diff --git a/lib/hooks/moduleloader/index.js b/lib/hooks/moduleloader/index.js
index 22ac4ea9e..2298458da 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/moduleloader/index.js
+++ b/lib/hooks/moduleloader/index.js
@@ -426,6 +426,8 @@ module.exports = function(sails) {
      */
     loadUserHooks: function (cb) {
 
+      var defaultInstalledHooks = _.filter(_.values(require('../../app/configuration/default-hooks')), function(val) {return val !== true;});
+
       async.auto({
         // Load apps from the "api/hooks" folder
         hooksFolder: function(cb) {
@@ -464,8 +466,8 @@ module.exports = function(sails) {
             //      http: {},
             //      'package.json': true,
             //      etc...
-            modules = (function _flatten(modules, foundPackageJsons, currentPath, level) {
-              foundPackageJsons = foundPackageJsons || {};
+            modules = (function _flatten(modules, installedHooks, currentPath, level) {
+              installedHooks = installedHooks || {};
               currentPath = currentPath || '';
               level = level || 0;
               // Loop through the keys in the current map object
@@ -481,7 +483,18 @@ module.exports = function(sails) {
                     var resolved = require.resolve(filePath);
                     if (require.cache[resolved]) {delete require.cache[resolved];}
                     // Attempt to load the package.json file
-                    foundPackageJsons[currentPath] = require(filePath);
+                    var packageJson = require(filePath);
+                    // If the module isn't declared as a Sails hook, ignore it.
+                    if (!packageJson.sails || !packageJson.sails.isHook) {
+                      return;
+                    }
+                    // If it's one of our default hooks, ignore it so that it can be safely overridden.
+                    if (_.contains(defaultInstalledHooks, packageJson.name)) {
+                      return;
+                    }
+                    // Save a reference to this installed hook, which we'll use to require
+                    // the full module below.
+                    installedHooks[currentPath] = packageJson;
                   } catch(e) {
                     sails.log.verbose('While searching for installable hooks, found invalid package.json file:', filePath);
                     return;
@@ -494,10 +507,10 @@ module.exports = function(sails) {
                   if (currentPath) { nextPath = path.join(currentPath,identity); }
                   else { nextPath = identity; }
 
-                  _flatten(modules[identity], foundPackageJsons, nextPath, level + 1 );
+                  _flatten(modules[identity], installedHooks, nextPath, level + 1 );
                 }
               });//</forEach() :: key in `modules`>
-              return foundPackageJsons;
+              return installedHooks;
             })(modules);//</ invoked self-calling recursive function :: _flatten()>
 
             return cb(null, modules);
@@ -517,61 +530,60 @@ module.exports = function(sails) {
 
         try {
 
-          _.extend(hooks, _.reduce(results.nodeModulesFolder, function(memo, module, identity) {
+          // Loop through the package.json files of the hooks we found in the node_modules folder.
+          _.extend(hooks, _.reduce(results.nodeModulesFolder, function(memo, modulePackageJson, identity) {
 
-            // Hooks loaded from "node_modules" need to have "sails.isHook: true" in order for us
-            // to know that they are a sails hook
-            if (module.sails && module.sails.isHook) {
-              var hookConfig = module.sails;
+            // Any special config for this hook will be under the `sails` key in the package.json file.
+            var hookConfig = modulePackageJson.sails;
 
-              // Determine the name the hook should be added as
-              var hookName;
+            // Determine the name the hook should be added as
+            var hookName;
 
-              if (!_.isEmpty(hookConfig.hookName)) {
-                hookName = hookConfig.hookName;
-              }
-              // If an identity was specified in sails.config.installedHooks, use that
-              else if (sails.config.installedHooks && sails.config.installedHooks[identity] && sails.config.installedHooks[identity].name) {
-                hookName = sails.config.installedHooks[identity].name;
-              }
-              // Otherwise use the module name, with namespacing and initial "sails-hook-" stripped off if it exists
-              else {
-                // Strip off any NPM namespacing and/or sails-hook- prefix
-                hookName = identity.replace(/^(@.+?\/)?(sails-hook-)?/, '');
-              }
+            if (!_.isEmpty(hookConfig.hookName)) {
+              hookName = hookConfig.hookName;
+            }
+            // If an identity was specified in sails.config.installedHooks, use that
+            else if (sails.config.installedHooks && sails.config.installedHooks[identity] && sails.config.installedHooks[identity].name) {
+              hookName = sails.config.installedHooks[identity].name;
+            }
+            // Otherwise use the module name, with namespacing and initial "sails-hook-" stripped off if it exists
+            else {
+              // Strip off any NPM namespacing and/or sails-hook- prefix
+              hookName = identity.replace(/^(@.+?\/)?(sails-hook-)?/, '');
+            }
 
-              if (sails.config.hooks[hookName] === false || sails.config.hooks[hookName] === 'false') {
-                return memo;
-              }
+            if (sails.config.hooks[hookName] === false || sails.config.hooks[hookName] === 'false') {
+              return memo;
+            }
 
-              // Allow overriding core hooks
-              if (sails.hooks[hookName]) {
-                sails.log.verbose('Found hook: `'+hookName+'` in `node_modules/`.  Overriding core hook w/ the same identity...');
-              }
+            // Allow overriding core hooks
+            if (sails.hooks[hookName]) {
+              sails.log.verbose('Found hook: `'+hookName+'` in `node_modules/`.  Overriding core hook w/ the same identity...');
+            }
 
-              // If we have a hook in api/hooks with this name, throw an error
-              if (hooks[hookName]) {
-                var err = (function (){
-                  var msg =
-                  'Found hook: `' + hookName + '`, in `node_modules/`, but a hook with that identity already exists in `api/hooks/`. '+
-                  'The hook defined in your `api/hooks/` folder will take precedence.';
-                  var err = new Error(msg);
-                  err.code = 'E_INVALID_HOOK_NAME';
-                  return err;
-                })();
-                sails.log.warn(err);
-                return memo;
-              }
+            // If we have a hook in api/hooks with this name, throw an error
+            if (hooks[hookName]) {
+              var err = (function (){
+                var msg =
+                'Found hook: `' + hookName + '`, in `node_modules/`, but a hook with that identity already exists in `api/hooks/`. '+
+                'The hook defined in your `api/hooks/` folder will take precedence.';
+                var err = new Error(msg);
+                err.code = 'E_INVALID_HOOK_NAME';
+                return err;
+              })();
+              sails.log.warn(err);
+              return memo;
+            }
 
-              // Load the hook code
-              var hook = require(path.resolve(sails.config.appPath, 'node_modules', identity));
+            // Load the hook code
+            var hook = require(path.resolve(sails.config.appPath, 'node_modules', identity));
 
-              // Set its config key (defaults to the hook name)
-              hook.configKey = (sails.config.installedHooks && sails.config.installedHooks[identity] && sails.config.installedHooks[identity].configKey) || hookName;
+            // Set its config key (defaults to the hook name)
+            hook.configKey = (sails.config.installedHooks && sails.config.installedHooks[identity] && sails.config.installedHooks[identity].configKey) || hookName;
+
+            // Add this to the list of hooks to load
+            memo[hookName] = hook;
 
-              // Add this to the list of hooks to load
-              memo[hookName] = hook;
-            }
             return memo;
           }, {}));//</_.reduce() + _.extend()>