diff --git a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
index 88be527d65..5032eed072 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class WSGIHandler(base.BaseHandler):
                     raise
 
         set_script_prefix(get_script_name(environ))
-        signals.request_started.send(sender=self.__class__)
+        signals.request_started.send(sender=self.__class__, environ=environ)
         try:
             request = self.request_class(environ)
         except UnicodeDecodeError:
diff --git a/django/core/signals.py b/django/core/signals.py
index a14af009ed..c530a51f08 100644
--- a/django/core/signals.py
+++ b/django/core/signals.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.dispatch import Signal
 
-request_started = Signal()
+request_started = Signal(providing_args=["environ"])
 request_finished = Signal()
 got_request_exception = Signal(providing_args=["request"])
diff --git a/django/test/client.py b/django/test/client.py
index 1952af27eb..f2bbbfe77d 100644
--- a/django/test/client.py
+++ b/django/test/client.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class ClientHandler(BaseHandler):
             self.load_middleware()
 
         request_started.disconnect(close_old_connections)
-        request_started.send(sender=self.__class__)
+        request_started.send(sender=self.__class__, environ=environ)
         request_started.connect(close_old_connections)
         request = WSGIRequest(environ)
         # sneaky little hack so that we can easily get round
diff --git a/docs/ref/signals.txt b/docs/ref/signals.txt
index f2f1709cea..823545dd07 100644
--- a/docs/ref/signals.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/signals.txt
@@ -589,6 +589,12 @@ Arguments sent with this signal:
 ``sender``
     The handler class -- e.g. ``django.core.handlers.wsgi.WsgiHandler`` -- that
     handled the request.
+``environ``
+    The ``environ`` dictionary provided to the request.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+    The ``environ`` argument was added.
 
 request_finished
 ----------------
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index 7d9a71c6e5..2fac733648 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ Signals
   :meth:`Signal.send_robust() <django.dispatch.Signal.send_robust>` now have
   their traceback attached as a ``__traceback__`` attribute.
 
+* The ``environ`` argument, which contains the WSGI environment structure from
+  the request, was added to the :data:`~django.core.signals.request_started`
+  signal.
+
 Templates
 ^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/tests/handlers/tests.py b/tests/handlers/tests.py
index 012b2ffa53..ee74affcc6 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/tests.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/tests.py
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ class SignalsTests(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.signals = []
+        self.signaled_environ = None
         request_started.connect(self.register_started)
         request_finished.connect(self.register_finished)
 
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ class SignalsTests(TestCase):
 
     def register_started(self, **kwargs):
         self.signals.append('started')
+        self.signaled_environ = kwargs.get('environ')
 
     def register_finished(self, **kwargs):
         self.signals.append('finished')
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ class SignalsTests(TestCase):
         response = self.client.get('/regular/')
         self.assertEqual(self.signals, ['started', 'finished'])
         self.assertEqual(response.content, b"regular content")
+        self.assertEqual(self.signaled_environ, response.wsgi_request.environ)
 
     def test_request_signals_streaming_response(self):
         response = self.client.get('/streaming/')