diff --git a/mellea/plugins/manager.py b/mellea/plugins/manager.py
index 978b7ae99..f29b7eb2a 100644
--- a/mellea/plugins/manager.py
+++ b/mellea/plugins/manager.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, TypeVar, cast
 
 from mellea.plugins.base import MelleaBasePayload, PluginViolationError
 from mellea.plugins.context import build_global_context
@@ -175,13 +175,17 @@ def deregister_session_plugins(session_id: str) -> None:
             logger.debug("Plugin %s already unregistered", name, exc_info=True)
 
 
+# Hooks return the same payload they received. Use this to accurately reflect that typing.
+_MelleaBasePayload = TypeVar("_MelleaBasePayload", bound=MelleaBasePayload)
+
+
 async def invoke_hook(
     hook_type: HookType,
-    payload: MelleaBasePayload,
+    payload: _MelleaBasePayload,
     *,
     backend: Backend | None = None,
     **context_fields: Any,
-) -> tuple[Any | None, MelleaBasePayload]:
+) -> tuple[Any | None, _MelleaBasePayload]:
     """Invoke a hook if plugins are configured.
 
     Returns ``(result, possibly-modified-payload)``.
@@ -241,7 +245,12 @@ async def invoke_hook(
             plugin_name=v.plugin_name or "",
         )
 
-    modified = (
-        result.modified_payload if result and result.modified_payload else payload
+    # `result` doesn't type the returned payload correctly.
+    # If the modified payload exists, cast it as the correct type here,
+    # else return the original payload.
+    modified: _MelleaBasePayload = (
+        cast(_MelleaBasePayload, result.modified_payload)
+        if result and result.modified_payload
+        else payload
     )
     return result, modified