diff --git a/.changelog/12955.txt b/.changelog/12955.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cc0dc3c51785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/12955.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+core: On node updates skip creating evaluations for jobs not in the node's datacenter.
+```
diff --git a/nomad/node_endpoint.go b/nomad/node_endpoint.go
index 645747476468..39b870186009 100644
--- a/nomad/node_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/node_endpoint.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (n *Node) Register(args *structs.NodeRegisterRequest, reply *structs.NodeUp
 
 	// Check if we should trigger evaluations
 	if shouldCreateNodeEval(originalNode, args.Node) {
-		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.Node.ID, index)
+		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.Node, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 			return err
@@ -350,15 +350,16 @@ func (n *Node) deregister(args *structs.NodeBatchDeregisterRequest,
 		return err
 	}
 
-	ws := memdb.NewWatchSet()
+	nodes := make([]*structs.Node, 0, len(args.NodeIDs))
 	for _, nodeID := range args.NodeIDs {
-		node, err := snap.NodeByID(ws, nodeID)
+		node, err := snap.NodeByID(nil, nodeID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		if node == nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("node not found")
 		}
+		nodes = append(nodes, node)
 	}
 
 	// Commit this update via Raft
@@ -368,19 +369,21 @@ func (n *Node) deregister(args *structs.NodeBatchDeregisterRequest,
 		return err
 	}
 
-	for _, nodeID := range args.NodeIDs {
+	for _, node := range nodes {
+		nodeID := node.ID
+
 		// Clear the heartbeat timer if any
 		n.srv.clearHeartbeatTimer(nodeID)
 
 		// Create the evaluations for this node
-		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(nodeID, index)
+		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(node, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 			return err
 		}
 
 		// Determine if there are any Vault accessors on the node
-		if accessors, err := snap.VaultAccessorsByNode(ws, nodeID); err != nil {
+		if accessors, err := snap.VaultAccessorsByNode(nil, nodeID); err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("looking up vault accessors for node failed", "node_id", nodeID, "error", err)
 			return err
 		} else if l := len(accessors); l > 0 {
@@ -392,7 +395,7 @@ func (n *Node) deregister(args *structs.NodeBatchDeregisterRequest,
 		}
 
 		// Determine if there are any SI token accessors on the node
-		if accessors, err := snap.SITokenAccessorsByNode(ws, nodeID); err != nil {
+		if accessors, err := snap.SITokenAccessorsByNode(nil, nodeID); err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("looking up si accessors for node failed", "node_id", nodeID, "error", err)
 			return err
 		} else if l := len(accessors); l > 0 {
@@ -490,7 +493,7 @@ func (n *Node) UpdateStatus(args *structs.NodeUpdateStatusRequest, reply *struct
 	// Check if we should trigger evaluations
 	if structs.ShouldDrainNode(args.Status) ||
 		nodeStatusTransitionRequiresEval(args.Status, node.Status) {
-		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, index)
+		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(node, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 			return err
@@ -658,7 +661,7 @@ func (n *Node) UpdateDrain(args *structs.NodeUpdateDrainRequest,
 	// If the node is transitioning to be eligible, create Node evaluations
 	// because there may be a System job registered that should be evaluated.
 	if node.SchedulingEligibility == structs.NodeSchedulingIneligible && args.MarkEligible && args.DrainStrategy == nil {
-		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, index)
+		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(node, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 			return err
@@ -754,7 +757,7 @@ func (n *Node) UpdateEligibility(args *structs.NodeUpdateEligibilityRequest,
 	// If the node is transitioning to be eligible, create Node evaluations
 	// because there may be a System job registered that should be evaluated.
 	if node.SchedulingEligibility == structs.NodeSchedulingIneligible && args.Eligibility == structs.NodeSchedulingEligible {
-		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, index)
+		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(node, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 			return err
@@ -802,7 +805,7 @@ func (n *Node) Evaluate(args *structs.NodeEvaluateRequest, reply *structs.NodeUp
 	}
 
 	// Create the evaluation
-	evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, node.ModifyIndex)
+	evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(node, node.ModifyIndex)
 	if err != nil {
 		n.logger.Error("eval creation failed", "error", err)
 		return err
@@ -1444,7 +1447,9 @@ func (n *Node) List(args *structs.NodeListRequest,
 
 // createNodeEvals is used to create evaluations for each alloc on a node.
 // Each Eval is scoped to a job, so we need to potentially trigger many evals.
-func (n *Node) createNodeEvals(nodeID string, nodeIndex uint64) ([]string, uint64, error) {
+func (n *Node) createNodeEvals(node *structs.Node, nodeIndex uint64) ([]string, uint64, error) {
+	nodeID := node.ID
+
 	// Snapshot the state
 	snap, err := n.srv.fsm.State().Snapshot()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1452,20 +1457,30 @@ func (n *Node) createNodeEvals(nodeID string, nodeIndex uint64) ([]string, uint6
 	}
 
 	// Find all the allocations for this node
-	ws := memdb.NewWatchSet()
-	allocs, err := snap.AllocsByNode(ws, nodeID)
+	allocs, err := snap.AllocsByNode(nil, nodeID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to find allocs for '%s': %v", nodeID, err)
 	}
 
-	sysJobsIter, err := snap.JobsByScheduler(ws, "system")
+	sysJobsIter, err := snap.JobsByScheduler(nil, "system")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to find system jobs for '%s': %v", nodeID, err)
 	}
 
 	var sysJobs []*structs.Job
-	for job := sysJobsIter.Next(); job != nil; job = sysJobsIter.Next() {
-		sysJobs = append(sysJobs, job.(*structs.Job))
+	for jobI := sysJobsIter.Next(); jobI != nil; jobI = sysJobsIter.Next() {
+		job := jobI.(*structs.Job)
+		// Avoid creating evals for jobs that don't run in this
+		// datacenter. We could perform an entire feasibility check
+		// here, but datacenter is a good optimization to start with as
+		// datacenter cardinality tends to be low so the check
+		// shouldn't add much work.
+		for _, dc := range job.Datacenters {
+			if dc == node.Datacenter {
+				sysJobs = append(sysJobs, job)
+				break
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Fast-path if nothing to do
diff --git a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
index b0e35ad283dd..d4f24153a696 100644
--- a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
@@ -2677,23 +2677,32 @@ func TestClientEndpoint_CreateNodeEvals(t *testing.T) {
 	s1, cleanupS1 := TestServer(t, nil)
 	defer cleanupS1()
 	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+
+	idx, err := state.LatestIndex()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	node := mock.Node()
+	err = state.UpsertNode(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, node)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	idx++
 
 	// Inject fake evaluations
 	alloc := mock.Alloc()
-	state := s1.fsm.State()
+	alloc.NodeID = node.ID
 	state.UpsertJobSummary(1, mock.JobSummary(alloc.JobID))
-	if err := state.UpsertAllocs(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, 2, []*structs.Allocation{alloc}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
-	}
+	require.NoError(t, state.UpsertAllocs(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, []*structs.Allocation{alloc}))
+	idx++
 
 	// Inject a fake system job.
 	job := mock.SystemJob()
-	if err := state.UpsertJob(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, 3, job); err != nil {
+	if err := state.UpsertJob(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, job); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
+	idx++
 
 	// Create some evaluations
-	ids, index, err := s1.staticEndpoints.Node.createNodeEvals(alloc.NodeID, 1)
+	ids, index, err := s1.staticEndpoints.Node.createNodeEvals(node, 1)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -2790,7 +2799,7 @@ func TestClientEndpoint_CreateNodeEvals_MultipleNSes(t *testing.T) {
 	idx++
 
 	// Create some evaluations
-	evalIDs, index, err := s1.staticEndpoints.Node.createNodeEvals(node.ID, 1)
+	evalIDs, index, err := s1.staticEndpoints.Node.createNodeEvals(node, 1)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotZero(t, index)
 	require.Len(t, evalIDs, 2)
@@ -2815,6 +2824,51 @@ func TestClientEndpoint_CreateNodeEvals_MultipleNSes(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, nsJob.Namespace, otherNSEval.Namespace)
 }
 
+// TestClientEndpoint_CreateNodeEvals_MultipleDCes asserts that evals are made
+// only for the DC the node is in.
+func TestClientEndpoint_CreateNodeEvals_MultipleDCes(t *testing.T) {
+	ci.Parallel(t)
+
+	s1, cleanupS1 := TestServer(t, nil)
+	defer cleanupS1()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+
+	idx, err := state.LatestIndex()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	node := mock.Node()
+	node.Datacenter = "test1"
+	err = state.UpsertNode(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, node)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	idx++
+
+	// Inject a fake system job in the same dc
+	defaultJob := mock.SystemJob()
+	defaultJob.Datacenters = []string{"test1", "test2"}
+	err = state.UpsertJob(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, defaultJob)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	idx++
+
+	// Inject a fake system job in a different dc
+	nsJob := mock.SystemJob()
+	nsJob.Datacenters = []string{"test2", "test3"}
+	err = state.UpsertJob(structs.MsgTypeTestSetup, idx, nsJob)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	idx++
+
+	// Create evaluations
+	evalIDs, index, err := s1.staticEndpoints.Node.createNodeEvals(node, 1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotZero(t, index)
+	require.Len(t, evalIDs, 1)
+
+	eval, err := state.EvalByID(nil, evalIDs[0])
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, defaultJob.ID, eval.JobID)
+}
+
 func TestClientEndpoint_Evaluate(t *testing.T) {
 	ci.Parallel(t)