diff --git a/pluggy/__init__.py b/pluggy/__init__.py
index 46011b8e..870b6c9c 100644
--- a/pluggy/__init__.py
+++ b/pluggy/__init__.py
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ def __init__(self, project_name, implprefix=None):
         self._implprefix = implprefix
         self._inner_hookexec = lambda hook, methods, kwargs: \
             hook.multicall(
-                methods, kwargs, specopts=hook.spec_opts, hook=hook
+                methods, kwargs,
+                firstresult=hook.spec_opts.get('firstresult'),
             )
 
     def _hookexec(self, hook, methods, kwargs):
@@ -528,20 +529,22 @@ def __init__(self, trace):
 
 
 class _HookCaller(object):
-    def __init__(self, name, hook_execute, specmodule_or_class=None, spec_opts=None):
+    def __init__(self, name, hook_execute, specmodule_or_class=None,
+                 spec_opts=None):
         self.name = name
         self._wrappers = []
         self._nonwrappers = []
         self._hookexec = hook_execute
+        self._specmodule_or_class = None
         self.argnames = None
         self.kwargnames = None
         self.multicall = _multicall
+        self.spec_opts = spec_opts or {}
         if specmodule_or_class is not None:
-            assert spec_opts is not None
             self.set_specification(specmodule_or_class, spec_opts)
 
     def has_spec(self):
-        return hasattr(self, "_specmodule_or_class")
+        return self._specmodule_or_class is not None
 
     def set_specification(self, specmodule_or_class, spec_opts):
         assert not self.has_spec()
@@ -550,7 +553,7 @@ def set_specification(self, specmodule_or_class, spec_opts):
         # get spec arg signature
         argnames, self.kwargnames = varnames(specfunc)
         self.argnames = ["__multicall__"] + list(argnames)
-        self.spec_opts = spec_opts
+        self.spec_opts.update(spec_opts)
         if spec_opts.get("historic"):
             self._call_history = []
 
diff --git a/pluggy/callers.py b/pluggy/callers.py
index 3189f8aa..3ff67bec 100644
--- a/pluggy/callers.py
+++ b/pluggy/callers.py
@@ -105,17 +105,16 @@ class _LegacyMultiCall(object):
     # so we can remove it soon, allowing to avoid the below recursion
     # in execute() and simplify/speed up the execute loop.
 
-    def __init__(self, hook_impls, kwargs, specopts={}, hook=None):
-        self.hook = hook
+    def __init__(self, hook_impls, kwargs, firstresult=False):
         self.hook_impls = hook_impls
         self.caller_kwargs = kwargs  # come from _HookCaller.__call__()
         self.caller_kwargs["__multicall__"] = self
-        self.specopts = hook.spec_opts if hook else specopts
+        self.firstresult = firstresult
 
     def execute(self):
         caller_kwargs = self.caller_kwargs
         self.results = results = []
-        firstresult = self.specopts.get("firstresult")
+        firstresult = self.firstresult
 
         while self.hook_impls:
             hook_impl = self.hook_impls.pop()
@@ -144,21 +143,19 @@ def __repr__(self):
         return "<_MultiCall %s, kwargs=%r>" % (status, self.caller_kwargs)
 
 
-def _legacymulticall(hook_impls, caller_kwargs, specopts={}, hook=None):
+def _legacymulticall(hook_impls, caller_kwargs, firstresult=False):
     return _LegacyMultiCall(
-        hook_impls, caller_kwargs, specopts=specopts, hook=hook).execute()
+        hook_impls, caller_kwargs, firstresult=firstresult).execute()
 
 
-def _multicall(hook_impls, caller_kwargs, specopts={}, hook=None):
+def _multicall(hook_impls, caller_kwargs, firstresult=False):
     """Execute a call into multiple python functions/methods and return the
     result(s).
 
     ``caller_kwargs`` comes from _HookCaller.__call__().
     """
     __tracebackhide__ = True
-    specopts = hook.spec_opts if hook else specopts
     results = []
-    firstresult = specopts.get("firstresult")
     excinfo = None
     try:  # run impl and wrapper setup functions in a loop
         teardowns = []