diff --git a/doc/changelog/13-misc/17794-coercion_hook.rst b/doc/changelog/13-misc/17794-coercion_hook.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f47c1ad333ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog/13-misc/17794-coercion_hook.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+- **Added:**
+  a hook in the coercion mechanism to enable programming coercions in
+  external metalanguages such as Ltac, Ltac2, Elpi or OCaml plugins
+  (`#17794 <https://github.com/coq/coq/pull/17794>`_,
+  by Pierre Roux).
diff --git a/pretyping/coercion.ml b/pretyping/coercion.ml
index 41e81f1e911f..6fe035977d55 100644
--- a/pretyping/coercion.ml
+++ b/pretyping/coercion.ml
@@ -622,6 +622,30 @@ let lookup_reversible_path_to_common_point env sigma ~src_expected ~src_inferred
   in
     aux r
 
+type hook = env -> evar_map -> flags:Evarconv.unify_flags -> constr ->
+  inferred:types -> expected:types -> (evar_map * constr) option
+
+let all_hooks = ref (CString.Map.empty : hook CString.Map.t)
+
+let register_hook ~name ?(override=false) h =
+  if not override && CString.Map.mem name !all_hooks then
+    CErrors.anomaly ~label:"Coercion.register_hook"
+      Pp.(str "Hook already registered: \"" ++ str name ++ str "\".");
+  all_hooks := CString.Map.add name h !all_hooks
+
+let active_hooks = Summary.ref ~name:"coercion_hooks" ([] : string list)
+
+let deactivate_hook ~name =
+  active_hooks := List.filter (fun s -> not (String.equal s name)) !active_hooks
+
+let activate_hook ~name =
+  assert (CString.Map.mem name !all_hooks);
+  deactivate_hook ~name;
+  active_hooks := name :: !active_hooks
+
+let active_hooks () =
+  List.map (fun name -> CString.Map.get name !all_hooks) !active_hooks
+
 let add_reverse_coercion env sigma v'_ty v_ty v' v =
   match Coqlib.lib_ref_opt "core.coercion.reverse_coercion" with
   | None -> sigma, v'
@@ -657,7 +681,16 @@ let inh_coerce_to_fail ?(use_coercions=true) flags env sigma rigidonly v v_ty ta
       unify_leq_delay ~flags env sigma v'_ty target_type, v', trace
     with (Evarconv.UnableToUnify _ | Not_found) as exn ->
       let _, info = Exninfo.capture exn in
-      Exninfo.iraise (NoCoercion,info)
+      (* 3 if none of the above works, try hook *)
+      let hook_res =
+        List.fold_left
+          (fun r h ->
+            if r <> None then r else
+              h env sigma ~flags v ~inferred:v_ty ~expected:target_type)
+          None (active_hooks ()) in
+      match hook_res with
+      | Some (sigma, r) -> (sigma, r, ReplaceCoe r)
+      | None -> Exninfo.iraise (NoCoercion,info)
 
 let default_flags_of env =
   default_flags_of TransparentState.full
diff --git a/pretyping/coercion.mli b/pretyping/coercion.mli
index 8b35603dcb65..12371a97ba09 100644
--- a/pretyping/coercion.mli
+++ b/pretyping/coercion.mli
@@ -58,6 +58,25 @@ val inh_conv_coerce_rigid_to : ?loc:Loc.t -> program_mode:bool -> resolve_tc:boo
 val inh_pattern_coerce_to :
   ?loc:Loc.t -> env -> cases_pattern -> inductive -> inductive -> cases_pattern
 
+type hook = env -> evar_map -> flags:Evarconv.unify_flags -> constr ->
+  inferred:types -> expected:types -> (evar_map * constr) option
+
+(** A plugin can override the coercion mechanism by registering a hook here.
+    Note that these hooks will only be trigerred when no direct or reversible
+    coercion applies.
+    Newly registered hooks are not active by default, see [activate_hook] below.
+    The same hook cannot be registered twice, except if [override] is [true].
+    Beware that this addition is not persistent, it is up to the plugin to use
+    libobject if needed. *)
+val register_hook : name:string -> ?override:bool -> hook -> unit
+
+(** Activate a previously registered hook.
+    Most recently activated hooks are tried first. *)
+val activate_hook : name:string -> unit
+
+(** Deactivate a hook. If the hook wasn't registered/active,
+    this does nothing. *)
+val deactivate_hook : name:string -> unit
 
 type delayed_app_body