diff --git a/lib/core/base.js b/lib/core/base.js
index dd97611..51febc5 100644
--- a/lib/core/base.js
+++ b/lib/core/base.js
@@ -469,6 +469,7 @@ Hawkejs.DELAY_SYNC_RENDER = Symbol('delay_sync_render');
 Hawkejs.CREATED_MANUALLY = Symbol('created_manually');
 Hawkejs.REACTIVE_VALUES = Symbol('reactive_values');
 Hawkejs.APPLIED_OPTIONS = Symbol('applied_options');
+Hawkejs.EVENT_HANDLERS = Symbol('event_handlers');
 Hawkejs.RENDER_CONTENT = Symbol('render_hawkejs_content');
 Hawkejs.SERIALIZE_FORM = Symbol('serialize_form');
 Hawkejs.GET_FORM_DATA = Symbol('get_form_data');
diff --git a/lib/core/renderer.js b/lib/core/renderer.js
index 317dfc1..aecdcb6 100644
--- a/lib/core/renderer.js
+++ b/lib/core/renderer.js
@@ -2581,15 +2581,45 @@ Renderer.setMethod(function applyElementOptions(element, options, for_sync_rende
 	}
 
 	if (options.hooks?.length) {
+		let event_handlers = [];
+
 		for (let hook of options.hooks) {
-			if (hook.name === 'ref') {
+			const name = hook.name;
+
+			if (name === 'ref') {
 				let value = this.parseRuntimeExpression(hook.value);
 
 				if (value) {
 					value.value = element;
 				}
+
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			switch (name) {
+				case 'click':
+				case 'focus':
+				case 'hover':
+				case 'blur':
+				case 'change':
+				case 'input':
+				case 'keydown':
+				case 'keyup':
+				case 'keypress':
+					if (hook.value?.$expression) {
+						event_handlers.push({
+							type : name,
+							expression: hook.value?.$expression,
+						});
+					}
+					break;
 			}
 		}
+
+		if (event_handlers.length) {
+			attachEventHandlers(element, event_handlers);
+			this.registerElementInstance(element);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// If the element body is rendered using reference variables,
@@ -2628,6 +2658,21 @@ Renderer.setMethod(function applyElementOptions(element, options, for_sync_rende
 	}
 });
 
+/**
+ * Attach event handlers
+ *
+ * @author   Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>
+ * @since    2.4.0
+ * @version  2.4.0
+ *
+ * @param    {HTMLElement}   element
+ * @param    {Object[]}      handlers
+ */
+const attachEventHandlers = (element, handlers) => {
+	element[Hawkejs.EVENT_HANDLERS] = handlers;
+	Hawkejs.Element.Element.ensureEventHandlers(element, handlers);
+};
+
 /**
  * Attach reactive references
  *
diff --git a/lib/element/custom_element.js b/lib/element/custom_element.js
index 5d9dc70..cdfc0e6 100644
--- a/lib/element/custom_element.js
+++ b/lib/element/custom_element.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ let has_premature_undried_elements,
 
 const CURRENT_RENDER = Symbol('current_render'),
       STATE_DEFINITION = Symbol('state_definition'),
-      STATE_VALUES = Symbol('state_values');
+      STATE_VALUES = Symbol('state_values'),
+      ADDED_EVENT_LISTENERS = Symbol('added_event_listeners');
 
 let custom_stylesheet_handler;
 
@@ -474,16 +475,9 @@ Element.setStatic(function unDry(obj, force) {
 					}
 				}
 
-				if (obj.assigned_data) {
-					element.assigned_data = obj.assigned_data;
-				}
-
 				if (obj.renderer) {
 					element.hawkejs_renderer = obj.renderer;
 				}
-
-				// Make it empty, or else it'll set it again later
-				obj = {};
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -546,6 +540,11 @@ Element.setStatic(function unDry(obj, force) {
 		element[STATE_VALUES] = obj.state_values;
 	}
 
+	if (obj.event_handlers?.length) {
+		element[Hawkejs.EVENT_HANDLERS] = obj.event_handlers;
+		Element.ensureEventHandlers(element, obj.event_handlers);
+	}
+
 	// Delay this so the object is fully undried
 	Element.sceneReady(function() {
 		if (typeof element.undried == 'function') {
@@ -556,6 +555,57 @@ Element.setStatic(function unDry(obj, force) {
 	return element;
 });
 
+/**
+ * Make sure the event handlers will be added to the given element
+ *
+ * @author   Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>
+ * @since    2.4.0
+ * @version  2.4.0
+ *
+ * @param    {HTMLElement}   element
+ * @param    {Object[]}      event_handlers
+ * @param    {boolean}       force
+ */
+Element.setStatic(function ensureEventHandlers(element, event_handlers, force = false) {
+
+	if (!element || !event_handlers?.length || element[ADDED_EVENT_LISTENERS]) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (element.is_custom_hawkejs_element && !force && !element.isConnected()) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	element[ADDED_EVENT_LISTENERS] = true;
+
+	for (let handler of event_handlers) {
+		element.addEventListener(handler.type, e => {
+			doHawkejsEventHandler(element, handler, e);
+		});
+	}
+});
+
+/**
+ * Actually perform the given event handler
+ *
+ * @author   Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>
+ * @since    2.4.0
+ * @version  2.4.0
+ *
+ * @param    {HTMLElement}   element
+ * @param    {Object}        handler
+ * @param    {Event}         event
+ */
+const doHawkejsEventHandler = (element, handler, event) => {
+
+	let renderer = Element.prototype.ensureHawkejsRenderer.call(element);
+	let variables = Hawkejs.Variables.cast(element[Hawkejs.VARIABLES], renderer);
+
+	variables.set('$event', event);
+	
+	renderer.parseExpression(handler.expression, variables);
+};
+
 /**
  * Make sure contents are rendered before doing this parent getter/method
  *
@@ -1678,10 +1728,18 @@ Element.setMethod(function toDry() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	value = {
+		hawkejs_id     : this.hawkejs_id,
+		assigned_data  : this.assigned_data,
+		variables      : this[Hawkejs.VARIABLES],
+		reactive       : this[Hawkejs.REACTIVE_VALUES],
+		instructions   : this[Hawkejs.RENDER_INSTRUCTION],
+		state_values   : this[STATE_VALUES],
+		event_handlers : this[Hawkejs.EVENT_HANDLERS],
+	};
+
 	if (serialize_all) {
 		value = {
-			hawkejs_id    : this.hawkejs_id,
-			assigned_data : this.assigned_data,
 			tagName       : this.tagName,
 			attributes    : this.attributes,
 			dataset       : this.dataset,
@@ -1690,19 +1748,7 @@ Element.setMethod(function toDry() {
 			cssText       : this.style.cssText,
 			innerHTML     : this.innerHTML,
 			renderer      : this.hawkejs_renderer,
-			variables     : this[Hawkejs.VARIABLES],
-			reactive      : this[Hawkejs.REACTIVE_VALUES],
-			instructions  : this[Hawkejs.RENDER_INSTRUCTION],
-			state_values  : this[STATE_VALUES],
-		};
-	} else {
-		value = {
-			hawkejs_id    : this.hawkejs_id,
-			assigned_data : this.assigned_data,
-			variables     : this[Hawkejs.VARIABLES],
-			reactive      : this[Hawkejs.REACTIVE_VALUES],
-			instructions  : this[Hawkejs.RENDER_INSTRUCTION],
-			state_values  : this[STATE_VALUES],
+			...value
 		};
 	}
 
@@ -2332,6 +2378,12 @@ Element.setMethod(function connectedCallback() {
 				that.emit('rendered', {bubbles: false});
 			}
 
+			let event_handlers = that[Hawkejs.EVENT_HANDLERS];
+
+			if (event_handlers) {
+				Element.ensureEventHandlers(that, event_handlers, true);
+			}
+
 			if (has_template && that[Hawkejs.CREATED_MANUALLY] && that[Hawkejs.RENDER_CONTENT] && !that.has_rendered) {
 
 				let rendering = that[Hawkejs.RENDER_CONTENT]();