diff --git a/swh/storage/listener.py b/swh/storage/listener.py
--- a/swh/storage/listener.py
+++ b/swh/storage/listener.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2016-2017 The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2016-2018 The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -23,18 +23,39 @@
 }
 
 
-def decode_sha(value):
-    """Decode the textual representation of a SHA hash"""
-    if isinstance(value, str):
-        return bytes.fromhex(value)
-    return value
+def decode_simple(value):
+    """Decode simple values (no hex identifiers in their midst)
 
+    Args:
+        value (str): json representation
 
-def decode_json(value):
-    """Decode a JSON value containing hashes and other types"""
-    value = json.loads(value)
+    Returns:
+        dict representation
 
-    return {k: decode_sha(v) for k, v in value.items()}
+    """
+    return json.loads(value)
+
+
+def decode_with_identifier(value):
+    """Decode a JSON value containing hashes and other types
+
+    Args:
+        value (str): json dict representation whose value might be hex
+          identifier.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict representation whose identifier is now an hexadecimal
+        string.
+
+    """
+    value = decode_simple(value)
+
+    m = {}
+    for k, v in value.items():
+        if isinstance(value, bytes):
+            v = bytes.fromhex(v)
+        m[k] = v
+    return m
 
 
 OBJECT_TYPES = {
@@ -53,11 +74,15 @@
     """Register to notifications for all object types listed in OBJECT_TYPES"""
     with db.transaction() as cur:
         for object_type in OBJECT_TYPES:
+            logging.debug('Register to notify events %s' % object_type)
             db.register_listener('new_%s' % object_type, cur)
 
 
 def dispatch_notify(topic_prefix, producer, notify):
     """Dispatch a notification to the proper topic"""
+    logging.debug('topic_prefix: %s' % topic_prefix)
+    logging.debug('producer: %s' % producer)
+    logging.debug('notify: %s' % notify)
     channel = notify.channel
     if not channel.startswith('new_') or channel[4:] not in OBJECT_TYPES:
         logging.warn("Got unexpected notify %s" % notify)
@@ -66,7 +91,13 @@
     object_type = channel[4:]
 
     topic = '%s.%s' % (topic_prefix, object_type)
-    data = decode_json(notify.payload)
+    # mapping function depending on the object type
+    mapping_fn = {
+        'origin': decode_simple,
+        'origin_visit': decode_simple,
+    }
+    mapping_callable = mapping_fn.get(object_type, decode_with_identifier)
+    data = mapping_callable(notify.payload)
     producer.send(topic, value=data)
 
 
@@ -96,6 +127,7 @@
     try:
         while True:
             for notify in db.listen_notifies(poll_timeout):
+                logging.debug('Notified by event %s' % notify)
                 dispatch_notify(topic_prefix, producer, notify)
             producer.flush()
     except Exception:
@@ -104,9 +136,17 @@
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    logging.basicConfig(
-        level=logging.INFO,
-        format='%(asctime)s %(process)d %(levelname)s %(message)s'
-    )
-    config = load_named_config(CONFIG_BASENAME, DEFAULT_CONFIG)
-    run_from_config(config)
+    import click
+
+    @click.command()
+    @click.option('--verbose', is_flag=True, default=False,
+                  help='Be verbose if asked.')
+    def main(verbose):
+        logging.basicConfig(
+            level=logging.DEBUG if verbose else logging.INFO,
+            format='%(asctime)s %(process)d %(levelname)s %(message)s'
+        )
+        config = load_named_config(CONFIG_BASENAME, DEFAULT_CONFIG)
+        run_from_config(config)
+
+    main()
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_listener.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_listener.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_listener.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2018 The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import json
+import unittest
+
+from swh.storage.listener import (
+    decode_with_identifier, decode_simple
+)
+
+
+class ListenerUtils(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_decode_simple(self):
+        input = json.dumps({
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        })
+
+        actual_value = decode_simple(input)
+
+        self.assertEqual(actual_value, {
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        })
+
+    def test_decode_with_identifier(self):
+        inputs = map(json.dumps, [{
+            'id': '34973274ccef6ab4dfaaf86599792fa9c3fe4689',
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        }, {
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        }])
+
+        expected_inputs = [{
+            'id': '34973274ccef6ab4dfaaf86599792fa9c3fe4689',
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        }, {
+            'url': 'https://some/origin',
+            'type': 'svn',
+        }]
+
+        for i, input in enumerate(inputs):
+            actual_value = decode_with_identifier(input)
+            self.assertEqual(actual_value, expected_inputs[i])