diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 8f029325b7..6f8f4b2de5 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,23 @@
+7.1.0-dev.590 | 2024-11-21 14:40:53 +0100
+
+  * plugin: Add InitPreExecution() (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
+
+    Currently, plugins do not have a way to further inspect or even mutate
+    script functions after ZAM optimization ran. One use-case here is
+    zeek-perf-support [1]. This plugin wraps Stmt instances of functions,
+    events and hooks hooks with a small assembly stub to support JIT map
+    files [2] and for integration with perf tools.
+
+    This change introduces a new InitPreExecution() hook that runs after
+    ZAM optimization completed, just before the zeek_init() event is enqueued.
+
+    Additionally, remove the existing CPP_activation_hook. It doesn't seem
+    to be used. If it becomes necessary in the future, the new
+    InitPreExecution() hook can be leveraged instead.
+
+    [1] https://github.com/zeek/zeek-perf-support
+    [2] https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/tools/perf/Documentation/jit-interface.txt
+
 7.1.0-dev.588 | 2024-11-21 10:22:21 +0100
 
   * Bump zeekjs to v0.14.0 (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 70450f07e3..8b5382f528 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ New Functionality
 
 	event signature_match(state: signature_state, msg: string, data: string, end_of_match: count);
 
+* A we plugin hook ``InitPreExecution()`` has been added to allow introspection
+  of Zeek's AST after ZAM optimizations ran. This hook executes right before
+  the ``zeek_init()`` event is enqueued.
+
 Changed Functionality
 ---------------------
 
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 18551f1692..472c511dcc 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.1.0-dev.588
+7.1.0-dev.590
diff --git a/src/plugin/Manager.cc b/src/plugin/Manager.cc
index aae835839a..c8018a395f 100644
--- a/src/plugin/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/plugin/Manager.cc
@@ -484,6 +484,14 @@ void Manager::InitPostScript() {
         (*i)->InitPostScript();
 }
 
+void Manager::InitPreExecution() {
+    assert(init);
+
+    for ( plugin_list::iterator i = Manager::ActivePluginsInternal()->begin();
+          i != Manager::ActivePluginsInternal()->end(); i++ )
+        (*i)->InitPreExecution();
+}
+
 void Manager::FinishPlugins() {
     assert(init);
 
diff --git a/src/plugin/Manager.h b/src/plugin/Manager.h
index 54cfd8a514..f430774241 100644
--- a/src/plugin/Manager.h
+++ b/src/plugin/Manager.h
@@ -122,6 +122,13 @@ public:
      */
     void InitPostScript();
 
+    /**
+     * Fourth-stage initialization of the manager. This is called just before
+     * enqueuing zeek_init(), after script analysis and optimization completed.
+     * It forwards to the corresponding Plugin methods.
+     */
+    void InitPreExecution();
+
     /**
      * Finalizes all plugins at termination time. This forwards to the
      * corresponding Plugin \a Done() methods.
diff --git a/src/plugin/Plugin.cc b/src/plugin/Plugin.cc
index 153f5fc983..fa0338ef0f 100644
--- a/src/plugin/Plugin.cc
+++ b/src/plugin/Plugin.cc
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ void Plugin::InitPreScript() {}
 
 void Plugin::InitPostScript() {}
 
+void Plugin::InitPreExecution() {}
+
 Plugin::bif_item_list Plugin::BifItems() const { return bif_items; }
 
 void Plugin::Done() {
diff --git a/src/plugin/Plugin.h b/src/plugin/Plugin.h
index 78304d4483..3cea1d14d4 100644
--- a/src/plugin/Plugin.h
+++ b/src/plugin/Plugin.h
@@ -748,6 +748,14 @@ protected:
      */
     virtual void InitPostScript();
 
+    /**
+     * Third-stage initialization of the plugin called just before enqueueing
+     * zeek_init(), after script analysis and optimization completed.
+     * This can be overridden by derived classes; they must however call the
+     * parent's implementation.
+     */
+    virtual void InitPreExecution();
+
     /**
      * Finalizer method that derived classes can override for performing
      * custom tasks at shutdown.  This can be overridden by derived
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
index f515a4f16e..47effda307 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ AnalyOpt analysis_options;
 std::unordered_set<const Func*> non_recursive_funcs;
 
 void (*CPP_init_hook)() = nullptr;
-void (*CPP_activation_hook)() = nullptr;
 
 // Tracks all of the loaded functions (including event handlers and hooks).
 static std::vector<FuncInfo> funcs;
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
index 1a8c4c25fe..441c8d6ec2 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
@@ -271,8 +271,4 @@ extern bool IsZAM_BuiltInCond(const CallExpr* c);
 // to a non-empty value.
 extern void (*CPP_init_hook)();
 
-// Used for "standalone" C++-compiled scripts to complete their activation;
-// called after parsing and BiF initialization, but before zeek_init.
-extern void (*CPP_activation_hook)();
-
 } // namespace zeek::detail
diff --git a/src/zeek-setup.cc b/src/zeek-setup.cc
index ad7091ccf1..8fdfd5111a 100644
--- a/src/zeek-setup.cc
+++ b/src/zeek-setup.cc
@@ -992,8 +992,8 @@ SetupResult setup(int argc, char** argv, Options* zopts) {
         // we don't have any other source for it.
         run_state::detail::update_network_time(util::current_time());
 
-    if ( CPP_activation_hook )
-        (*CPP_activation_hook)();
+    // Plugin pre-execution hook.
+    plugin_mgr->InitPreExecution();
 
     if ( zeek_init )
         event_mgr.Enqueue(zeek_init, Args{});