diff --git a/services/gitea.spec b/services/gitea.spec
index 5cb25b8..28ae5b5 100644
--- a/services/gitea.spec
+++ b/services/gitea.spec
@@ -3,26 +3,26 @@ command: ./gitea -C . -w . -c ./custom/conf/app.ini
 directory: ${SERVICE_ROOT} # FIXME: Could this be removed?
 consumes: postgresql
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: working directory
     # 'command' is run only if this directory doesn't exist
-    directory: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/
+    unless-directory: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/
     command: mkdir -p ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: symlink
     # 'command' is run only if this directory doesn't exist
-    file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/gitea
+    unless-file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/gitea
     command: ln -s $(which gitea) ${SERVICE_ROOT}/gitea
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: configuration file
     # 'command' is run only if this file doesn't exist
-    file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/app.ini
+    unless-file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/app.ini
     command: gen-config gitea.cfg ${SERVICE_ROOT}/custom/conf/app.ini postgresql=${POSTGRESQL_PROVIDER}
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: gitea database creation
     # 'command' is run only if this directory doesn't exist
-    file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/db_is_setup
+    unless-file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/db_is_setup
     command: pg_create_user.sh --pghost=localhost --pgport=$(get-port $POSTGRESQL_PROVIDER) --pgdatadir=$POSTGRESQL_ROOT --pguser=postgres --dbuser=${ENVIRONMENT}_gitea --dbpassfile=${SERVICE_ROOT}/password_main --dbname=${ENVIRONMENT}_gitea_db create_user_and_db && touch ${SERVICE_ROOT}/db_is_setup
diff --git a/services/postgresql.spec b/services/postgresql.spec
index 0850499..cc26fbe 100644
--- a/services/postgresql.spec
+++ b/services/postgresql.spec
@@ -6,26 +6,26 @@ environment-variables:
     - PGROOT=${SERVICE_ROOT}
 provides: postgresql
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: database directory creation
-    directory: ${SERVICE_ROOT}
+    unless-directory: ${SERVICE_ROOT}
     command: mkdir -p ${SERVICE_ROOT} && chown postgres:postgres ${SERVICE_ROOT}
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: database creation
-    file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/base
+    unless-file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/base
     command: su - postgres -c "initdb --locale en_US.UTF-8 -D '${SERVICE_ROOT}'" && rm ${SERVICE_ROOT}/postgresql.conf
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: database configuration
     # once this file is created, there is no need to perform the command
-    file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/postgresql.conf
+    unless-file: ${SERVICE_ROOT}/postgresql.conf
     # gen-config inherits its parameters from the environment
     command: gen-config postgresql.conf ${SERVICE_ROOT}/postgresql.conf && chown postgres:postgres ${SERVICE_ROOT}/postgresql.conf
 
-%check
+%pre-start
     name: sockets directory
-    directory: /tmp/postgresql-${ENVIRONMENT}
+    unless-directory: /tmp/postgresql-${ENVIRONMENT}
     # FIXME: impose permissions
     command: mkdir -p /tmp/postgresql-${ENVIRONMENT} && chown postgres:postgres /tmp/postgresql-${ENVIRONMENT}
-    # FIXME: add postgresql-check-db-dir around here
+    # FIXME: add postgresql-pre-start-db-dir around here
diff --git a/src/service/environment.cr b/src/service/environment.cr
index e58c282..14d5071 100644
--- a/src/service/environment.cr
+++ b/src/service/environment.cr
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class Environment
 	getter name : String
 	getter type : Type = Type::Prefix
 	getter domain_name : String?
-	getter checks = Array(ServiceDefinition::Checks).new
+	getter pre_start_hooks = Array(ServiceDefinition::Hook).new
 
 	# The place we’ll put services’ data and configuration.
 	@root : String?
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ class Environment
 	def initialize(@name, type = "prefix")
 		@type = Type.parse type
 
-		@checks = Array(ServiceDefinition::Checks).new
+		@pre_start_hooks = Array(ServiceDefinition::Hook).new
 
 		# FIXME: Should this *really* be here?
-		@checks << ServiceDefinition::Checks.new "Creating data directory",
+		@pre_start_hooks << ServiceDefinition::Hook.new "Creating data directory",
 			"mkdir -p /srv/${ENVIRONMENT} && chmod a+rwt /srv/${ENVIRONMENT}",
-			directory: "/srv/${ENVIRONMENT}"
+			unless_directory: "/srv/${ENVIRONMENT}"
 	end
 
 	def initialize(@name, specs : SpecParser)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class Environment
 		end
 
 		specs.sections.select(&.name.==("check")).each do |check|
-			@checks << ServiceDefinition::Checks.new check
+			@pre_start_hooks << ServiceDefinition::Hook.new check
 		end
 	end
 
diff --git a/src/service/service.cr b/src/service/service.cr
index 5178b28..3ac77af 100644
--- a/src/service/service.cr
+++ b/src/service/service.cr
@@ -179,28 +179,32 @@ class Service
 		end
 	end
 
+	def pre_start_hooks
+		@environment.pre_start_hooks + @reference.pre_start_hooks
+	end
+
 	def start(pid_dir : String, log_dir : String)
-		(@environment.checks + @reference.checks).each do |check|
-			run_check = false
+		pre_start_hooks.each do |hook|
+			run_hook = false
 
-			check.file.try do |file|
+			hook.unless_file.try do |file|
 				file = evaluate file
-				run_check = true if ! File.exists? file
+				run_hook = true if ! File.exists? file
 			end
 
-			check.directory.try do |directory|
+			hook.unless_directory.try do |directory|
 				directory = evaluate directory
-				run_check = true if ! Dir.exists? directory
+				run_hook = true if ! Dir.exists? directory
 			end
 
-			unless run_check
+			unless run_hook
 				next
 			end
 
-			puts "  - #{check.name}"
+			puts "  - #{hook.name}"
 
 			child = Process.fork do
-				Process.exec "sh", ["-c", check.command],
+				Process.exec "sh", ["-c", hook.command],
 					output: Process::Redirect::Inherit,
 					error: Process::Redirect::Inherit,
 					env: build_environment
diff --git a/src/service/service_definition.cr b/src/service/service_definition.cr
index ac76a85..0e3b985 100644
--- a/src/service/service_definition.cr
+++ b/src/service/service_definition.cr
@@ -18,19 +18,21 @@ class ServiceDefinition
 		def initialize(@token)
 		end
 	end
-	struct Checks
+	struct Hook
 		getter name : String
 		getter command : String
-		getter directory : String?
-		getter file : String?
+		getter unless_directory : String?
+		getter unless_file : String?
 
-		def initialize(@name, @command, @file = nil, @directory = nil)
+		def initialize(@name, @command, @unless_file = nil, @unless_directory = nil)
 		end
 		def initialize(section : SpecParser::Section)
 			@name = section.content["name"].as_s
-			@file = section.content["file"]?.try &.as_s
-			@directory = section.content["directory"]?.try &.as_s
 			@command = section.content["command"].as_s
+
+			@unless_directory = section.content["unless-directory"]?
+				.try &.as_s
+			@unless_file = section.content["unless-file"]?.try &.as_s
 		end
 	end
 
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ class ServiceDefinition
 	getter provides : String?
 	getter consumes : Array(Consumes)
 	getter environment_variables : Array(String)
-	getter checks : Array(Checks)
+	getter pre_start_hooks : Array(Hook)
 	getter provides : Array(Provides)
 
 	def initialize(@name, specs : SpecParser)
@@ -56,8 +58,9 @@ class ServiceDefinition
 		@user          = specs["user"]?.try &.as_s
 		@provides      = specs["provides"]?.try &.as_a_or_s.map { |x| Provides.new x } || Array(Provides).new
 		@consumes      = specs["consumes"]?.try &.as_a_or_s.map { |x| Consumes.new x } || Array(Consumes).new
-		@checks        = sections.select(&.name.== "check").map { |x| Checks.new x } || Array(Checks).new
 		@environment_variables = specs["environment-variables"]?.try &.as_a_or_s || Array(String).new
+
+		@pre_start_hooks = sections.select(&.name.== "pre-start").map { |x| Hook.new x } || Array(Hook).new
 	end
 
 	def self.load(path)