diff --git a/discord/client.py b/discord/client.py
index 859315699..068e3d65c 100644
--- a/discord/client.py
+++ b/discord/client.py
@@ -223,8 +223,12 @@ class Client:
             'ready': self._handle_ready
         }
 
+        self._hooks = {
+            'before_identify': self._call_before_identify_hook
+        }
+
         self._connection = ConnectionState(dispatch=self.dispatch, handlers=self._handlers,
-                                           syncer=self._syncer, http=self.http, loop=self.loop, **options)
+                                           hooks=self._hooks, syncer=self._syncer, http=self.http, loop=self.loop, **options)
 
         self._connection.shard_count = self.shard_count
         self._closed = False
@@ -394,6 +398,36 @@ class Client:
 
         await self._connection.request_offline_members(guilds)
 
+    # hooks
+
+    async def _call_before_identify_hook(self, shard_id, *, initial=False):
+        # This hook is an internal hook that actually calls the public one.
+        # It allows the library to have its own hook without stepping on the
+        # toes of those who need to override their own hook.
+        await self.before_identify_hook(shard_id, initial=initial)
+
+    async def before_identify_hook(self, shard_id, *, initial=False):
+        """|coro|
+
+        A hook that is called before IDENTIFYing a session. This is useful
+        if you wish to have more control over the synchronization of multiple
+        IDENTIFYing clients.
+
+        The default implementation sleeps for 5 seconds.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 1.4
+
+        Parameters
+        ------------
+        shard_id: :class:`int`
+            The shard ID that requested being IDENTIFY'd
+        initial: :class:`bool`
+            Whether this IDENTIFY is the first initial IDENTIFY.
+        """
+
+        if not initial:
+            await asyncio.sleep(5.0)
+
     # login state management
 
     async def login(self, token, *, bot=True):
@@ -447,7 +481,7 @@ class Client:
         await self.close()
 
     async def _connect(self):
-        coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self, shard_id=self.shard_id)
+        coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self, initial=True, shard_id=self.shard_id)
         self.ws = await asyncio.wait_for(coro, timeout=180.0)
         while True:
             try:
@@ -455,11 +489,8 @@ class Client:
             except ReconnectWebSocket as e:
                 log.info('Got a request to %s the websocket.', e.op)
                 self.dispatch('disconnect')
-                if not e.resume:
-                    await asyncio.sleep(5.0)
-
                 coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self, shard_id=self.shard_id, session=self.ws.session_id,
-                                                    sequence=self.ws.sequence, resume=e.resume)
+                                                          sequence=self.ws.sequence, resume=e.resume)
                 self.ws = await asyncio.wait_for(coro, timeout=180.0)
 
     async def connect(self, *, reconnect=True):
diff --git a/discord/gateway.py b/discord/gateway.py
index 1f82c9ef8..db3c7fd57 100644
--- a/discord/gateway.py
+++ b/discord/gateway.py
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ class DiscordWebSocket:
         return not self.socket.closed
 
     @classmethod
-    async def from_client(cls, client, *, gateway=None, shard_id=None, session=None, sequence=None, resume=False):
+    async def from_client(cls, client, *, initial=False, gateway=None, shard_id=None, session=None, sequence=None, resume=False):
         """Creates a main websocket for Discord from a :class:`Client`.
 
         This is for internal use only.
@@ -265,6 +265,8 @@ class DiscordWebSocket:
         ws._discord_parsers = client._connection.parsers
         ws._dispatch = client.dispatch
         ws.gateway = gateway
+        ws.call_hooks = client._connection.call_hooks
+        ws._initial_identify = initial
         ws.shard_id = shard_id
         ws.shard_count = client._connection.shard_count
         ws.session_id = session
@@ -345,6 +347,7 @@ class DiscordWebSocket:
                 'afk': False
             }
 
+        await self.call_hooks('before_identify', self.shard_id, initial=self._initial_identify)
         await self.send_as_json(payload)
         log.info('Shard ID %s has sent the IDENTIFY payload.', self.shard_id)
 
diff --git a/discord/shard.py b/discord/shard.py
index d96ad0712..f817fb9ab 100644
--- a/discord/shard.py
+++ b/discord/shard.py
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ class Shard:
             self._task.cancel()
 
         log.info('Got a request to %s the websocket at Shard ID %s.', exc.op, self.id)
-        if not exc.resume:
-            await asyncio.sleep(5.0)
-
         coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self._client, resume=exc.resume, shard_id=self.id,
                                             session=self.ws.session_id, sequence=self.ws.sequence)
         self._dispatch('disconnect')
@@ -144,7 +141,7 @@ class AutoShardedClient(Client):
 
         self._connection = AutoShardedConnectionState(dispatch=self.dispatch,
                                                       handlers=self._handlers, syncer=self._syncer,
-                                                      http=self.http, loop=self.loop, **kwargs)
+                                                      hooks=self._hooks, http=self.http, loop=self.loop, **kwargs)
 
         # instead of a single websocket, we have multiple
         # the key is the shard_id
@@ -208,12 +205,12 @@ class AutoShardedClient(Client):
             sub_guilds = list(sub_guilds)
             await self._connection.request_offline_members(sub_guilds, shard_id=shard_id)
 
-    async def launch_shard(self, gateway, shard_id):
+    async def launch_shard(self, gateway, shard_id, *, initial=False):
         try:
-            coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self, gateway=gateway, shard_id=shard_id)
+            coro = DiscordWebSocket.from_client(self, initial=initial, gateway=gateway, shard_id=shard_id)
             ws = await asyncio.wait_for(coro, timeout=180.0)
         except Exception:
-            log.info('Failed to connect for shard_id: %s. Retrying...', shard_id)
+            log.exception('Failed to connect for shard_id: %s. Retrying...', shard_id)
             await asyncio.sleep(5.0)
             return await self.launch_shard(gateway, shard_id)
 
@@ -232,11 +229,9 @@ class AutoShardedClient(Client):
         shard_ids = self.shard_ids if self.shard_ids else range(self.shard_count)
         self._connection.shard_ids = shard_ids
 
-        last_shard_id = shard_ids[-1]
         for shard_id in shard_ids:
-            await self.launch_shard(gateway, shard_id)
-            if shard_id != last_shard_id:
-                await asyncio.sleep(5.0)
+            initial = shard_id == shard_ids[0]
+            await self.launch_shard(gateway, shard_id, initial=initial)
 
         self._connection.shards_launched.set()
 
diff --git a/discord/state.py b/discord/state.py
index 6148889d9..8b793c20a 100644
--- a/discord/state.py
+++ b/discord/state.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 ReadyState = namedtuple('ReadyState', ('launch', 'guilds'))
 
 class ConnectionState:
-    def __init__(self, *, dispatch, handlers, syncer, http, loop, **options):
+    def __init__(self, *, dispatch, handlers, hooks, syncer, http, loop, **options):
         self.loop = loop
         self.http = http
         self.max_messages = options.get('max_messages', 1000)
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class ConnectionState:
         self.syncer = syncer
         self.is_bot = None
         self.handlers = handlers
+        self.hooks = hooks
         self.shard_count = None
         self._ready_task = None
         self._fetch_offline = options.get('fetch_offline_members', True)
@@ -170,6 +171,14 @@ class ConnectionState:
         else:
             func(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    async def call_hooks(self, key, *args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            coro = self.hooks[key]
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            await coro(*args, **kwargs)
+
     @property
     def self_id(self):
         u = self.user