diff --git a/news/events-precmd.rst b/news/events-precmd.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..997c8d9d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/events-precmd.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* Added ``on_precommand`` and ``on_postcommand`` `events </events.html>`_
+
+**Changed:** None
+
+**Deprecated:** None
+
+**Removed:** None
+
+**Fixed:** None
+
+**Security:** None
diff --git a/tests/test_news.py b/tests/test_news.py
index 88cc3a679..e3ed482c5 100644
--- a/tests/test_news.py
+++ b/tests/test_news.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ NEWSDIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)), 'news')
 CATEGORIES = frozenset(['Added', 'Changed', 'Deprecated', 'Removed',
                         'Fixed', 'Security'])
 
-single_grave_reg = re.compile(r'[^`]`[^`]+`[^`]')
+single_grave_reg = re.compile(r'[^`]`[^`]+`[^`_]')
 
 def check_news_file(fname):
     name = fname.name
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ def check_news_file(fname):
                 pytest.fail('{}:{}: invalid rst'.format(name, i+1),
                             pytrace=False)
             if '`' in line:
-                if line.count('`') % 4 != 0 \
-                   or single_grave_reg.search(line):
+                if single_grave_reg.search(line):
                     pytest.fail("{}:{}: single grave accents"
                                 " are not valid rst".format(name, i+1),
                                 pytrace=False)
diff --git a/xonsh/base_shell.py b/xonsh/base_shell.py
index ea74e4759..928f6e3bc 100644
--- a/xonsh/base_shell.py
+++ b/xonsh/base_shell.py
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ class BaseShell(object):
         src, code = self.push(line)
         if code is None:
             return
+
+        events.on_precommand.fire(src)
+
         hist = builtins.__xonsh_history__  # pylint: disable=no-member
         ts1 = None
         store_stdout = builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('XONSH_STORE_STDOUT')  # pylint: disable=no-member
@@ -181,16 +184,50 @@ class BaseShell(object):
             ts1 = ts1 or time.time()
             self._append_history(inp=src, ts=[ts0, ts1], tee_out=tee.getvalue())
             tee.close()
-            cwd = os.getcwd()
-            if cwd != builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD']:
-                old = builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD']             # working directory changed without updating $PWD
-                builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD'] = cwd             # track it now
-                if old is not None:
-                    builtins.__xonsh_env__['OLDPWD'] = old      # and update $OLDPWD like dirstack.
-                events.on_chdir.fire(old, cwd)                  # fire event after cwd actually changed.
+
+            self._fix_cwd()
         if builtins.__xonsh_exit__:  # pylint: disable=no-member
             return True
 
+    def _append_history(self, tee_out=None, **info):
+        """
+        Append information about the command to the history.
+
+        (Also handles on_postcommand because this is the place where all the information is available)
+        """
+        hist = builtins.__xonsh_history__  # pylint: disable=no-member
+        info['rtn'] = hist.last_cmd_rtn
+        tee_out = tee_out or None
+        last_out = hist.last_cmd_out or None
+        if last_out is None and tee_out is None:
+            pass
+        elif last_out is None and tee_out is not None:
+            info['out'] = tee_out
+        elif last_out is not None and tee_out is None:
+            info['out'] = last_out
+        else:
+            info['out'] = tee_out + '\n' + last_out
+
+        events.on_postcommand.fire(
+            info['inp'],
+            info['rtn'],
+            info.get('out', None),
+            info['ts']
+        )
+
+        hist.append(info)
+        hist.last_cmd_rtn = hist.last_cmd_out = None
+
+    def _fix_cwd(self):
+        """Check if the cwd changed out from under us"""
+        cwd = os.getcwd()
+        if cwd != builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD']:
+            old = builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD']             # working directory changed without updating $PWD
+            builtins.__xonsh_env__['PWD'] = cwd             # track it now
+            if old is not None:
+                builtins.__xonsh_env__['OLDPWD'] = old      # and update $OLDPWD like dirstack.
+            events.on_chdir.fire(old, cwd)                  # fire event after cwd actually changed.
+
     def push(self, line):
         """Pushes a line onto the buffer and compiles the code in a way that
         enables multiline input.
@@ -280,23 +317,6 @@ class BaseShell(object):
         self.settitle()
         return p
 
-    def _append_history(self, tee_out=None, **info):
-        """Append information about the command to the history."""
-        hist = builtins.__xonsh_history__  # pylint: disable=no-member
-        info['rtn'] = hist.last_cmd_rtn
-        tee_out = tee_out or None
-        last_out = hist.last_cmd_out or None
-        if last_out is None and tee_out is None:
-            pass
-        elif last_out is None and tee_out is not None:
-            info['out'] = tee_out
-        elif last_out is not None and tee_out is None:
-            info['out'] = last_out
-        else:
-            info['out'] = tee_out + '\n' + last_out
-        hist.append(info)
-        hist.last_cmd_rtn = hist.last_cmd_out = None
-
     def format_color(self, string, **kwargs):
         """Formats the colors in a string. This base implmentation does not
         actually do any coloring, but just returns the string directly.
diff --git a/xonsh/shell.py b/xonsh/shell.py
index 192ab9219..f364a6686 100644
--- a/xonsh/shell.py
+++ b/xonsh/shell.py
@@ -11,6 +11,20 @@ from xonsh.execer import Execer
 from xonsh.platform import (best_shell_type, has_prompt_toolkit,
                             ptk_version_is_supported)
 from xonsh.tools import XonshError, to_bool_or_int
+from xonsh.events import events
+
+
+events.doc('on_precommand', """
+on_precommand(cmd: str) -> None
+
+Fires just before a command is executed.
+""")
+
+events.doc('on_postcommand', """
+on_postcommand(cmd: str, rtn: int, out: str or None, ts: list) -> None
+
+Fires just after a command is executed.
+""")
 
 
 class Shell(object):