diff --git a/spacestate.c b/spacestate.c
index 4bf7180..9154cb3 100644
--- a/spacestate.c
+++ b/spacestate.c
@@ -17,13 +17,49 @@
 */
 #include "includes.h"
 #include "database.h"
-
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 
 static dbi_conn conn;
 
+static void child_handler(int sig) {
+    pid_t pid;
+    int status;
+
+    /* EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! */
+    while((pid = waitpid(-1, &status, WNOHANG)) > 0);
+}
+
+
+
+static void safe_forkexec(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const char *script_in, const char *prom, const char *code) {
+	char *script = talloc_strdup(mem_ctx, script_in);
+	char *argv[32];
+	unsigned int i, j;
+
+	argv[0] = script;
+	for (i = 0, j = 1; i < strlen(script) && j < 31; i++) {
+		if (script[i] == ' ') {
+			script[i] = '\0';
+			argv[j++] = &script[i+1];
+		}
+	}
+	argv[j++] = talloc_strdup(script, prom);
+	argv[j++] = talloc_strdup(script, code);
+	argv[j] = NULL;
+
+	DEBUG(4, "About to execute %s %s %s", script_in, prom, code);
+
+	if (!fork()) {
+		execv(argv[0], argv);
+		exit(0);
+	}
+	talloc_free(script);
+}
+
 STATUS spacestate_update(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const char *prom, const char *code, const char *description) {
 	bool must_close = 0;
 	bool must_open = 0;
+	const configuration *conf = get_conf();
 	STATUS result = ST_OK;
 
 	DEBUG(6, "Got event for spacestate: %s %s %s -- %s: %s\n", prom, code, description, sia_code_str(code), sia_code_desc(code));
@@ -48,12 +84,15 @@ STATUS spacestate_update(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const char *prom, const char *code
 		must_open = 1;
 	}
 
+
 	if (must_open) {
 		DEBUG(3, "Alarm disarmed. Updating space state override.");
 		result = proper_dbi_queryf(conn, "UPDATE space_state set override=0, override_state='open';");
+		safe_forkexec(mem_ctx, conf->spacestate_hook_open, prom, code);
 	} else if (must_close) {
 		DEBUG(3, "Alarm armed. Updating space state override.");
 		result = proper_dbi_queryf(conn, "UPDATE space_state set override=1, override_state='closed';");
+		safe_forkexec(mem_ctx, conf->spacestate_hook_close, prom, code);
 	}
 
 	if (result != ST_OK) {
@@ -69,6 +108,15 @@ STATUS spacestate_init(void)
 {
 	configuration *conf = get_modifiable_conf();
 	GError *error = NULL;
+	struct sigaction sa;
+
+	/* Establish SIGCHLD handler. */
+	sigemptyset(&sa.sa_mask);
+	sa.sa_flags = 0;
+	sa.sa_handler = child_handler;
+
+	sigaction(SIGCHLD, &sa, NULL);
+
 
 	conf->spacestate_host = g_key_file_get_string(conf->keyfile, "spacestate",
 	                                              "host", &error);
@@ -100,12 +148,26 @@ STATUS spacestate_init(void)
 		fprintf(stderr, "No spacestate password supplied in the configuration.\n");
 		return ST_CONFIGURATION_ERROR;
 	}
+	conf->spacestate_hook_open = g_key_file_get_string(conf->keyfile, "spacestate",
+	                                                  "open script", &error);
+	if (error) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "No spacestate password supplied in the configuration.\n");
+		return ST_CONFIGURATION_ERROR;
+	}
+	conf->spacestate_hook_close = g_key_file_get_string(conf->keyfile, "spacestate",
+	                                                  "close script", &error);
+	if (error) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "No spacestate password supplied in the configuration.\n");
+		return ST_CONFIGURATION_ERROR;
+	}
+
+
 
 	conf->event_handlers = talloc_realloc(conf, conf->event_handlers, event_function, conf->event_handler_cnt+1);
 	conf->event_handlers[conf->event_handler_cnt] = spacestate_update;
 	conf->event_handler_cnt++;
 
-	DEBUG(1, "Connecting to %s space state database %s at %s as user %s", conf->spacestate_driver,
+	DEBUG(1, "Setting properties to %s space state database %s at %s as user %s", conf->spacestate_driver,
 		conf->spacestate_name, conf->spacestate_host, conf->spacestate_username);
 
 	dbi_initialize(NULL);
@@ -116,11 +178,6 @@ STATUS spacestate_init(void)
 	dbi_conn_set_option(conn, "dbname", conf->spacestate_name);
 	dbi_conn_set_option(conn, "encoding", "UTF-8");
 
-	if (dbi_conn_connect(conn) < 0) {
-		DEBUG(0, "Could not connect to the space state database");
-		return ST_DATABASE_FAILURE;
-	}
-
 	return ST_OK;
 }