diff --git a/doc/manual/src/notifications.md b/doc/manual/src/notifications.md
index 0c666559..00436507 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/notifications.md
+++ b/doc/manual/src/notifications.md
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ It is possible for subsequent deliveries of the same `build_finished` data to im
 
 ### `eval_started`
 
-* **Payload:** Exactly three values, separated by the two-character string `\t` (ie: not a tab): an opaque trace ID representing this evaluation, the name of the project, and the name of the jobset.
+* **Payload:** Exactly two values, tab separated: an opaque trace ID representing this evaluation, and the ID of the jobset.
 * **When:** At the beginning of the evaluation phase for the jobset, before any work is done.
 * **Delivery Semantics:** Ephemeral. `hydra-notify` must be running to react to this event. No record of this event is stored.
 
diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
index 86cf9055..b75e06be 100644
--- a/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Hydra::Event::BuildQueued;
 use Hydra::Event::BuildStarted;
 use Hydra::Event::CachedBuildFinished;
 use Hydra::Event::CachedBuildQueued;
+use Hydra::Event::EvalStarted;
 use Hydra::Event::StepFinished;
 
 my %channels_to_events = (
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ my %channels_to_events = (
   build_started => \&Hydra::Event::BuildStarted::parse,
   cached_build_finished => \&Hydra::Event::CachedBuildFinished::parse,
   cached_build_queued => \&Hydra::Event::CachedBuildQueued::parse,
+  eval_started => \&Hydra::Event::EvalStarted::parse,
   step_finished => \&Hydra::Event::StepFinished::parse,
 );
 
diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.pm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd7015d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package Hydra::Event::EvalStarted;
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+sub parse :prototype(@) {
+    unless (@_ == 2) {
+        die "eval_started: payload takes two arguments, but ", scalar(@_), " were given";
+    }
+
+    my ($trace_id, $jobset_id) = @_;
+
+    unless ($jobset_id =~ /^\d+$/) {
+        die "eval_started: payload argument should be an integer, but '", $jobset_id, "' was given"
+    }
+
+    return Hydra::Event::EvalStarted->new($trace_id, int($jobset_id));
+}
+
+sub new {
+    my ($self, $trace_id, $jobset_id) = @_;
+    return bless {
+        "trace_id" => $trace_id,
+        "jobset_id" => $jobset_id,
+        "jobset" => undef
+    }, $self;
+}
+
+sub interestedIn {
+    my ($self, $plugin) = @_;
+    return int(defined($plugin->can('evalStarted')));
+}
+
+sub load {
+    my ($self, $db) = @_;
+
+    if (!defined($self->{"jobset"})) {
+        $self->{"jobset"} = $db->resultset('Jobsets')->find({ id => $self->{"jobset_id"}})
+            or die "Jobset $self->{'jobset_id'} does not exist\n";
+    }
+}
+
+sub execute {
+    my ($self, $db, $plugin) = @_;
+
+    $self->load($db);
+
+    $plugin->evalStarted($self->{"trace_id"}, $self->{"jobset"});
+
+    return 1;
+}
+
+1;
diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Plugin.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Plugin.pm
index b42e4b4c..a5c84b27 100644
--- a/src/lib/Hydra/Plugin.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Plugin.pm
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ sub instantiate {
 # See the tests in t/Event/*.t for arguments, and the documentation for
 # notify events for semantics.
 #
+
+# # Called when an evaluation of $jobset has begun.
+# sub evalStarted {
+#     my ($self, $traceID, $jobset) = @_;
+# }
+
 # # Called when build $build has been queued.
 # sub buildQueued {
 #     my ($self, $build) = @_;
diff --git a/src/script/hydra-eval-jobset b/src/script/hydra-eval-jobset
index de437ecd..cec7b4c2 100755
--- a/src/script/hydra-eval-jobset
+++ b/src/script/hydra-eval-jobset
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ sub checkJobset {
     my $tmpId = "${startTime}.$$";
 
     $db->storage->dbh->do("notify eval_started, ?", undef,
-                          join('\t', $tmpId, $jobset->get_column('project'), $jobset->name));
+                          join("\t", $tmpId, $jobset->get_column('id')));
 
     eval {
         checkJobsetWrapped($jobset, $tmpId);
diff --git a/src/script/hydra-notify b/src/script/hydra-notify
index 04130f4f..48717790 100755
--- a/src/script/hydra-notify
+++ b/src/script/hydra-notify
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ $listener->subscribe("build_queued");
 $listener->subscribe("build_started");
 $listener->subscribe("cached_build_finished");
 $listener->subscribe("cached_build_queued");
+$listener->subscribe("eval_started");
 $listener->subscribe("hydra_notify_dump_metrics");
 $listener->subscribe("step_finished");
 
diff --git a/t/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.t b/t/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a8d70e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/Hydra/Event/EvalStarted.t
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+use Setup;
+use Hydra::Event;
+use Hydra::Event::EvalStarted;
+use Test2::V0;
+use Test2::Tools::Exception;
+use Test2::Tools::Mock qw(mock_obj);
+
+my $ctx = test_context();
+
+my $builds = $ctx->makeAndEvaluateJobset(
+    expression => "basic.nix",
+    build => 1
+);
+
+subtest "Parsing eval_started" => sub {
+    like(
+        dies { Hydra::Event::parse_payload("eval_started", "") },
+        qr/two arguments/,
+        "empty payload"
+    );
+    like(
+        dies { Hydra::Event::parse_payload("eval_started", "abc123") },
+        qr/two arguments/,
+        "one argument"
+    );
+    like(
+        dies { Hydra::Event::parse_payload("eval_started", "abc123\tabc123\tabc123") },
+        qr/two arguments/,
+        "three arguments"
+    );
+    like(
+        dies { Hydra::Event::parse_payload("eval_started", "abc123\tabc123") },
+        qr/should be an integer/,
+        "not an integer: second argument"
+    );
+    is(
+        Hydra::Event::parse_payload("eval_started", "abc123\t456"),
+        Hydra::Event::EvalStarted->new("abc123", 456)
+    );
+};
+
+subtest "interested" => sub {
+    my $event = Hydra::Event::EvalStarted->new(123, []);
+
+    subtest "A plugin which does not implement the API" => sub {
+        my $plugin = {};
+        my $mock = mock_obj $plugin => ();
+
+        is($event->interestedIn($plugin), 0, "The plugin is not interesting.");
+    };
+
+    subtest "A plugin which does implement the API" => sub {
+        my $plugin = {};
+        my $mock = mock_obj $plugin => (
+            add => [
+                "evalStarted" => sub {}
+            ]
+        );
+
+        is($event->interestedIn($plugin), 1, "The plugin is interesting.");
+    };
+};
+
+subtest "load" => sub {
+    my $jobset = $builds->{"empty_dir"}->jobset;
+
+    my $event = Hydra::Event::EvalStarted->new("traceID", $jobset->id);
+
+    $event->load($ctx->db());
+    is($event->{"jobset"}->get_column("id"), $jobset->id, "The jobset record matches.");
+
+    # Create a fake "plugin" with a evalStarted sub, the sub sets this
+    # "global" passedTraceID, passedJobset
+    my $passedTraceID;
+    my $passedJobset;
+    my $plugin = {};
+    my $mock = mock_obj $plugin => (
+        add => [
+            "evalStarted" => sub {
+                my ($self, $traceID, $jobset) = @_;
+                $passedTraceID = $traceID;
+                $passedJobset = $jobset;
+            }
+        ]
+    );
+
+    $event->execute($ctx->db(), $plugin);
+    is($passedTraceID, "traceID", "The plugin is told what the trace ID was");
+    is($passedJobset->get_column("id"), $jobset->id, "The plugin's evalStarted hook is called with the right jobset");
+};
+
+done_testing;
diff --git a/t/scripts/hydra-eval-jobset/notifications.t b/t/scripts/hydra-eval-jobset/notifications.t
index 8fe5d0f4..3e914bb0 100644
--- a/t/scripts/hydra-eval-jobset/notifications.t
+++ b/t/scripts/hydra-eval-jobset/notifications.t
@@ -36,9 +36,18 @@ my $builds = $ctx->makeAndEvaluateJobset(
     jobsdir => $jobsetdir,
     build => 0
 );
+my $jobset = $builds->{"stable-job-queued"}->jobset;
+
+my $traceID;
 
 subtest "on the initial evaluation" => sub {
-    is($listener->block_for_messages(0)->()->{"channel"}, "eval_started", "every eval starts with a notification");
+    my $startedMsg = $listener->block_for_messages(0)->();
+    is($startedMsg->{"channel"}, "eval_started", "every eval starts with a notification");
+
+    my ($traceID, $jobsetID) = split("\t", $startedMsg->{"payload"});
+    isnt($traceID, "", "we got a trace id");
+    is($jobsetID, $jobset->get_column('id'), "the jobset ID matches");
+
     is($listener->block_for_messages(0)->()->{"channel"}, "build_queued", "expect 1/4 builds being queued");
     is($listener->block_for_messages(0)->()->{"channel"}, "build_queued", "expect 2/4 builds being queued");
     is($listener->block_for_messages(0)->()->{"channel"}, "build_queued", "expect 3/4 builds being queued");