diff --git a/chain.go b/chain.go
index 39b192c..9928d63 100644
--- a/chain.go
+++ b/chain.go
@@ -30,38 +30,48 @@ import (
 type ChainHook uint32
 
 // Possible ChainHook values.
-const (
-	ChainHookPrerouting  ChainHook = unix.NF_INET_PRE_ROUTING
-	ChainHookInput       ChainHook = unix.NF_INET_LOCAL_IN
-	ChainHookForward     ChainHook = unix.NF_INET_FORWARD
-	ChainHookOutput      ChainHook = unix.NF_INET_LOCAL_OUT
-	ChainHookPostrouting ChainHook = unix.NF_INET_POST_ROUTING
-	ChainHookIngress     ChainHook = unix.NF_NETDEV_INGRESS
+var (
+	ChainHookPrerouting  *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_INET_PRE_ROUTING)
+	ChainHookInput       *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_INET_LOCAL_IN)
+	ChainHookForward     *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_INET_FORWARD)
+	ChainHookOutput      *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_INET_LOCAL_OUT)
+	ChainHookPostrouting *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_INET_POST_ROUTING)
+	ChainHookIngress     *ChainHook = ChainHookRef(unix.NF_NETDEV_INGRESS)
 )
 
+// ChainHookRef returns a pointer to a ChainHookRef value.
+func ChainHookRef(h ChainHook) *ChainHook {
+	return &h
+}
+
 // ChainPriority orders the chain relative to Netfilter internal operations. See
 // also
 // https://wiki.nftables.org/wiki-nftables/index.php/Configuring_chains#Base_chain_priority
 type ChainPriority int32
 
 // Possible ChainPriority values.
-const ( // from /usr/include/linux/netfilter_ipv4.h
-	ChainPriorityFirst            ChainPriority = math.MinInt32
-	ChainPriorityConntrackDefrag  ChainPriority = -400
-	ChainPriorityRaw              ChainPriority = -300
-	ChainPrioritySELinuxFirst     ChainPriority = -225
-	ChainPriorityConntrack        ChainPriority = -200
-	ChainPriorityMangle           ChainPriority = -150
-	ChainPriorityNATDest          ChainPriority = -100
-	ChainPriorityFilter           ChainPriority = 0
-	ChainPrioritySecurity         ChainPriority = 50
-	ChainPriorityNATSource        ChainPriority = 100
-	ChainPrioritySELinuxLast      ChainPriority = 225
-	ChainPriorityConntrackHelper  ChainPriority = 300
-	ChainPriorityConntrackConfirm ChainPriority = math.MaxInt32
-	ChainPriorityLast             ChainPriority = math.MaxInt32
+var ( // from /usr/include/linux/netfilter_ipv4.h
+	ChainPriorityFirst            *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(math.MinInt32)
+	ChainPriorityConntrackDefrag  *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-400)
+	ChainPriorityRaw              *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-300)
+	ChainPrioritySELinuxFirst     *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-225)
+	ChainPriorityConntrack        *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-200)
+	ChainPriorityMangle           *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-150)
+	ChainPriorityNATDest          *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(-100)
+	ChainPriorityFilter           *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(0)
+	ChainPrioritySecurity         *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(50)
+	ChainPriorityNATSource        *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(100)
+	ChainPrioritySELinuxLast      *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(225)
+	ChainPriorityConntrackHelper  *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(300)
+	ChainPriorityConntrackConfirm *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(math.MaxInt32)
+	ChainPriorityLast             *ChainPriority = ChainPriorityRef(math.MaxInt32)
 )
 
+// ChainPriorityRef returns a pointer to a ChainPriority value.
+func ChainPriorityRef(p ChainPriority) *ChainPriority {
+	return &p
+}
+
 // ChainType defines what this chain will be used for. See also
 // https://wiki.nftables.org/wiki-nftables/index.php/Configuring_chains#Base_chain_types
 type ChainType string
@@ -87,8 +97,8 @@ const (
 type Chain struct {
 	Name     string
 	Table    *Table
-	Hooknum  ChainHook
-	Priority ChainPriority
+	Hooknum  *ChainHook
+	Priority *ChainPriority
 	Type     ChainType
 	Policy   *ChainPolicy
 }
@@ -103,10 +113,10 @@ func (cc *Conn) AddChain(c *Chain) *Chain {
 		{Type: unix.NFTA_CHAIN_NAME, Data: []byte(c.Name + "\x00")},
 	})
 
-	if c.Type != "" {
+	if c.Hooknum != nil && c.Priority != nil {
 		hookAttr := []netlink.Attribute{
-			{Type: unix.NFTA_HOOK_HOOKNUM, Data: binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint32(uint32(c.Hooknum))},
-			{Type: unix.NFTA_HOOK_PRIORITY, Data: binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint32(uint32(c.Priority))},
+			{Type: unix.NFTA_HOOK_HOOKNUM, Data: binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint32(uint32(*c.Hooknum))},
+			{Type: unix.NFTA_HOOK_PRIORITY, Data: binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint32(uint32(*c.Priority))},
 		}
 		data = append(data, cc.marshalAttr([]netlink.Attribute{
 			{Type: unix.NLA_F_NESTED | unix.NFTA_CHAIN_HOOK, Data: cc.marshalAttr(hookAttr)},
@@ -249,10 +259,10 @@ func chainFromMsg(msg netlink.Message) (*Chain, error) {
 	return &c, nil
 }
 
-func hookFromMsg(b []byte) (ChainHook, ChainPriority, error) {
+func hookFromMsg(b []byte) (*ChainHook, *ChainPriority, error) {
 	ad, err := netlink.NewAttributeDecoder(b)
 	if err != nil {
-		return 0, 0, err
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
 	ad.ByteOrder = binary.BigEndian
@@ -269,5 +279,5 @@ func hookFromMsg(b []byte) (ChainHook, ChainPriority, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return hooknum, prio, nil
+	return &hooknum, &prio, nil
 }
diff --git a/nftables_test.go b/nftables_test.go
index 9bf60b9..8324763 100644
--- a/nftables_test.go
+++ b/nftables_test.go
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ func TestTProxy(t *testing.T) {
 			Name:     "divert",
 			Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 			Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookPrerouting,
-			Priority: -150,
+			Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(-150),
 		},
 		Exprs: []expr.Any{
 			//	[ payload load 1b @ network header + 9 => reg 1 ]
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ func TestAddRuleWithPosition(t *testing.T) {
 			Name:     "ipv4chain-1",
 			Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 			Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookPrerouting,
-			Priority: 0,
+			Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(0),
 		},
 
 		Exprs: []expr.Any{
@@ -1523,8 +1523,8 @@ func TestListChains(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			Name:     "undef",
-			Hooknum:  0,
-			Priority: 0,
+			Hooknum:  nil,
+			Priority: nil,
 			Policy:   nil,
 		},
 	}
@@ -1564,8 +1564,16 @@ func TestListChains(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i, chain := range chains {
 		validate(chain.Name, want[i].Name, "name", i)
-		validate(chain.Hooknum, want[i].Hooknum, "hooknum", i)
-		validate(chain.Priority, want[i].Priority, "priority", i)
+		if want[i].Hooknum != nil && chain.Hooknum != nil {
+			validate(*chain.Hooknum, *want[i].Hooknum, "hooknum value", i)
+		} else {
+			validate(chain.Hooknum, want[i].Hooknum, "hooknum pointer", i)
+		}
+		if want[i].Priority != nil && chain.Priority != nil {
+			validate(*chain.Priority, *want[i].Priority, "priority value", i)
+		} else {
+			validate(chain.Priority, want[i].Priority, "priority pointer", i)
+		}
 		validate(chain.Type, want[i].Type, "type", i)
 
 		if want[i].Policy != nil && chain.Policy != nil {
@@ -1588,7 +1596,7 @@ func TestAddChain(t *testing.T) {
 			chain: &nftables.Chain{
 				Name:     "base-chain",
 				Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookPrerouting,
-				Priority: 0,
+				Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(0),
 				Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 			},
 			want: [][]byte{
@@ -1671,7 +1679,7 @@ func TestDelChain(t *testing.T) {
 			chain: &nftables.Chain{
 				Name:     "base-chain",
 				Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookPrerouting,
-				Priority: 0,
+				Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(0),
 				Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 			},
 			want: [][]byte{
@@ -3425,7 +3433,7 @@ func TestDynsetWithOneExpression(t *testing.T) {
 		Name:     "forward",
 		Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookForward,
 		Table:    table,
-		Priority: 0,
+		Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(0),
 		Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 	}
 	set := &nftables.Set{
@@ -3527,7 +3535,7 @@ func TestDynsetWithMultipleExpressions(t *testing.T) {
 		Name:     "forward",
 		Hooknum:  nftables.ChainHookForward,
 		Table:    table,
-		Priority: 0,
+		Priority: nftables.ChainPriorityRef(0),
 		Type:     nftables.ChainTypeFilter,
 	}
 	set := &nftables.Set{