diff --git a/database/postgres/postgres_test.go b/database/postgres/postgres_test.go
index 107f4cb7a8b85..c9e8ef12cba11 100644
--- a/database/postgres/postgres_test.go
+++ b/database/postgres/postgres_test.go
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/coder/coder/database/postgres"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/goleak"
 
+	"github.com/coder/coder/database/postgres"
+
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
 )
 
diff --git a/database/pubsub.go b/database/pubsub.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..656e923246040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/pubsub.go
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+package database
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/lib/pq"
+	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
+)
+
+// Listener represents a pubsub handler.
+type Listener func(ctx context.Context, message []byte)
+
+// Pubsub is a generic interface for broadcasting and receiving messages.
+// Implementors should assume high-availability with the backing implementation.
+type Pubsub interface {
+	Subscribe(event string, listener Listener) (cancel func(), err error)
+	Publish(event string, message []byte) error
+	Close() error
+}
+
+// Pubsub implementation using PostgreSQL.
+type pgPubsub struct {
+	pgListener *pq.Listener
+	db         *sql.DB
+	mut        sync.Mutex
+	listeners  map[string]map[string]Listener
+}
+
+// Subscribe calls the listener when an event matching the name is received.
+func (p *pgPubsub) Subscribe(event string, listener Listener) (cancel func(), err error) {
+	p.mut.Lock()
+	defer p.mut.Unlock()
+
+	err = p.pgListener.Listen(event)
+	if errors.Is(err, pq.ErrChannelAlreadyOpen) {
+		// It's ok if it's already open!
+		err = nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("listen: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var listeners map[string]Listener
+	var ok bool
+	if listeners, ok = p.listeners[event]; !ok {
+		listeners = map[string]Listener{}
+		p.listeners[event] = listeners
+	}
+	var id string
+	for {
+		id = uuid.New().String()
+		if _, ok = listeners[id]; !ok {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	listeners[id] = listener
+	return func() {
+		p.mut.Lock()
+		defer p.mut.Unlock()
+		listeners := p.listeners[event]
+		delete(listeners, id)
+
+		if len(listeners) == 0 {
+			_ = p.pgListener.Unlisten(event)
+		}
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (p *pgPubsub) Publish(event string, message []byte) error {
+	_, err := p.db.ExecContext(context.Background(), `select pg_notify(`+pq.QuoteLiteral(event)+`, $1)`, message)
+	if err != nil {
+		return xerrors.Errorf("exec: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Close closes the pubsub instance.
+func (p *pgPubsub) Close() error {
+	return p.pgListener.Close()
+}
+
+// listen begins receiving messages on the pq listener.
+func (p *pgPubsub) listen(ctx context.Context) {
+	var (
+		notif *pq.Notification
+		ok    bool
+	)
+	defer p.pgListener.Close()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case notif, ok = <-p.pgListener.Notify:
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+		// A nil notification can be dispatched on reconnect.
+		if notif == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		p.listenReceive(ctx, notif)
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *pgPubsub) listenReceive(ctx context.Context, notif *pq.Notification) {
+	p.mut.Lock()
+	defer p.mut.Unlock()
+	listeners, ok := p.listeners[notif.Channel]
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+	extra := []byte(notif.Extra)
+	for _, listener := range listeners {
+		go listener(ctx, extra)
+	}
+}
+
+// NewPubsub creates a new Pubsub implementation using a PostgreSQL connection.
+func NewPubsub(ctx context.Context, db *sql.DB, connectURL string) (Pubsub, error) {
+	// Creates a new listener using pq.
+	errCh := make(chan error)
+	listener := pq.NewListener(connectURL, time.Second*10, time.Minute, func(event pq.ListenerEventType, err error) {
+		// This callback gets events whenever the connection state changes.
+		// Don't send if the errChannel has already been closed.
+		select {
+		case <-errCh:
+			return
+		default:
+			errCh <- err
+			close(errCh)
+		}
+	})
+	select {
+	case err := <-errCh:
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, xerrors.Errorf("create pq listener: %w", err)
+		}
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	}
+	pg := &pgPubsub{
+		db:         db,
+		pgListener: listener,
+		listeners:  make(map[string]map[string]Listener),
+	}
+	go pg.listen(ctx)
+
+	return pg, nil
+}
diff --git a/database/pubsub_memory.go b/database/pubsub_memory.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..92244f8bbc6d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/pubsub_memory.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package database
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+)
+
+// memoryPubsub is an in-memory Pubsub implementation.
+type memoryPubsub struct {
+	mut       sync.RWMutex
+	listeners map[string]map[uuid.UUID]Listener
+}
+
+func (m *memoryPubsub) Subscribe(event string, listener Listener) (cancel func(), err error) {
+	m.mut.Lock()
+	defer m.mut.Unlock()
+
+	var listeners map[uuid.UUID]Listener
+	var ok bool
+	if listeners, ok = m.listeners[event]; !ok {
+		listeners = map[uuid.UUID]Listener{}
+		m.listeners[event] = listeners
+	}
+	var id uuid.UUID
+	for {
+		id = uuid.New()
+		if _, ok = listeners[id]; !ok {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	listeners[id] = listener
+	return func() {
+		m.mut.Lock()
+		defer m.mut.Unlock()
+		listeners := m.listeners[event]
+		delete(listeners, id)
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (m *memoryPubsub) Publish(event string, message []byte) error {
+	m.mut.RLock()
+	defer m.mut.RUnlock()
+	listeners, ok := m.listeners[event]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+	for _, listener := range listeners {
+		listener(context.Background(), message)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *memoryPubsub) Close() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func NewPubsubInMemory() Pubsub {
+	return &memoryPubsub{
+		listeners: make(map[string]map[uuid.UUID]Listener),
+	}
+}
diff --git a/database/pubsub_memory_test.go b/database/pubsub_memory_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7293e255d7e01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/pubsub_memory_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package database_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/coder/coder/database"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPubsubMemory(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("Memory", func(t *testing.T) {
+		pubsub := database.NewPubsubInMemory()
+		event := "test"
+		data := "testing"
+		ch := make(chan []byte)
+		cancelFunc, err := pubsub.Subscribe(event, func(ctx context.Context, message []byte) {
+			ch <- message
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		defer cancelFunc()
+		go func() {
+			err = pubsub.Publish(event, []byte(data))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}()
+		message := <-ch
+		assert.Equal(t, string(message), data)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/database/pubsub_test.go b/database/pubsub_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c9c43026a5225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/pubsub_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+//go:build linux
+
+package database_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/coder/coder/database"
+	"github.com/coder/coder/database/postgres"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPubsub(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("Postgres", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx, cancelFunc := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancelFunc()
+
+		connectionURL, close, err := postgres.Open()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		defer close()
+		db, err := sql.Open("postgres", connectionURL)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		defer db.Close()
+		pubsub, err := database.NewPubsub(ctx, db, connectionURL)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		defer pubsub.Close()
+		event := "test"
+		data := "testing"
+		ch := make(chan []byte)
+		cancelFunc, err = pubsub.Subscribe(event, func(ctx context.Context, message []byte) {
+			ch <- message
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		defer cancelFunc()
+		go func() {
+			err = pubsub.Publish(event, []byte(data))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}()
+		message := <-ch
+		assert.Equal(t, string(message), data)
+	})
+}