diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
index e8a5e08..bda1eaf 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
@@ -1,4 +1,52 @@
 package org.capnproto;
 
 public interface ClientHook {
+
+    Object NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
+    Object BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
+
+    default ClientHook getResolved() {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    default Object getBrand() {
+        return NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
+    }
+
+    default boolean isNull() {
+        return getBrand() == NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
+    }
+
+    default boolean isError() {
+        return getBrand() == BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
+    }
+
+    default Integer getFd() {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    static ClientHook newBrokenCap(String reason) {
+        return newBrokenClient(reason, false, BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+    }
+
+    static ClientHook newBrokenCap(Throwable exc) {
+        return newBrokenClient(exc, false, BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+    }
+
+    static ClientHook newNullCap() {
+        return newBrokenClient(new RuntimeException("Called null capability"), true, NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+    }
+
+    static private ClientHook newBrokenClient(String reason, boolean resolved, Object brand) {
+        return newBrokenClient(new RuntimeException(reason), resolved, brand);
+    }
+
+    static private ClientHook newBrokenClient(Throwable exc, boolean resolved, Object brand) {
+        return new ClientHook() {
+            @Override
+            public Object getBrand() {
+                return brand;
+            }
+        };
+    }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
index 2c9da87..8600a6a 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
@@ -1312,4 +1312,38 @@ final class WireHelpers {
         return new Data.Reader(resolved.segment.buffer, resolved.ptr, size);
     }
 
+    static void setCapabilityPointer(SegmentBuilder segment, CapTableBuilder capTable, int refOffset, ClientHook cap) {
+        long ref = segment.get(refOffset);
+
+        if (!WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
+            zeroObject(segment, refOffset);
+        }
+
+        if (cap == null) {
+            // TODO check zeroMemory behaviour
+            zeroPointerAndFars(segment, refOffset);
+        }
+        else {
+            WirePointer.setCap(segment.buffer, refOffset, capTable.injectCap(cap));
+        }
+    }
+
+    static ClientHook readCapabilityPointer(SegmentReader segment, CapTableReader capTable, int refOffset, int maxValue) {
+        long ref = segment.get(refOffset);
+
+        if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
+            return ClientHook.newNullCap();
+        }
+
+        if (WirePointer.kind(ref) != WirePointer.OTHER) {
+            return ClientHook.newBrokenCap("Calling capability extracted from a non-capability pointer.");
+        }
+
+        var cap = capTable.extractCap(WirePointer.upper32Bits(ref));
+        if (cap == null) {
+            return ClientHook.newBrokenCap("Calling invalid capability pointer.");
+        }
+        return cap;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WirePointer.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WirePointer.java
index 9b6f653..ba33292 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WirePointer.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WirePointer.java
@@ -85,4 +85,8 @@ final class WirePointer {
     public static int upper32Bits(long wirePointer) {
         return (int)(wirePointer >>> 32);
     }
+
+    public static void setCap(ByteBuffer buffer, int offset, int cap) {
+        WirePointer.setOffsetAndKind(buffer, offset, (cap << 2) | OTHER);
+    }
 }