diff --git a/mitmproxy/proxy/protocol2/server/server_async.py b/mitmproxy/proxy/protocol2/server/server_async.py
index 0d5be65ff..59002e096 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/proxy/protocol2/server/server_async.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/proxy/protocol2/server/server_async.py
@@ -6,46 +6,46 @@ The very high level overview is as follows:
     - Process any commands from layer (such as opening a server connection)
     - Wait for any IO and send it as events to top layer.
 """
+import abc
 import asyncio
-import collections
 import socket
-from typing import MutableMapping
+import typing
 
-from mitmproxy import controller
 from mitmproxy.proxy.protocol2 import events, commands
 from mitmproxy.proxy.protocol2.context import Client, Context
 from mitmproxy.proxy.protocol2.context import Connection
 from mitmproxy.proxy.protocol2.reverse_proxy import ReverseProxy
 
-StreamIO = collections.namedtuple('StreamIO', ['r', 'w'])
+
+class StreamIO(typing.NamedTuple):
+    r: asyncio.StreamReader
+    w: asyncio.StreamWriter
 
 
-class ConnectionHandler:
-    def __init__(self, event_queue, reader, writer):
+class ConnectionHandler(metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
+    transports: typing.MutableMapping[Connection, StreamIO]
+
+    def __init__(self, reader, writer):
         addr = writer.get_extra_info('peername')
 
         self.client = Client(addr)
         self.context = Context(self.client)
-        self.event_queue = event_queue
 
         # self.layer = ReverseProxy(self.context, ("localhost", 443))
         self.layer = ReverseProxy(self.context, ("localhost", 80))
 
-        self.transports: MutableMapping[Connection, StreamIO] = {
+        self.transports = {
             self.client: StreamIO(reader, writer)
         }
 
-        self.lock = asyncio.Lock()
-
-    @classmethod
-    async def handle(cls, reader, writer):
-        await cls(reader, writer).handle_client()
+    def _debug(self, *args):
+        print(*args)
 
     async def handle_client(self):
-        await self.server_event(events.Start())
+        self.server_event(events.Start())
         await self.handle_connection(self.client)
 
-        print("client connection done, closing transports!")
+        self._debug("client connection done, closing transports!")
 
         if self.transports:
             await asyncio.wait([
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ class ConnectionHandler:
                 for x in self.transports
             ])
 
-        print("transports closed!")
+        self._debug("transports closed!")
 
     async def close_connection(self, connection):
         io = self.transports.pop(connection, None)
         if not io:
-            print(f"Already closed: {connection}")
-        print(f"Closing {connection}")
+            self._debug(f"Already closed: {connection}")
+        self._debug(f"Closing {connection}")
         try:
             await io.w.drain()
             io.w.write_eof()
@@ -75,60 +75,70 @@ class ConnectionHandler:
             except socket.error:
                 data = b""
             if data:
-                await self.server_event(events.DataReceived(connection, data))
+                self.server_event(events.DataReceived(connection, data))
             else:
                 connection.connected = False
                 if connection in self.transports:
                     await self.close_connection(connection)
-                await self.server_event(events.ConnectionClosed(connection))
+                self.server_event(events.ConnectionClosed(connection))
                 break
 
     async def open_connection(self, command: commands.OpenConnection):
-        reader, writer = await asyncio.open_connection(
-            *command.connection.address
-        )
-        self.transports[command.connection] = StreamIO(reader, writer)
-        command.connection.connected = True
-        await self.server_event(events.OpenConnectionReply(command, None))
-        await self.handle_connection(command.connection)
+        try:
+            reader, writer = await asyncio.open_connection(
+                *command.connection.address
+            )
+        except IOError as e:
+            self.server_event(events.OpenConnectionReply(command, str(e)))
+        else:
+            self.transports[command.connection] = StreamIO(reader, writer)
+            command.connection.connected = True
+            self.server_event(events.OpenConnectionReply(command, None))
+            await self.handle_connection(command.connection)
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    async def handle_hook(self, hook: commands.Hook) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    def server_event(self, event: events.Event) -> None:
+        self._debug(">>", event)
+        layer_commands = self.layer.handle_event(event)
+        for command in layer_commands:
+            self._debug("<<", command)
+            if isinstance(command, commands.OpenConnection):
+                asyncio.ensure_future(
+                    self.open_connection(command)
+                )
+            elif isinstance(command, commands.SendData):
+                self.transports[command.connection].w.write(command.data)
+            elif isinstance(command, commands.CloseConnection):
+                asyncio.ensure_future(
+                    self.close_connection(command.connection)
+                )
+            elif isinstance(command, commands.Hook):
+                asyncio.ensure_future(
+                    self.handle_hook(command)
+                )
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"Unexpected event: {command}")
+
+
+class SimpleConnectionHandler(ConnectionHandler):
+    """Simple handler that does not process any hooks."""
 
     async def handle_hook(self, hook: commands.Hook) -> None:
-        # TODO: temporary glue code - let's see how many years it survives.
-        hook.data.reply = controller.Reply(hook.data)
-        q = asyncio.Queue()
-        hook.data.reply.q = q
-        self.event_queue.put((hook.name, hook.data))
-        reply = await q.get()
-        await self.server_event(events.HookReply(hook, reply))
+        self.server_event(events.HookReply(hook, None))
 
-    async def server_event(self, event: events.Event) -> None:
-        print("*", type(event).__name__)
-        async with self.lock:
-            print("<#", event)
-            layer_commands = self.layer.handle_event(event)
-            for command in layer_commands:
-                print("<<", command)
-                if isinstance(command, commands.OpenConnection):
-                    asyncio.ensure_future(self.open_connection(command))
-                elif isinstance(command, commands.SendData):
-                    self.transports[command.connection].w.write(command.data)
-                elif isinstance(command, commands.Hook):
-                    print(f"~ {command.name}: {command.data}")
-                    asyncio.ensure_future(
-                        self.handle_hook(command)
-                    )
-                elif isinstance(command, commands.CloseConnection):
-                    asyncio.ensure_future(
-                        self.close_connection(command.connection)
-                    )
-                else:
-                    raise NotImplementedError(f"Unexpected event: {command}")
-            print("#>")
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
 
-    coro = asyncio.start_server(ConnectionHandler.handle, '127.0.0.1', 8080, loop=loop)
+
+    async def handle(reader, writer):
+        await SimpleConnectionHandler(reader, writer).handle_client()
+
+
+    coro = asyncio.start_server(handle, '127.0.0.1', 8080, loop=loop)
     server = loop.run_until_complete(coro)
 
     # Serve requests until Ctrl+C is pressed