diff --git a/requests/api.py b/requests/api.py
index 9acc1e5f..9c78c17f 100644
--- a/requests/api.py
+++ b/requests/api.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ This module impliments the Requests API.
 import config
 from .models import Request, Response, AuthObject
 from .status_codes import codes
-from .hooks import dispatch_hooks
+from hooks import setup_hooks, dispatch_hooks
 from .utils import cookiejar_from_dict
 
 from urlparse import urlparse
@@ -43,10 +43,9 @@ def request(method, url,
 
     method = str(method).upper()
 
-    if cookies is None:
-        cookies = {}
+    cookies = cookiejar_from_dict(cookies or dict())
 
-    cookies = cookiejar_from_dict(cookies)
+    hooks = setup_hooks(hooks or dict())
 
     args = dict(
         method = method,
@@ -61,23 +60,24 @@ def request(method, url,
         allow_redirects = allow_redirects,
         proxies = proxies or config.settings.proxies,
     )
+    
 
     # Arguments manipulation hook.
-    args = dispatch_hooks('args', hooks, args)
+    args = dispatch_hooks(hooks.get('args', []), args)
 
     r = Request(**args)
 
     # Pre-request hook.
-    r = dispatch_hooks('pre_request', hooks, r)
+    r = dispatch_hooks(hooks.get('pre_request', []), r)
 
     # Send the HTTP Request.
     r.send()
 
     # Post-request hook.
-    r = dispatch_hooks('post_request', hooks, r)
+    r = dispatch_hooks(hooks.get('post_request', []), hooks, r)
 
     # Response manipulation hook.
-    r.response = dispatch_hooks('response', hooks, r.response)
+    r.response = dispatch_hooks(hooks.get('response', []), r.response)
 
     return r.response
 
diff --git a/requests/config.py b/requests/config.py
index 794109c5..a92e1f57 100644
--- a/requests/config.py
+++ b/requests/config.py
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ settings.proxies = None
 settings.verbose = None
 settings.timeout = None
 settings.max_redirects = 30
-settings.decode_unicode = True
+# settings.decode_unicode = True
+settings.unicode_response = True
+settings.decode_response = True
 
 #: Use socket.setdefaulttimeout() as fallback?
 settings.timeout_fallback = True
diff --git a/requests/hooks.py b/requests/hooks/__init__.py
similarity index 61%
rename from requests/hooks.py
rename to requests/hooks/__init__.py
index 2fa97d0b..8f7c6b1c 100644
--- a/requests/hooks.py
+++ b/requests/hooks/__init__.py
@@ -24,8 +24,24 @@ Available hooks:
 
 import warnings
 from collections import Iterable
+from .. import config
+from response import unicode_response, decode_response
 
-def dispatch_hooks(key, hooks, hook_data):
+def setup_hooks(hooks):
+    """Setup hooks as a dictionary. Each value is a set of hooks."""
+
+    for key, values in hooks.items():
+        hook_list = values if isinstance(values, Iterable) else [values]
+        hooks[key] = set(hook_list) 
+
+    # Also, based on settings, 
+    if config.settings.unicode_response:
+        hooks.setdefault('response', set()).add(unicode_response)
+    if config.settings.decode_response:
+        hooks.setdefault('response', set()).add(decode_response)
+    return hooks
+
+def dispatch_hooks(hooks, hook_data):
     """Dispatches multiple hooks on a given piece of data.
 
     :param key: the hooks group to lookup
@@ -36,13 +52,10 @@ def dispatch_hooks(key, hooks, hook_data):
     :param hook_data: the object on witch the hooks should be applied
     :type hook_data: object
     """
-    hook_list = hooks.get(key, []) if hooks else []
-    dispatching = hook_list if isinstance(hook_list, Iterable) else [hook_list]
-    for hook in dispatching:
+    for hook in hooks:
         try:
             # hook must be a callable
             hook_data = hook(hook_data)
         except Exception, why:
             warnings.warn(str(why))
     return hook_data
-
diff --git a/requests/models.py b/requests/models.py
index 5983c237..e199b3ca 100644
--- a/requests/models.py
+++ b/requests/models.py
@@ -444,22 +444,20 @@ class Response(object):
         (if available).
         """
 
-        if self._content is not None:
-            return self._content
+        if self._content is None:
+            # Read the contents.
+            self._content = self.fo.read()
 
-        # Read the contents.
-        self._content = self.fo.read()
+        # # Decode GZip'd content.
+        # if 'gzip' in self.headers.get('content-encoding', ''):
+        #     try:
+        #         self._content = decode_gzip(self._content)
+        #     except zlib.error:
+        #         pass
 
-        # Decode GZip'd content.
-        if 'gzip' in self.headers.get('content-encoding', ''):
-            try:
-                self._content = decode_gzip(self._content)
-            except zlib.error:
-                pass
-
-        # Decode unicode content.
-        if settings.decode_unicode:
-            self._content = get_unicode_from_response(self)
+        # # Decode unicode content.
+        # if settings.decode_unicode:
+        #     self._content = get_unicode_from_response(self)
 
         return self._content