diff --git a/include/villas/hook_list.hpp b/include/villas/hook_list.hpp
index 522bc2dc8..7706c46dc 100644
--- a/include/villas/hook_list.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/hook_list.hpp
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ int hook_list_destroy(struct vlist *hs);
  *    hooks = [ "print" ]
  * }
  */
-int hook_list_parse(struct vlist *hs, json_t *cfg, int mask, struct path *p, struct node *n);
+void hook_list_parse(struct vlist *hs, json_t *cfg, int mask, struct path *p, struct node *n);
 
-int hook_list_prepare(struct vlist *hs, struct vlist *sigs, int mask, struct path *p, struct node *n);
+void hook_list_prepare(struct vlist *hs, struct vlist *sigs, int mask, struct path *p, struct node *n);
 
 int hook_list_prepare_signals(struct vlist *hs, struct vlist *signals);
 
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ int hook_list_add(struct vlist *hs, int mask, struct path *p, struct node *n);
 
 int hook_list_process(struct vlist *hs, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt);
 
-int hook_list_periodic(struct vlist *hs);
+void hook_list_periodic(struct vlist *hs);
 
-int hook_list_start(struct vlist *hs);
+void hook_list_start(struct vlist *hs);
 
-int hook_list_stop(struct vlist *hs);
+void hook_list_stop(struct vlist *hs);
 
 struct vlist * hook_list_get_signals(struct vlist *hs);
diff --git a/lib/hook_list.cpp b/lib/hook_list.cpp
index 1124997d7..18116b567 100644
--- a/lib/hook_list.cpp
+++ b/lib/hook_list.cpp
@@ -58,11 +58,10 @@ int hook_list_destroy(vlist *hs)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int hook_list_parse(vlist *hs, json_t *cfg, int mask, struct path *o, struct node *n)
+void hook_list_parse(vlist *hs, json_t *cfg, int mask, struct path *o, struct node *n)
 {
 	if (!json_is_array(cfg))
-		//throw ConfigError(cfg, "node-config-hook", "Hooks must be configured as a list of hook objects");
-		return -1;
+		throw ConfigError(cfg, "node-config-hook", "Hooks must be configured as a list of hook objects");
 
 	size_t i;
 	json_t *json_hook;
@@ -83,19 +82,12 @@ int hook_list_parse(vlist *hs, json_t *cfg, int mask, struct path *o, struct nod
 		if (!(hf->getFlags() & mask))
 			throw ConfigError(json_hook, "node-config-hook", "Hook '{}' not allowed here", type);
 
-		try {
-			h = hf->make(o, n);
-			h->parse(json_hook);
-			h->check();
-		}
-		catch (...) {
-			return -1;
-		}
+		h = hf->make(o, n);
+		h->parse(json_hook);
+		h->check();
 
 		vlist_push(hs, h);
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 static int hook_cmp_priority(const Hook *a, const Hook *b)
@@ -108,7 +100,7 @@ static int hook_is_enabled(const Hook *h)
 	return h->isEnabled() ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
-int hook_list_prepare(vlist *hs, vlist *sigs, int m, struct path *p, struct node *n)
+void hook_list_prepare(vlist *hs, vlist *sigs, int m, struct path *p, struct node *n)
 {
 	assert(hs->state == STATE_INITIALIZED);
 
@@ -134,16 +126,10 @@ skip_add:
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < vlist_length(hs); i++) {
 		Hook *h = (Hook *) vlist_at(hs, i);
 
-		try {
-			h->prepare(sigs);
-		} catch (...) {
-			return -1;
-		}
+		h->prepare(sigs);
 
 		sigs = h->getSignals();
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 int hook_list_process(vlist *hs, sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
@@ -182,49 +168,31 @@ skip: {}
 stop:	return processed;
 }
 
-int hook_list_periodic(vlist *hs)
+void hook_list_periodic(vlist *hs)
 {
 	for (size_t j = 0; j < vlist_length(hs); j++) {
 		Hook *h = (Hook *) vlist_at(hs, j);
 
-		try {
-			h->periodic();
-		} catch (...) {
-			return -1;
-		}
+		h->periodic();
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
-int hook_list_start(vlist *hs)
+void hook_list_start(vlist *hs)
 {
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < vlist_length(hs); i++) {
 		Hook *h = (Hook *) vlist_at(hs, i);
 
-		try {
-			h->start();
-		} catch (...) {
-			return -1;
-		}
+		h->start();
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
-int hook_list_stop(vlist *hs)
+void hook_list_stop(vlist *hs)
 {
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < vlist_length(hs); i++) {
 		Hook *h = (Hook *) vlist_at(hs, i);
 
-		try {
-			h->stop();
-		} catch (...) {
-			return -1;
-		}
+		h->stop();
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 vlist * hook_list_get_signals(vlist *hs)
diff --git a/lib/node_direction.cpp b/lib/node_direction.cpp
index d5db528fa..130d12f8c 100644
--- a/lib/node_direction.cpp
+++ b/lib/node_direction.cpp
@@ -35,13 +35,10 @@ int node_direction_prepare(struct node_direction *nd, struct node *n)
 	assert(nd->state == STATE_CHECKED);
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
-	int ret;
 	int t = nd->direction == NODE_DIR_OUT ? HOOK_NODE_WRITE : HOOK_NODE_READ;
 	int m = nd->builtin ? t | HOOK_BUILTIN : 0;
 
-	ret = hook_list_prepare(&nd->hooks, &nd->signals, m, nullptr, n);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_prepare(&nd->hooks, &nd->signals, m, nullptr, n);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	nd->state = STATE_PREPARED;
@@ -161,9 +158,7 @@ int node_direction_parse(struct node_direction *nd, struct node *n, json_t *cfg)
 	if (json_hooks) {
 		int m = nd->direction == NODE_DIR_OUT ? HOOK_NODE_WRITE : HOOK_NODE_READ;
 
-		ret = hook_list_parse(&nd->hooks, json_hooks, m, nullptr, n);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			return ret;
+		hook_list_parse(&nd->hooks, json_hooks, m, nullptr, n);
 	}
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
@@ -193,11 +188,7 @@ int node_direction_start(struct node_direction *nd, struct node *n)
 	assert(nd->state == STATE_PREPARED);
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = hook_list_start(&nd->hooks);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_start(&nd->hooks);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	nd->state = STATE_STARTED;
@@ -210,11 +201,7 @@ int node_direction_stop(struct node_direction *nd, struct node *n)
 	assert(nd->state == STATE_STARTED);
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = hook_list_stop(&nd->hooks);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_stop(&nd->hooks);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	nd->state = STATE_STOPPED;
diff --git a/lib/path.cpp b/lib/path.cpp
index 0963945bf..f2904773d 100644
--- a/lib/path.cpp
+++ b/lib/path.cpp
@@ -284,9 +284,7 @@ int path_prepare(struct path *p)
 	int m = p->builtin ? HOOK_PATH | HOOK_BUILTIN : 0;
 
 	/* Add internal hooks if they are not already in the list */
-	ret = hook_list_prepare(&p->hooks, &p->signals, m, p, nullptr);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_prepare(&p->hooks, &p->signals, m, p, nullptr);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	/* Initialize pool */
@@ -610,9 +608,7 @@ int path_start(struct path *p)
 	);
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
-	ret = hook_list_start(&p->hooks);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_start(&p->hooks);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	p->last_sequence = 0;
@@ -675,9 +671,7 @@ int path_stop(struct path *p)
 		return ret;
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
-	ret = hook_list_stop(&p->hooks);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	hook_list_stop(&p->hooks);
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
 	sample_decref(p->last_sample);