diff --git a/tools/device-pod-cli.test.ts b/tools/device-pod-cli.test.ts
index c187b550..373bfe5c 100644
--- a/tools/device-pod-cli.test.ts
+++ b/tools/device-pod-cli.test.ts
@@ -462,6 +462,87 @@ test("device-pod-cli forwards host build and download job ids as named device-po
   });
 });
 
+test("device-pod-cli maps build evidence / download evidence to first-class workspace.evidence / debug.evidence intents (HWLAB #801)", async () => {
+  const seen: any[] = [];
+  const fetchImpl = async (url, init) => {
+    seen.push({ url: String(url), body: JSON.parse(String(init?.body ?? "{}")) });
+    return jsonResponse(202, { ok: true, status: "running", job: { id: `job_${seen.length}`, status: "running" } });
+  };
+  const build = await runAssembledDevicePodCli([
+    "D601-F103-V2:workspace:/projects/01_baseline",
+    "build",
+    "evidence",
+    "job_devicepod_7ce895d1-bb3e-4daa-b4a1-6d7d05522923",
+    "--tail",
+    "60"
+  ], { fetchImpl, now: () => "2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z" });
+  assert.equal(build.exitCode, 0);
+  assert.deepEqual(seen[0].body, {
+    intent: "workspace.evidence",
+    args: {
+      kind: "build",
+      jobId: "job_devicepod_7ce895d1-bb3e-4daa-b4a1-6d7d05522923",
+      tail: 60
+    }
+  });
+
+  const download = await runAssembledDevicePodCli([
+    "D601-F103-V2:debug-probe",
+    "download",
+    "evidence",
+    "job_devicepod_fb23ec52-339c-45cb-9b82-1af1fb7b6ee0",
+    "--full"
+  ], { fetchImpl, now: () => "2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z" });
+  assert.equal(download.exitCode, 0);
+  assert.deepEqual(seen[1].body, {
+    intent: "debug.evidence",
+    args: {
+      kind: "download",
+      jobId: "job_devicepod_fb23ec52-339c-45cb-9b82-1af1fb7b6ee0",
+      full: true
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+test("device-pod-cli keeps build start / download start on workspace.build / debug.download intents (HWLAB #801 regression)", async () => {
+  const seen: any[] = [];
+  const fetchImpl = async (url, init) => {
+    seen.push({ url: String(url), body: JSON.parse(String(init?.body ?? "{}")) });
+    return jsonResponse(202, { ok: true, status: "running", job: { id: `job_${seen.length}`, status: "running" } });
+  };
+  const build = await runAssembledDevicePodCli([
+    "D601-F103-V2:workspace:/projects/01_baseline",
+    "build",
+    "start",
+    "--reason",
+    "smoke test"
+  ], { fetchImpl, now: () => "2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z" });
+  assert.equal(build.exitCode, 0);
+  assert.deepEqual(seen[0].body, {
+    intent: "workspace.build",
+    args: { action: "start" },
+    reason: "smoke test"
+  });
+
+  const download = await runAssembledDevicePodCli([
+    "D601-F103-V2:debug-probe",
+    "download",
+    "start",
+    "--capture-uart",
+    "uart/1",
+    "--capture-duration-ms",
+    "8000",
+    "--reason",
+    "smoke test"
+  ], { fetchImpl, now: () => "2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z" });
+  assert.equal(download.exitCode, 0);
+  assert.deepEqual(seen[1].body, {
+    intent: "debug.download",
+    args: { action: "start", captureUart: "uart/1", captureDurationMs: 8000 },
+    reason: "smoke test"
+  });
+});
+
 test("device-pod-cli maps selector build/download cloud job aliases to job routes", async () => {
   const seen: any[] = [];
   const fetchImpl = async (url, init) => {
diff --git a/tools/src/device-pod-cli-lib.ts b/tools/src/device-pod-cli-lib.ts
index 00e45ad1..d3ab2eb0 100644
--- a/tools/src/device-pod-cli-lib.ts
+++ b/tools/src/device-pod-cli-lib.ts
@@ -296,10 +296,17 @@ async function buildJob(selector: any, operation: string, rest: string[], parsed
       Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, ["encoding", "charset", "createDirs"]));
     }
     else if (operation === "build") {
-      intent = "workspace.build";
-      args.action = rest[1] || "start";
-      if (["status", "wait"].includes(String(args.action))) args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
-      Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, ["target", "timeoutMs", "clean", "dryRun"]));
+      if (text(rest[1]) === "evidence") {
+        intent = "workspace.evidence";
+        args.kind = "build";
+        args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
+        Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, ["tail", "full", "target"]));
+      } else {
+        intent = "workspace.build";
+        args.action = rest[1] || "start";
+        if (["status", "wait"].includes(String(args.action))) args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
+        Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, ["target", "timeoutMs", "clean", "dryRun"]));
+      }
     }
     else throw cliError("unsupported_workspace_operation", `unsupported workspace operation: ${operation}`);
   } else if (selector.surface === "debug-probe") {
@@ -312,18 +319,25 @@ async function buildJob(selector: any, operation: string, rest: string[], parsed
       );
     }
     else if (operation === "download") {
-      intent = "debug.download";
-      args.action = rest[1] || "start";
-      if (["status", "wait"].includes(String(args.action))) args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
-      Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, [
-        "target",
-        "timeoutMs",
-        "captureUart",
-        "captureDurationMs",
-        "durationMs",
-        "port",
-        "baudRate"
-      ]));
+      if (text(rest[1]) === "evidence") {
+        intent = "debug.evidence";
+        args.kind = "download";
+        args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
+        Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, ["tail", "full", "target"]));
+      } else {
+        intent = "debug.download";
+        args.action = rest[1] || "start";
+        if (["status", "wait"].includes(String(args.action))) args.jobId = text(rest[2] ?? parsed.jobId);
+        Object.assign(args, passthroughOptions(parsed, [
+          "target",
+          "timeoutMs",
+          "captureUart",
+          "captureDurationMs",
+          "durationMs",
+          "port",
+          "baudRate"
+        ]));
+      }
     }
     else if (operation === "reset") intent = "debug.reset";
     else throw cliError(