diff --git a/hooks.go b/hooks.go
index 4da709f7..4ff75777 100644
--- a/hooks.go
+++ b/hooks.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ const (
 	StoredInflightMessages
 	StoredRetainedMessages
 	StoredSysInfo
+	StoredClientByID
 )
 
 var (
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ type Hook interface {
 	StoredInflightMessages() ([]storage.Message, error)
 	StoredRetainedMessages() ([]storage.Message, error)
 	StoredSysInfo() (storage.SystemInfo, error)
+	StoredClientByID(id string, username []byte) (string, []storage.Subscription, []storage.Message, error)
 }
 
 // HookOptions contains values which are inherited from the server on initialisation.
@@ -679,6 +681,25 @@ func (h *Hooks) OnACLCheck(cl *Client, topic string, write bool) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// StoredClientByID returns the state of the stored client with the given session ID, if any.
+func (h *Hooks) StoredClientByID(id string, username []byte) (oldRemote string, subs []storage.Subscription, msgs []storage.Message, err error) {
+	for _, hook := range h.GetAll() {
+		if hook.Provides(StoredClientByID) {
+			oldRemote, subs, msgs, err = hook.StoredClientByID(id, username)
+			if err != nil {
+				h.Log.Error("failed to load client by ID", "error", err, "hook", hook.ID())
+				return
+			}
+
+			if oldRemote != "" && err == nil {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 // HookBase provides a set of default methods for each hook. It should be embedded in
 // all hooks.
 type HookBase struct {
@@ -859,3 +880,8 @@ func (h *HookBase) StoredRetainedMessages() (v []storage.Message, err error) {
 func (h *HookBase) StoredSysInfo() (v storage.SystemInfo, err error) {
 	return
 }
+
+// StoredClientByID returns the state of the stored client with the given session ID, if any.
+func (h *HookBase) StoredClientByID(id string, username []byte) (oldRemote string, subs []storage.Subscription, msgs []storage.Message, err error) {
+	return
+}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 4ad91822..0430b700 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -485,6 +485,11 @@ func (s *Server) attachClient(cl *Client, listener string) error {
 	expire := (cl.Properties.ProtocolVersion == 5 && cl.Properties.Props.SessionExpiryInterval == 0) || (cl.Properties.ProtocolVersion < 5 && cl.Properties.Clean)
 	s.hooks.OnDisconnect(cl, err, expire)
 
+	if s.hooks.Provides(StoredClientByID) {
+		// Hooks are capable of reloading a persistent client session, so I can forget it
+		expire = true
+	}
+
 	if expire && atomic.LoadUint32(&cl.State.isTakenOver) == 0 {
 		cl.ClearInflights()
 		s.UnsubscribeClient(cl)
@@ -596,6 +601,42 @@ func (s *Server) inheritClientSession(pk packets.Packet, cl *Client) bool {
 		return true // [MQTT-3.2.2-3]
 	}
 
+	// Look up a stored client that's not in memory yet:
+	if s.hooks.Provides(StoredClientByID) {
+		oldRemote, subs, msgs, err := s.hooks.StoredClientByID(cl.ID, cl.Properties.Username)
+		if err == nil && oldRemote != "" {
+			// Instantiate in-flight messages to deliver:
+			if len(msgs) > 0 {
+				inf := NewInflights()
+				for _, msg := range msgs {
+					inf.Set(msg.ToPacket())
+				}
+				cl.State.Inflight = inf
+			}
+
+			// Instantiate stored subscriptions:
+			for _, sub := range subs {
+				sb := packets.Subscription{
+					Filter:            sub.Filter,
+					RetainHandling:    sub.RetainHandling,
+					Qos:               sub.Qos,
+					RetainAsPublished: sub.RetainAsPublished,
+					NoLocal:           sub.NoLocal,
+					Identifier:        sub.Identifier,
+				}
+				existed := !s.Topics.Subscribe(cl.ID, sb) // [MQTT-3.8.4-3]
+				if !existed {
+					atomic.AddInt64(&s.Info.Subscriptions, 1)
+				}
+				cl.State.Subscriptions.Add(sb.Filter, sb)
+			}
+
+			s.Log.Debug("session taken over (persistent)", "client", cl.ID, "old_remote", oldRemote, "new_remote", cl.Net.Remote)
+
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
 	if atomic.LoadInt64(&s.Info.ClientsConnected) > atomic.LoadInt64(&s.Info.ClientsMaximum) {
 		atomic.AddInt64(&s.Info.ClientsMaximum, 1)
 	}
@@ -1014,6 +1055,7 @@ func (s *Server) publishToSubscribers(pk packets.Packet) {
 	}
 }
 
+// publishToClient delivers a published message to a single subscriber client.
 func (s *Server) publishToClient(cl *Client, sub packets.Subscription, pk packets.Packet) (packets.Packet, error) {
 	if sub.NoLocal && pk.Origin == cl.ID {
 		return pk, nil // [MQTT-3.8.3-3]
@@ -1636,24 +1678,7 @@ func (s *Server) loadSubscriptions(v []storage.Subscription) {
 // loadClients restores clients from the datastore.
 func (s *Server) loadClients(v []storage.Client) {
 	for _, c := range v {
-		cl := s.NewClient(nil, c.Listener, c.ID, false)
-		cl.Properties.Username = c.Username
-		cl.Properties.Clean = c.Clean
-		cl.Properties.ProtocolVersion = c.ProtocolVersion
-		cl.Properties.Props = packets.Properties{
-			SessionExpiryInterval:     c.Properties.SessionExpiryInterval,
-			SessionExpiryIntervalFlag: c.Properties.SessionExpiryIntervalFlag,
-			AuthenticationMethod:      c.Properties.AuthenticationMethod,
-			AuthenticationData:        c.Properties.AuthenticationData,
-			RequestProblemInfoFlag:    c.Properties.RequestProblemInfoFlag,
-			RequestProblemInfo:        c.Properties.RequestProblemInfo,
-			RequestResponseInfo:       c.Properties.RequestResponseInfo,
-			ReceiveMaximum:            c.Properties.ReceiveMaximum,
-			TopicAliasMaximum:         c.Properties.TopicAliasMaximum,
-			User:                      c.Properties.User,
-			MaximumPacketSize:         c.Properties.MaximumPacketSize,
-		}
-		cl.Properties.Will = Will(c.Will)
+		cl := s.newClientFromStorage(&c)
 
 		// cancel the context, update cl.State such as disconnected time and stopCause.
 		cl.Stop(packets.ErrServerShuttingDown)
@@ -1669,6 +1694,29 @@ func (s *Server) loadClients(v []storage.Client) {
 	}
 }
 
+// newClientFromStorage creates a Client from a storage.Client.
+func (s *Server) newClientFromStorage(c *storage.Client) *Client {
+	cl := s.NewClient(nil, c.Listener, c.ID, false)
+	cl.Properties.Username = c.Username
+	cl.Properties.Clean = c.Clean
+	cl.Properties.ProtocolVersion = c.ProtocolVersion
+	cl.Properties.Props = packets.Properties{
+		SessionExpiryInterval:     c.Properties.SessionExpiryInterval,
+		SessionExpiryIntervalFlag: c.Properties.SessionExpiryIntervalFlag,
+		AuthenticationMethod:      c.Properties.AuthenticationMethod,
+		AuthenticationData:        c.Properties.AuthenticationData,
+		RequestProblemInfoFlag:    c.Properties.RequestProblemInfoFlag,
+		RequestProblemInfo:        c.Properties.RequestProblemInfo,
+		RequestResponseInfo:       c.Properties.RequestResponseInfo,
+		ReceiveMaximum:            c.Properties.ReceiveMaximum,
+		TopicAliasMaximum:         c.Properties.TopicAliasMaximum,
+		User:                      c.Properties.User,
+		MaximumPacketSize:         c.Properties.MaximumPacketSize,
+	}
+	cl.Properties.Will = Will(c.Will)
+	return cl
+}
+
 // loadInflight restores inflight messages from the datastore.
 func (s *Server) loadInflight(v []storage.Message) {
 	for _, msg := range v {