diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/hook.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/hook.rs
index 3dc2990014..f07bc6263a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/hook.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/hook.rs
@@ -87,6 +87,65 @@ pub fn eval_hook(
     };
 
     match value {
+        Value::String { val, span } => {
+            let (block, delta, vars) = {
+                let mut working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
+
+                let mut vars: Vec<(VarId, Value)> = vec![];
+
+                for (name, val) in arguments {
+                    let var_id = working_set.add_variable(
+                        name.as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                        val.span()?,
+                        Type::Any,
+                        false,
+                    );
+
+                    vars.push((var_id, val));
+                }
+
+                let output = parse(&mut working_set, Some("hook"), val.as_bytes(), false);
+                if let Some(err) = working_set.parse_errors.first() {
+                    report_error(&working_set, err);
+
+                    return Err(ShellError::UnsupportedConfigValue(
+                        "valid source code".into(),
+                        "source code with syntax errors".into(),
+                        *span,
+                    ));
+                }
+
+                (output, working_set.render(), vars)
+            };
+
+            engine_state.merge_delta(delta)?;
+            let input = if let Some(input) = input {
+                input
+            } else {
+                PipelineData::empty()
+            };
+
+            let var_ids: Vec<VarId> = vars
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|(var_id, val)| {
+                    stack.add_var(var_id, val);
+                    var_id
+                })
+                .collect();
+
+            match eval_block(engine_state, stack, &block, input, false, false) {
+                Ok(pipeline_data) => {
+                    output = pipeline_data;
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    report_error_new(engine_state, &err);
+                }
+            }
+
+            for var_id in var_ids.iter() {
+                stack.remove_var(*var_id);
+            }
+        }
         Value::List { vals, .. } => {
             for val in vals {
                 eval_hook(engine_state, stack, None, arguments.clone(), val)?;
@@ -274,7 +333,7 @@ pub fn eval_hook(
         }
         other => {
             return Err(ShellError::UnsupportedConfigValue(
-                "block, record, or list of records".into(),
+                "string, block, record, or list of commands".into(),
                 format!("{}", other.get_type()),
                 other.span()?,
             ));
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
index 03c03c0beb..fea9e8da6f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ impl Hooks {
             pre_prompt: None,
             pre_execution: None,
             env_change: None,
-            display_output: None,
+            display_output: Some(Value::string(
+                "if (term size).columns >= 100 { table -e } else { table }",
+                Span::unknown(),
+            )),
             command_not_found: None,
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
index 29e8565214..8f57f572cb 100644
--- a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ let light_theme = {
 #     carapace $spans.0 nushell $spans | from json
 # }
 
-
 # The default config record. This is where much of your global configuration is setup.
 $env.config = {
     show_banner: true # true or false to enable or disable the welcome banner at startup
@@ -251,7 +250,7 @@ $env.config = {
         env_change: {
             PWD: [{|before, after| null }] # run if the PWD environment is different since the last repl input
         }
-        display_output: { table } # run before the output of a command is drawn, example: `{ if (term size).columns >= 100 { table -e } else { table } }`
+        display_output: "if (term size).columns >= 100 { table -e } else { table }" # run to display the output of a pipeline
         command_not_found: { null } # return an error message when a command is not found
     }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/test_custom_commands.rs b/src/tests/test_custom_commands.rs
index da121a5d7d..5c26c8f382 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_custom_commands.rs
+++ b/src/tests/test_custom_commands.rs
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ fn help_not_present_in_extern() -> TestResult {
 
 #[test]
 fn override_table() -> TestResult {
-    run_test(r#"def table [] { "hi" }; table"#, "hi")
+    run_test(r#"def table [-e] { "hi" }; table"#, "hi")
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn override_table_eval_file() {
-    let actual = nu!(r#"def table [] { "hi" }; table"#);
+    let actual = nu!(r#"def table [-e] { "hi" }; table"#);
     assert_eq!(actual.out, "hi");
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/hooks/mod.rs b/tests/hooks/mod.rs
index bd921ef5af..57ef9f0593 100644
--- a/tests/hooks/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/hooks/mod.rs
@@ -551,13 +551,3 @@ fn err_hook_parse_error() {
     assert!(actual_repl.err.contains("unsupported_config_value"));
     assert_eq!(actual_repl.out, "");
 }
-
-#[test]
-fn err_hook_dont_allow_string() {
-    let inp = &[&pre_prompt_hook(r#"'def foo [] { "got foo!" }'"#), "foo"];
-
-    let actual_repl = nu!(nu_repl_code(inp));
-
-    assert!(actual_repl.out.is_empty());
-    assert!(actual_repl.err.contains("unsupported_config_value"));
-}