diff --git a/common/token.go b/common/token.go
index 85b0967be..482f01ad1 100644
--- a/common/token.go
+++ b/common/token.go
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 package common
 
 const (
-	TokenUser = "u"
-	TokenSess = "s"
+	TokenUser  = "u"
+	TokenSess  = "s"
+	TokenHook  = "h"
+	TokenAgent = "a"
 )
 
 type Token struct {
diff --git a/datastore/bolt/util.go b/datastore/bolt/util.go
index 7affb98e5..c69d24877 100644
--- a/datastore/bolt/util.go
+++ b/datastore/bolt/util.go
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ func push(t *bolt.Tx, bucket, index, value []byte) error {
 	if err != nil && err != ErrKeyNotFound {
 		return err
 	}
+	// we shouldn't add a key that already exists
+	for _, key := range keys {
+		if bytes.Equal(key, value) {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
 	keys = append(keys, value)
 	return update(t, bucket, index, &keys)
 }
diff --git a/drone.go b/drone.go
index 04c72519c..f7e15baaf 100644
--- a/drone.go
+++ b/drone.go
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ func main() {
 	api.Use(server.SetRemote(remote))
 	api.Use(server.SetQueue(queue.New()))
 	api.Use(server.SetSettings(settings))
+	api.Use(server.SetSession(session))
 	api.Use(server.SetUser(session))
 
 	user := api.Group("/user")
 	{
 		user.Use(server.MustUser())
-		user.Use(server.SetSession(session))
 
 		user.GET("", server.GetUserCurr)
 		user.PATCH("", server.PutUserCurr)
diff --git a/remote/github/helper.go b/remote/github/helper.go
index 906340c1d..8714e4b2a 100644
--- a/remote/github/helper.go
+++ b/remote/github/helper.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func GetHook(client *github.Client, owner, name, url string) (*github.Hook, erro
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	for _, hook := range hooks {
-		if hook.Config["url"] == url {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(hook.Config["url"].(string), url) {
 			return &hook, nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -255,6 +255,9 @@ func DeleteKey(client *github.Client, owner, name, title string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if k == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	_, err = client.Repositories.DeleteKey(owner, name, *k.ID)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/server/hooks.go b/server/hooks.go
index 4cabcc4b9..d7af6de93 100644
--- a/server/hooks.go
+++ b/server/hooks.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func PostHook(c *gin.Context) {
 	remote := ToRemote(c)
 	store := ToDatastore(c)
 	queue_ := ToQueue(c)
+	sess := ToSession(c)
 
 	hook, err := remote.Hook(c.Request)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -38,6 +39,14 @@ func PostHook(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// get the token and verify the hook is authorized
+	token := sess.GetLogin(c.Request)
+	if token == nil || token.Label != hook.Repo.FullName {
+		log.Errorf("invalid token sent with hook.")
+		c.AbortWithStatus(403)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// a build may be skipped if the text [CI SKIP]
 	// is found inside the commit message
 	if hook.Commit != nil && strings.Contains(hook.Commit.Message, "[CI SKIP]") {
diff --git a/server/repos.go b/server/repos.go
index bd7d19994..95e76b119 100644
--- a/server/repos.go
+++ b/server/repos.go
@@ -166,15 +166,11 @@ func DeleteRepo(c *gin.Context) {
 //
 func PostRepo(c *gin.Context) {
 	user := ToUser(c)
+	sess := ToSession(c)
 	store := ToDatastore(c)
 	owner := c.Params.ByName("owner")
 	name := c.Params.ByName("name")
 
-	link := fmt.Sprintf(
-		"%s/api/hook",
-		httputil.GetURL(c.Request),
-	)
-
 	// TODO(bradrydzewski) verify repo not exists
 
 	// get the repository and user permissions
@@ -194,6 +190,21 @@ func PostRepo(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	token := &common.Token{}
+	token.Kind = common.TokenHook
+	token.Label = r.FullName
+	tokenstr, err := sess.GenerateToken(token)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Fail(500, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	link := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"%s/api/hook?access_token=%s",
+		httputil.GetURL(c.Request),
+		tokenstr,
+	)
+
 	// set the repository owner to the
 	// currently authenticated user.
 	r.User = &common.Owner{Login: user.Login}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index ce96d4c43..bb0cb0cdc 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func SetUser(s session.Session) gin.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(c *gin.Context) {
 		ds := ToDatastore(c)
 		token := s.GetLogin(c.Request)
-		if token == nil {
+		if token == nil || len(token.Login) == 0 {
 			c.Next()
 			return
 		}
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ func SetUser(s session.Session) gin.HandlerFunc {
 
 		// if session token we can proceed, otherwise
 		// we should validate the token hasn't been revoked
-		if token.Kind == common.TokenSess {
+		switch token.Kind {
+		case common.TokenSess:
 			c.Next()
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/server/session/session.go b/server/session/session.go
index bc2e3f48c..608b65f9a 100644
--- a/server/session/session.go
+++ b/server/session/session.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/common"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/settings"
-	"github.com/gorilla/securecookie"
 )
 
 type Session interface {
@@ -22,12 +21,8 @@ type session struct {
 }
 
 func New(s *settings.Session) Session {
-	// TODO (bradrydzewski) hook up the Session.Expires
 	secret := []byte(s.Secret)
 	expire := time.Hour * 72
-	if len(secret) == 0 {
-		securecookie.GenerateRandomKey(32)
-	}
 	return &session{
 		secret: secret,
 		expire: expire,
diff --git a/settings/settings.go b/settings/settings.go
index 3361f1791..235693a54 100644
--- a/settings/settings.go
+++ b/settings/settings.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package settings
 
-import (
-	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
-)
+import "github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
 
 // Service represents the configuration details required
 // to connect to the revision control system (ie GitHub, Bitbucket)
@@ -108,7 +106,7 @@ type Settings struct {
 func Parse(path string) (*Settings, error) {
 	s := &Settings{}
 	_, err := toml.DecodeFile(path, s)
-	return s, err
+	return applyDefaults(s), err
 }
 
 // ParseString parses the Drone settings string and unmarshals
@@ -116,5 +114,18 @@ func Parse(path string) (*Settings, error) {
 func ParseString(data string) (*Settings, error) {
 	s := &Settings{}
 	_, err := toml.Decode(data, s)
-	return s, err
+	return applyDefaults(s), err
+}
+
+func applyDefaults(s *Settings) *Settings {
+	if s.Session == nil {
+		s.Session = &Session{}
+	}
+	// if no session token is provided we can
+	// instead use the client secret to sign
+	// our sessions and tokens.
+	if len(s.Session.Secret) == 0 {
+		s.Session.Secret = s.Service.OAuth.Secret
+	}
+	return s
 }