diff --git a/api/events/__init__.py b/api/events/__init__.py
index e69de29bb2..69d9e42f4d 100644
--- a/api/events/__init__.py
+++ b/api/events/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+class _EventHook:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._handlers = []
+
+    def __iadd__(self, handler):
+        self._handlers.append(handler)
+        return self
+
+    def __isub__(self, handler):
+        try:
+            self._handlers.remove(handler)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        return self
+
+    def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        for handler in list(self._handlers):
+            handler(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+class Events:
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        hook = _EventHook()
+        setattr(self, name, hook)
+        return hook
diff --git a/api/tests/unit_tests/events/test_events_compat.py b/api/tests/unit_tests/events/test_events_compat.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a247b05f78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/tests/unit_tests/events/test_events_compat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+def test_local_events_exports_compat_events_class():
+    import events
+
+    evt = events.Events()
+    called = []
+
+    evt.request_start += lambda *args, **kwargs: called.append((args, kwargs))
+    evt.request_start("GET", "/_search")
+
+    assert len(called) == 1
+
+
+def test_opensearch_import_works_with_local_events_package():
+    from opensearchpy import OpenSearch
+
+    assert OpenSearch is not None