diff --git a/scripts/hooks.lua b/scripts/hooks.lua
index 185ad4b..04a75cf 100644
--- a/scripts/hooks.lua
+++ b/scripts/hooks.lua
@@ -66,12 +66,15 @@ function hooks:addTo(modApiExt)
 		local eventId = "on"..Name
 		local addHook = "add"..Name.."Hook"
 
-		events[eventId] = Event()
+		events[eventId] = Event({ eventName = eventId })
 
 		modApiExt[hookId] = {}
 		modApiExt[addHook] = function(self, fn)
 			assert(type(fn) == "function")
-			table.insert(self[hookId], fn)
+			table.insert(self[hookId], {
+				fn = fn,
+				creator = debug.traceback("", 3)
+			})
 		end
 
 		-- functions to fire the hooks are built in internal.lua
diff --git a/scripts/internal.lua b/scripts/internal.lua
index bb8aa9f..0b75d18 100644
--- a/scripts/internal.lua
+++ b/scripts/internal.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,24 @@
 local internal = {}
 
+function internal.handleFailure(errorOrResult, owner, creator, caller)
+	errorOrResult = errorOrResult or "<unspecified error>"
+	if creator then
+		if owner then
+			-- creator will already have a newline
+			creator = "In mod id '"..owner.."'"..creator
+		end
+	else
+		creator = "In mod id '"..(owner and owner or "<unknown>").."'"
+	end
+	local message = Event.buildErrorMessage("An event callback failed: ", errorOrResult, 
+			nil, creator, caller)
+	if Event.isStackOverflowError(errorOrResult) then
+		error(message)
+	else
+		LOG(message)
+	end
+end
+
 --[[
 	Creates a broadcast function for the specified hooks field, allowing
 	to trigger the hook callbacks on all registered modApiExt objects.
@@ -10,14 +29,15 @@ local internal = {}
 --]]
 function internal:buildBroadcastFunc(hooksField, argsFunc)
 	local errfunc = function(e)
-		return string.format(
-			"A '%s' callback has failed:\n%s",
-			hooksField, e
-		)
+		-- Capture and return the stack trace of the xpcall
+		-- 2 makes it start a frame higher so it doesn't include
+		-- this error handling fn
+		return debug.traceback(tostring(e), 2)
 	end
 
 	return function(...)
 		local args = {...}
+		local caller = debug.traceback("")
 
 		if #args == 0 then
 			-- We didn't receive arguments directly. Fall back to
@@ -28,10 +48,14 @@ function internal:buildBroadcastFunc(hooksField, argsFunc)
 
 		for i, extObj in ipairs(modApiExt_internal.extObjects) do
 			if extObj[hooksField] then
-				for j, hook in ipairs(extObj[hooksField]) do
+				for j, hookTbl in ipairs(extObj[hooksField]) do
+					local hook = hookTbl
+					if type(hookTbl) == "table" then
+						hook = hookTbl.fn
+					end
 					-- invoke the hook in a xpcall, since errors in SkillEffect
 					-- scripts fail silently, making debugging a nightmare.
-					local ok, err = xpcall(
+					local ok, errorOrResult = xpcall(
 						args
 							and function() hook(unpack(args)) end
 							or  function() hook() end,
@@ -39,8 +63,8 @@ function internal:buildBroadcastFunc(hooksField, argsFunc)
 					)
 
 					if not ok then
-						local owner = extObj.owner and extObj.owner.id or "<unknown>"
-						LOG("In mod id '" .. owner .. "', ", err)
+						local owner = extObj.owner and extObj.owner.id or nil
+						internal.handleFailure(errorOrResult, owner, hookTbl.creator, caller)
 					end
 				end
 			end