diff --git a/rules/alerting.go b/rules/alerting.go
index ae1535c34..7b7ba9e25 100644
--- a/rules/alerting.go
+++ b/rules/alerting.go
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ func (r *AlertingRule) sample(alert *Alert, ts model.Time, set bool) *model.Samp
 // is kept in memory state and consequentally repeatedly sent to the AlertManager.
 const resolvedRetention = 15 * time.Minute
 
-// eval evaluates the rule expression and then creates pending alerts and fires
+// Eval evaluates the rule expression and then creates pending alerts and fires
 // or removes previously pending alerts accordingly.
-func (r *AlertingRule) eval(ctx context.Context, ts model.Time, engine *promql.Engine, externalURLPath string) (model.Vector, error) {
+func (r *AlertingRule) Eval(ctx context.Context, ts model.Time, engine *promql.Engine, externalURLPath string) (model.Vector, error) {
 	query, err := engine.NewInstantQuery(r.vector.String(), ts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/rules/manager.go b/rules/manager.go
index 5f8b74a15..ca5d4185a 100644
--- a/rules/manager.go
+++ b/rules/manager.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const (
 type Rule interface {
 	Name() string
 	// eval evaluates the rule, including any associated recording or alerting actions.
-	eval(context.Context, model.Time, *promql.Engine, string) (model.Vector, error)
+	Eval(context.Context, model.Time, *promql.Engine, string) (model.Vector, error)
 	// String returns a human-readable string representation of the rule.
 	String() string
 	// HTMLSnippet returns a human-readable string representation of the rule,
@@ -125,9 +125,12 @@ type Group struct {
 	terminated chan struct{}
 }
 
-func newGroup(name string, opts *ManagerOptions) *Group {
+// NewGroup makes a new Group with the given name, options, and rules.
+func NewGroup(name string, interval time.Duration, rules []Rule, opts *ManagerOptions) *Group {
 	return &Group{
 		name:       name,
+		interval:   interval,
+		rules:      rules,
 		opts:       opts,
 		done:       make(chan struct{}),
 		terminated: make(chan struct{}),
@@ -151,7 +154,7 @@ func (g *Group) run() {
 			return
 		}
 		start := time.Now()
-		g.eval()
+		g.Eval()
 
 		iterationDuration.Observe(time.Since(start).Seconds())
 	}
@@ -234,10 +237,10 @@ func typeForRule(r Rule) ruleType {
 	panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown rule type: %T", r))
 }
 
-// eval runs a single evaluation cycle in which all rules are evaluated in parallel.
+// Eval runs a single evaluation cycle in which all rules are evaluated in parallel.
 // In the future a single group will be evaluated sequentially to properly handle
 // rule dependency.
-func (g *Group) eval() {
+func (g *Group) Eval() {
 	var (
 		now = model.Now()
 		wg  sync.WaitGroup
@@ -257,7 +260,7 @@ func (g *Group) eval() {
 
 			evalTotal.WithLabelValues(rtyp).Inc()
 
-			vector, err := rule.eval(g.opts.Context, now, g.opts.QueryEngine, g.opts.ExternalURL.Path)
+			vector, err := rule.Eval(g.opts.Context, now, g.opts.QueryEngine, g.opts.ExternalURL.Path)
 			if err != nil {
 				// Canceled queries are intentional termination of queries. This normally
 				// happens on shutdown and thus we skip logging of any errors here.
@@ -394,7 +397,8 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyConfig(conf *config.Config) error {
 		files = append(files, fs...)
 	}
 
-	groups, err := m.loadGroups(files...)
+	// To be replaced with a configurable per-group interval.
+	groups, err := m.loadGroups(time.Duration(conf.GlobalConfig.EvaluationInterval), files...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error loading rules, previous rule set restored: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -402,9 +406,6 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyConfig(conf *config.Config) error {
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 
 	for _, newg := range groups {
-		// To be replaced with a configurable per-group interval.
-		newg.interval = time.Duration(conf.GlobalConfig.EvaluationInterval)
-
 		wg.Add(1)
 
 		// If there is an old group with the same identifier, stop it and wait for
@@ -442,14 +443,8 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyConfig(conf *config.Config) error {
 // loadGroups reads groups from a list of files.
 // As there's currently no group syntax a single group named "default" containing
 // all rules will be returned.
-func (m *Manager) loadGroups(filenames ...string) (map[string]*Group, error) {
-	groups := map[string]*Group{}
-
-	// Currently there is no group syntax implemented. Thus all rules
-	// are read into a single default group.
-	g := newGroup("default", m.opts)
-	groups[g.name] = g
-
+func (m *Manager) loadGroups(interval time.Duration, filenames ...string) (map[string]*Group, error) {
+	rules := []Rule{}
 	for _, fn := range filenames {
 		content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fn)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -473,10 +468,14 @@ func (m *Manager) loadGroups(filenames ...string) (map[string]*Group, error) {
 			default:
 				panic("retrieval.Manager.LoadRuleFiles: unknown statement type")
 			}
-			g.rules = append(g.rules, rule)
+			rules = append(rules, rule)
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Currently there is no group syntax implemented. Thus all rules
+	// are read into a single default group.
+	g := NewGroup("default", interval, rules, m.opts)
+	groups := map[string]*Group{g.name: g}
 	return groups, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/rules/manager_test.go b/rules/manager_test.go
index 8eb31175e..d229f8b96 100644
--- a/rules/manager_test.go
+++ b/rules/manager_test.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestAlertingRule(t *testing.T) {
 	for i, test := range tests {
 		evalTime := model.Time(0).Add(test.time)
 
-		res, err := rule.eval(suite.Context(), evalTime, suite.QueryEngine(), "")
+		res, err := rule.Eval(suite.Context(), evalTime, suite.QueryEngine(), "")
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Error during alerting rule evaluation: %s", err)
 		}
diff --git a/rules/recording.go b/rules/recording.go
index 14cd26a2c..a4b7a4b8d 100644
--- a/rules/recording.go
+++ b/rules/recording.go
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ func (rule RecordingRule) Name() string {
 	return rule.name
 }
 
-// eval evaluates the rule and then overrides the metric names and labels accordingly.
-func (rule RecordingRule) eval(ctx context.Context, timestamp model.Time, engine *promql.Engine, _ string) (model.Vector, error) {
+// Eval evaluates the rule and then overrides the metric names and labels accordingly.
+func (rule RecordingRule) Eval(ctx context.Context, timestamp model.Time, engine *promql.Engine, _ string) (model.Vector, error) {
 	query, err := engine.NewInstantQuery(rule.vector.String(), timestamp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/rules/recording_test.go b/rules/recording_test.go
index 3ad40f915..00b9308c1 100644
--- a/rules/recording_test.go
+++ b/rules/recording_test.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func TestRuleEval(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, test := range suite {
 		rule := NewRecordingRule(test.name, test.expr, test.labels)
-		result, err := rule.eval(ctx, now, engine, "")
+		result, err := rule.Eval(ctx, now, engine, "")
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Error evaluating %s", test.name)
 		}