diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
index 8159075b..983ebfec 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore,
                     if (build2->finishedInDB) continue;
                     printMsg(lvlError, format("marking build %1% as failed") % build2->id);
                     txn.parameterized
-                        ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $4, isCachedBuild = $5 where id = $1 and finished = 0")
+                        ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $4, isCachedBuild = $5, notificationPendingSince = $4 where id = $1 and finished = 0")
                         (build2->id)
                         ((int) (build2->drvPath != step->drvPath && result.buildStatus() == bsFailed ? bsDepFailed : result.buildStatus()))
                         (result.startTime)
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
index 2312eef9..b8c50a43 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ void State::markSucceededBuild(pqxx::work & txn, Build::ptr build,
     if (txn.parameterized("select 1 from Builds where id = $1 and finished = 0")(build->id).exec().empty()) return;
 
     txn.parameterized
-        ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $4, size = $5, closureSize = $6, releaseName = $7, isCachedBuild = $8 where id = $1")
+        ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $4, size = $5, closureSize = $6, releaseName = $7, isCachedBuild = $8, notificationPendingSince = $4 where id = $1")
         (build->id)
         ((int) (res.failed ? bsFailedWithOutput : bsSuccess))
         (startTime)
@@ -519,6 +519,16 @@ void State::notificationSender()
 
             auto now2 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 
+            if (item.type == NotificationItem::Type::BuildFinished) {
+                auto conn(dbPool.get());
+                pqxx::work txn(*conn);
+                txn.parameterized
+                    ("update Builds set notificationPendingSince = null where id = $1")
+                    (item.id)
+                    .exec();
+                txn.commit();
+            }
+
             nrNotificationTimeMs += std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(now2 - now1).count();
             nrNotificationsDone++;
 
@@ -837,6 +847,19 @@ void State::run(BuildID buildOne)
     for (uint64_t i = 0; i < maxConcurrentNotifications; ++i)
         std::thread(&State::notificationSender, this).detach();
 
+    /* Enqueue notification items for builds that were finished
+       previously, but for which we didn't manage to send
+       notifications. */
+    {
+        auto conn(dbPool.get());
+        pqxx::work txn(*conn);
+        auto res = txn.parameterized("select id from Builds where notificationPendingSince > 0").exec();
+        for (auto const & row : res) {
+            auto id = row["id"].as<BuildID>();
+            enqueueNotificationItem({NotificationItem::Type::BuildFinished, id});
+        }
+    }
+
     /* Periodically clean up orphaned busy steps in the database. */
     std::thread([&]() {
         while (true) {
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/queue-monitor.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/queue-monitor.cc
index 21981aa9..895363bc 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/queue-monitor.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/queue-monitor.cc
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ bool State::getQueuedBuilds(Connection & conn,
 
                 createBuildStep(txn, 0, build->id, ex.step, "", bsCachedFailure, "", propagatedFrom);
                 txn.parameterized
-                    ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $3, isCachedBuild = 1 where id = $1 and finished = 0")
+                    ("update Builds set finished = 1, buildStatus = $2, startTime = $3, stopTime = $3, isCachedBuild = 1, notificationPendingSince = $3 "
+                     "where id = $1 and finished = 0")
                     (build->id)
                     ((int) (ex.step->drvPath == build->drvPath ? bsFailed : bsDepFailed))
                     (time(0)).exec();
diff --git a/src/sql/hydra.sql b/src/sql/hydra.sql
index 197a7dfb..d1c3ee37 100644
--- a/src/sql/hydra.sql
+++ b/src/sql/hydra.sql
@@ -222,12 +222,14 @@ create table Builds (
 
     keep          integer not null default 0, -- true means never garbage-collect the build output
 
+    notificationPendingSince integer,
+
     check (finished = 0 or (stoptime is not null and stoptime != 0)),
     check (finished = 0 or (starttime is not null and starttime != 0)),
 
-    foreign key   (project) references Projects(name) on update cascade,
-    foreign key   (project, jobset) references Jobsets(project, name) on update cascade,
-    foreign key   (project, jobset, job) references Jobs(project, jobset, name) on update cascade
+    foreign key (project) references Projects(name) on update cascade,
+    foreign key (project, jobset) references Jobsets(project, name) on update cascade,
+    foreign key (project, jobset, job) references Jobs(project, jobset, name) on update cascade
 );
 
 
@@ -677,3 +679,5 @@ create index IndexBuildsOnKeep on Builds(keep) where keep = 1;
 
 -- To get the most recent eval for a jobset.
 create index IndexJobsetEvalsOnJobsetId on JobsetEvals(project, jobset, id desc) where hasNewBuilds = 1;
+
+create index IndexBuildsOnNotificationPendingSince on Builds(notificationPendingSince) where notificationPendingSince is not null;
diff --git a/src/sql/upgrade-55.sql b/src/sql/upgrade-55.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd8de9e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sql/upgrade-55.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+alter table Builds add column notificationPendingSince integer;
+
+create index IndexBuildsOnNotificationPendingSince on Builds(notificationPendingSince) where notificationPendingSince is not null;