merge(a[k], v)
+      } else {
+        c[k] = v
       }
     } else {
       c[k] = v
diff --git a/test/index.test.ts b/test/index.test.ts
index fbe285d..0685c49 100644
--- a/test/index.test.ts
+++ b/test/index.test.ts
@@ -267,16 +267,25 @@ export default (test, assert) => {
         await gretch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}`, {
           timeout: 50000,
           hooks: {
-            before (request) {
+            before (request, opts) {
+              assert(request.url)
+              assert(opts.timeout)
               hooks++
             },
-            after ({ status }) {
-              hooks++
-            }
+            after: [
+              (response, opts) => {
+                assert(response.status)
+                assert(opts.timeout)
+                hooks++
+              },
+              () => {
+                hooks++
+              }
+            ]
           }
         }).json()
 
-        assert(hooks === 2)
+        assert(hooks === 3)
 
         server.close()
 
diff --git a/test/merge.test.ts b/test/merge.test.ts
index bbb0893..e43a3a0 100644
--- a/test/merge.test.ts
+++ b/test/merge.test.ts
@@ -51,22 +51,30 @@ export default (test, assert) => {
     assert.equal(o.headers['x-out'], 'out')
   })
 
-  test('overwrites values', () => {
+  test('overwrites mixed values', () => {
     const o = merge(
       {
         timeout: 100,
-        retry: {
-          attempts: 3
+        retry: false,
+        hooks: {
+          after () {}
         }
       },
       {
         timeout: 200,
-        retry: false
+        retry: {
+          attempts: 3
+        },
+        hooks: {
+          after: [() => {}]
+        }
       }
     )
 
     assert.equal(o.timeout, 200)
-    assert.equal(o.retry, false)
+    // @ts-ignore
+    assert.equal(o.retry.attempts, 3)
+    assert(Array.isArray(o.hooks.after))
   })
 
   test('merges hooks', () => {