diff --git a/WDL/CLI.py b/WDL/CLI.py
index cafa0615..28e79a4e 100644
--- a/WDL/CLI.py
+++ b/WDL/CLI.py
@@ -893,9 +893,11 @@ def runner_input(
         decl = available_inputs.get(name)
 
         if not decl:
-            # allow arbitrary runtime overrides
+            # allow arbitrary runtime/hints overrides
             nmparts = name.split(".")
-            runtime_idx = next((i for i, term in enumerate(nmparts) if term in ("runtime",)), -1)
+            runtime_idx = next(
+                (i for i, term in enumerate(nmparts) if term in ("runtime", "hints")), -1
+            )
             if runtime_idx >= 0 and len(nmparts) > (runtime_idx + 1):
                 decl = available_inputs.get(".".join(nmparts[:runtime_idx] + ["_runtime"]))
 
@@ -1073,7 +1075,7 @@ def runner_input_value(s_value, ty, downloadable, root):
             ty.item_type, [runner_input_value(s_value, ty.item_type, downloadable, root)]
         )
     if isinstance(ty, Type.Any):
-        # infer dynamically-typed runtime overrides
+        # infer dynamically-typed runtime/hints overrides
         try:
             return Value.Int(int(s_value))
         except ValueError:
diff --git a/WDL/Tree.py b/WDL/Tree.py
index fd2c89f8..67f0af34 100644
--- a/WDL/Tree.py
+++ b/WDL/Tree.py
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ class Task(SourceNode):
     """:type: Dict[str,WDL.Expr.Base]
 
     ``runtime{}`` section, with keys and corresponding expressions to be evaluated"""
+    hints: Dict[str, Any]
+    """:type: Dict[str, Any]
+
+    ``hints{}`` section as a JSON-like dict"""
     meta: Dict[str, Any]
     """:type: Dict[str,Any]
 
@@ -285,6 +289,7 @@ def __init__(
         parameter_meta: Dict[str, Any],
         runtime: Dict[str, Expr.Base],
         meta: Dict[str, Any],
+        hints: Dict[str, Any],
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(pos)
         self.name = name
@@ -295,6 +300,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.parameter_meta = parameter_meta
         self.runtime = runtime
         self.meta = meta
+        self.hints = hints
         self.effective_wdl_version = "1.0"  # overridden by Document.__init__
         # TODO: enforce validity constraints on parameter_meta and runtime
         # TODO: if the input section exists, then all postinputs decls must be
@@ -314,7 +320,7 @@ def available_inputs(self) -> Env.Bindings[Decl]:
         ans = Env.Bindings()
 
         if self.effective_wdl_version not in ("draft-2", "1.0"):
-            # synthetic placeholder to expose runtime overrides
+            # synthetic placeholder to expose runtime & hints overrides
             ans = ans.bind("_runtime", Decl(self.pos, Type.Any(), "_runtime"))
 
         for decl in reversed(self.inputs if self.inputs is not None else self.postinputs):
diff --git a/WDL/__init__.py b/WDL/__init__.py
index 8cabe3e5..5d2286f4 100644
--- a/WDL/__init__.py
+++ b/WDL/__init__.py
@@ -249,14 +249,14 @@ def values_from_json(
                 key2parts = key2.split(".")
 
                 runtime_idx = next(
-                    (i for i, term in enumerate(key2parts) if term in ("runtime",)), -1
+                    (i for i, term in enumerate(key2parts) if term in ("runtime", "hints")), -1
                 )
                 if (
                     runtime_idx >= 0
                     and len(key2parts) > (runtime_idx + 1)
                     and ".".join(key2parts[:runtime_idx] + ["_runtime"]) in available
                 ):
-                    # allow arbitrary keys for runtime
+                    # allow arbitrary keys for runtime/hints
                     ty = Type.Any()
                 elif len(key2parts) == 3 and key2parts[0] and key2parts[1] and key2parts[2]:
                     # attempt to simplify <call>.<subworkflow>.<input> from old Cromwell JSON
diff --git a/WDL/_grammar.py b/WDL/_grammar.py
index 5e0a8cdb..acd67e42 100644
--- a/WDL/_grammar.py
+++ b/WDL/_grammar.py
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@
              | output_decls
              | meta_section
              | runtime_section
+             | hints_section
              | any_decl -> noninput_decl
 
 tasks: task*
@@ -336,6 +337,7 @@
 // task runtime section (key-expression pairs)
 runtime_section: "runtime" "{" [runtime_kv (","? runtime_kv)*] "}"
 runtime_kv: CNAME ":" expr
+hints_section: "hints" meta_object
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // decl
@@ -479,7 +481,7 @@
 %ignore COMMENT
 """
 keywords["development"] = set(
-    "Array Directory File Float Int Map None Pair String alias as call command else false if import input left meta object output parameter_meta right runtime scatter struct task then true workflow".split(
+    "Array Directory File Float Int Map None Pair String alias as call command else false hints if import input left meta object output parameter_meta right runtime scatter struct task then true workflow".split(
         " "
     )
 )
diff --git a/WDL/_parser.py b/WDL/_parser.py
index 46cf080e..3c58df5f 100644
--- a/WDL/_parser.py
+++ b/WDL/_parser.py
@@ -388,6 +388,9 @@ def runtime_section(self, items, meta):
             d[k] = v
         return {"runtime": d}
 
+    def hints_section(self, items, meta):
+        return {"hints": items[0]}
+
     def task(self, items, meta):
         d = {"noninput_decls": []}
         for item in items:
@@ -416,6 +419,7 @@ def task(self, items, meta):
             d.get("parameter_meta", {}),
             d.get("runtime", {}),
             d.get("meta", {}),
+            d.get("hints", {}),
         )
 
     def tasks(self, items, meta):
diff --git a/tests/test_7runner.py b/tests/test_7runner.py
index 6def83a7..4cabb449 100644
--- a/tests/test_7runner.py
+++ b/tests/test_7runner.py
@@ -798,6 +798,11 @@ def test_weird_filenames(self):
             runtime {
                 container: ["ubuntu:20.04"]
             }
+            hints {
+                foo: {
+                    bar: ["bas", 42]
+                }
+            }
         }
         """