diff --git a/dbt/compat.py b/dbt/compat.py
index 7f89e6d70c9..bbd76f5cb76 100644
--- a/dbt/compat.py
+++ b/dbt/compat.py
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@
 
 if WHICH_PYTHON == 2:
     from SimpleHTTPServer import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
+    from SocketServer import TCPServer
 else:
     from http.server import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
+    from socketserver import TCPServer
 
 
 def to_unicode(s):
diff --git a/dbt/config.py b/dbt/config.py
index 46b7e8d3866..843467c2fc0 100644
--- a/dbt/config.py
+++ b/dbt/config.py
@@ -189,6 +189,25 @@ def render_profile_data(self, as_parsed):
             )
 
 
+def _list_if_none(value):
+    if value is None:
+        value = []
+    return value
+
+
+def _dict_if_none(value):
+    if value is None:
+        value = {}
+    return value
+
+
+def _list_if_none_or_string(value):
+    value = _list_if_none(value)
+    if isinstance(value, compat.basestring):
+        return [value]
+    return value
+
+
 class Project(object):
     def __init__(self, project_name, version, project_root, profile_name,
                  source_paths, macro_paths, data_paths, test_paths,
@@ -220,24 +239,25 @@ def __init__(self, project_name, version, project_root, profile_name,
     @staticmethod
     def _preprocess(project_dict):
         """Pre-process certain special keys to convert them from None values
-        into empty containers.
+        into empty containers, and to turn strings into arrays of strings.
         """
         handlers = {
-            ('archive',): list,
-            ('on-run-start',): list,
-            ('on-run-end',): list,
+            ('archive',): _list_if_none,
+            ('on-run-start',): _list_if_none_or_string,
+            ('on-run-end',): _list_if_none_or_string,
         }
+
         for k in ('models', 'seeds'):
-            handlers[(k,)] = dict
-            handlers[(k, 'vars')] = dict
-            handlers[(k, 'pre-hook')] = list
-            handlers[(k, 'post-hook')] = list
-        handlers[('seeds', 'column_types')] = dict
+            handlers[(k,)] = _dict_if_none
+            handlers[(k, 'vars')] = _dict_if_none
+            handlers[(k, 'pre-hook')] = _list_if_none_or_string
+            handlers[(k, 'post-hook')] = _list_if_none_or_string
+        handlers[('seeds', 'column_types')] = _dict_if_none
 
         def converter(value, keypath):
-            if value is None and keypath in handlers:
+            if keypath in handlers:
                 handler = handlers[keypath]
-                return handler()
+                return handler(value)
             else:
                 return value
 
diff --git a/dbt/task/serve.py b/dbt/task/serve.py
index 448ca2fcb93..3a94ffbafed 100644
--- a/dbt/task/serve.py
+++ b/dbt/task/serve.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import shutil
 import os
 import webbrowser
-from socketserver import TCPServer
 
 from dbt.include import DOCS_INDEX_FILE_PATH
-from dbt.compat import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
+from dbt.compat import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler, TCPServer
 from dbt.logger import GLOBAL_LOGGER as logger
 
 from dbt.task.base_task import RunnableTask
diff --git a/test/unit/test_config.py b/test/unit/test_config.py
index 649fbb2380c..bf36698de84 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_config.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_config.py
@@ -767,6 +767,23 @@ def test_all_overrides(self):
         str(project)
         json.dumps(project.to_project_config())
 
+    def test_string_run_hooks(self):
+        self.default_project_data.update({
+            'on-run-start': '{{ logging.log_run_start_event() }}',
+            'on-run-end': '{{ logging.log_run_end_event() }}',
+        })
+        project = dbt.config.Project.from_project_config(
+            self.default_project_data
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            project.on_run_start,
+            ['{{ logging.log_run_start_event() }}']
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            project.on_run_end,
+            ['{{ logging.log_run_end_event() }}']
+        )
+
     def test_invalid_project_name(self):
         self.default_project_data['name'] = 'invalid-project-name'
         with self.assertRaises(dbt.exceptions.DbtProjectError) as exc: