diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web.pm
index 928ced16..06a68138 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web.pm
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ sub _load_web_plugins {
         if $plugin !~ m/^\+/;
       $plugin =~ s/^\+//;
 
-      $ENV{PLUGIN_LOAD_DEBUG} && debug "loading Netdisco plugin $plugin";
+      $ENV{PLUGIN_LOAD_DEBUG} && debug "loading web plugin $plugin";
       Module::Load::load $plugin;
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker.pm
deleted file mode 100644
index 5118d574..00000000
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker.pm
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-package App::Netdisco::Worker;
-
-use strict;
-use warnings;
-
-use Module::Load ();
-use Module::Find qw/findsubmod findallmod/;
-
-use Dancer ':syntax';
-use Dancer::Factory::Hook;
-
-sub import {
-  my ($class, $action) = @_;
-  die "missing action\n" unless $action;
-
-  my @user_plugins = @{ setting('extra_worker_plugins') || [] };
-  my @check_plugins = findsubmod 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Plugin';
-  my @phase_plugins = map { findallmod $_ } @check_plugins;
-
-  # load worker plugins for our action
-  foreach my $plugin (@user_plugins, @check_plugins, @phase_plugins) {
-    $plugin =~ s/^X::/App::NetdiscoX::Worker::Plugin::/;
-    next unless $plugin =~ m/::Plugin::${action}(?:::|$)/i;
-
-    debug "loading worker plugin $plugin";
-    Module::Load::load $plugin;
-  }
-
-  # now vars->{workers} is populated, we set the dispatch order
-  my $workers = vars->{'workers'}->{$action} || {};
-  # use DDP; p vars->{'workers'};
-
-  foreach my $phase (qw/check early main user/) {
-    foreach my $namespace (sort keys %{ $workers->{$phase} }) {
-      foreach my $priority (sort {$b <=> $a}
-                            keys %{ $workers->{$phase}->{$namespace} }) {
-
-        # D::Factory::Hook::register_hook() does not work?!
-        hook "nd2_core_${phase}" => $_
-          for @{ $workers->{$phase}->{$namespace}->{$priority} };
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-true;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cdb9ce2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package App::Netdisco::Worker::Loader;
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Module::Load ();
+use Array::Iterator;
+use Dancer qw/:moose :syntax/;
+
+use Moo::Role;
+use namespace::clean;
+
+has [qw/workers_check
+        workers_early
+        workers_main
+        workers_user/] => ( is => 'rw' );
+
+sub load_workers {
+  my $self = shift;
+  my $action = $self->job->action or die "missing action\n";
+
+  my @core_plugins = @{ setting('worker_plugins') || [] };
+  my @user_plugins = @{ setting('extra_worker_plugins') || [] };
+
+  # load worker plugins for our action
+  foreach my $plugin (@user_plugins, @core_plugins) {
+    $plugin =~ s/^X::/+App::NetdiscoX::Worker::Plugin::/;
+    $plugin = 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Plugin::'. $plugin
+      if $plugin !~ m/^\+/;
+    $plugin =~ s/^\+//;
+
+    next unless $plugin =~ m/::Plugin::${action}(?:::|$)/i;
+    $ENV{PLUGIN_LOAD_DEBUG} && debug "loading worker plugin $plugin";
+    Module::Load::load $plugin;
+  }
+
+  # now vars->{workers} is populated, we set the dispatch order
+  my $workers = vars->{'workers'}->{$action} || {};
+  #use DDP; p vars->{'workers'};
+
+  foreach my $phase (qw/check early main user/) {
+    my $pname = "workers_${phase}";
+    my @wset = ();
+
+    foreach my $namespace (sort keys %{ $workers->{$phase} }) {
+      foreach my $priority (sort {$b <=> $a}
+                            keys %{ $workers->{$phase}->{$namespace} }) {
+        push @wset, @{ $workers->{$phase}->{$namespace}->{$priority} };
+      }
+    }
+
+    $self->$pname( Array::Iterator->new({ __array__ => \@wset }) );
+  }
+}
+
+true;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
index a537a02e..16d19b0a 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ use App::Netdisco::Util::Permission qw/check_acl_no check_acl_only/;
 use aliased 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Status';
 use Scope::Guard 'guard';
 
-Dancer::Factory::Hook->instance()->install_hooks("nd2_core_${_}")
-  for qw/check early main user/;
-
 register 'register_worker' => sub {
   my ($self, $first, $second) = plugin_args(@_);
 
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
index ee2de7de..e07fe420 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package App::Netdisco::Worker::Runner;
 
 use Dancer qw/:moose :syntax/;
-use Dancer::Factory::Hook;
-
 use App::Netdisco::Util::Device 'get_device';
 use App::Netdisco::Util::Permission qw/check_acl_no check_acl_only/;
 use aliased 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Status';
@@ -14,6 +12,7 @@ use Scope::Guard 'guard';
 use Moo::Role;
 use namespace::clean;
 
+with 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Loader';
 has 'job' => ( is => 'rw' );
 
 # mixin code to run workers loaded via plugins
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ sub run {
 
   $self->job($job);
   $job->device( get_device($job->device) );
-  Module::Load::load 'App::Netdisco::Worker' => $job->action;
+  $self->load_workers();
 
   # finalise job status when we exit
   my $statusguard = guard { $job->finalise_status };
@@ -56,26 +55,25 @@ sub run {
   set(device_auth => \@newuserconf);
 
   # run check phase and if there are workers then one MUST be successful
-  $self->run_workers('nd2_core_check');
+  $self->run_workers('workers_check');
   return if not $job->check_passed;
 
   # run other phases
-  $self->run_workers("nd2_core_${_}") for qw/early main user/;
+  $self->run_workers("workers_${_}") for qw/early main user/;
 }
 
 sub run_workers {
   my $self = shift;
-  my $job  = $self->job or die error 'no job in worker job slot';
-  my $hook = shift
-    or return $job->add_status( Status->error('missing hook param') );
+  my $job = $self->job or die error 'no job in worker job slot';
 
-  my $store = Dancer::Factory::Hook->instance();
-  (my $phase = $hook) =~ s/^nd2_core_//;
+  my $set = shift
+    or return $job->add_status( Status->error('missing set param') );
+  return unless ref $self->$set and $self->$set->get_length();
 
-  return unless scalar @{ $store->get_hooks_for($hook) };
+  (my $phase = $set) =~ s/^workers_//;
   $job->enter_phase($phase);
 
-  foreach my $worker (@{ $store->get_hooks_for($hook) }) {
+  while (my $worker = $self->$set->get_next()) {
     try { $job->add_status( $worker->($job) ) }
     catch {
       debug "=> $_" if $_;
diff --git a/share/config.yml b/share/config.yml
index 5448b650..f0ecb523 100644
--- a/share/config.yml
+++ b/share/config.yml
@@ -258,6 +258,45 @@ job_prio:
     - nbtstat
     - expire
 
+worker_plugins:
+  - 'Arpnip'
+  - 'Arpnip::Nodes'
+  - 'Arpnip::Subnets'
+  - 'Arpwalk'
+  - 'Contact'
+  - 'Delete'
+  - 'Discover'
+  - 'Discover::CanonicalIP'
+  - 'Discover::Entities'
+  - 'Discover::Neighbors'
+  - 'Discover::PortPower'
+  - 'Discover::Properties'
+  - 'Discover::VLANs'
+  - 'Discover::Wireless'
+  - 'Discover::WithNodes'
+  - 'DiscoverAll'
+  - 'Expire'
+  - 'ExpireNodes'
+  - 'Graph'
+  - 'Location'
+  - 'Macsuck'
+  - 'Macsuck::Nodes'
+  - 'Macsuck::WirelessNodes'
+  - 'Macwalk'
+  - 'Monitor'
+  - 'Nbtstat'
+  - 'Nbtstat::Core'
+  - 'Nbtwalk'
+  - 'PortControl'
+  - 'PortName'
+  - 'Power'
+  - 'Psql'
+  - 'Renumber'
+  - 'Show'
+  - 'Stats'
+  - 'Vlan'
+  - 'Vlan::Core'
+
 extra_worker_plugins: []
 #  - Discover::ConfigBackup::CLI
 
diff --git a/xt/30-backend-workers.t b/xt/30-backend-workers.t
index 139b5ddd..7845277d 100644
--- a/xt/30-backend-workers.t
+++ b/xt/30-backend-workers.t
@@ -98,10 +98,6 @@ sub do_job {
   # include local plugins
   config->{'extra_worker_plugins'} = ["X::${pkg}"];
 
-  # clear out any previous installed hooks
-  # TODO: do this in Worker.pm on every reimport ?
-  Dancer::Factory::Hook->init( Dancer::Factory::Hook->instance() );
-
   my $job = App::Netdisco::Backend::Job->new({
     job => 0,
     device => '192.0.2.1',