diff --git a/components/brave_ads/browser/BUILD.gn b/components/brave_ads/browser/BUILD.gn
index 0b08175fb1ca..34dfd172d52c 100644
--- a/components/brave_ads/browser/BUILD.gn
+++ b/components/brave_ads/browser/BUILD.gn
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ source_set("browser") {
       "ads_service_impl.h",
       "background_helper.cc",
       "background_helper.h",
+      "background_helper_linux.cc",
+      "background_helper_linux.h",
       "background_helper_mac.mm",
       "background_helper_mac.h",
       "background_helper_win.cc",
diff --git a/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper.cc b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper.cc
index adbc5999c33b..50c6b2e5ef7b 100644
--- a/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper.cc
+++ b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper.cc
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ void BackgroundHelper::RemoveObserver(Observer* observer) {
   observers_.RemoveObserver(observer);
 }
 
-#if !defined(OS_MACOSX) && !defined(OS_WIN)
+#if !defined(OS_MACOSX) && !defined(OS_WIN) && !defined(OS_LINUX)
 BackgroundHelper* BackgroundHelper::GetInstance() {
   // just return a dummy background helper for all other platforms
   return base::Singleton<BackgroundHelper>::get();
diff --git a/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.cc b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..06d3489b54df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/* Copyright 2018 The Brave Authors. All rights reserved.
+ * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+ * You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+#include "brave/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.h"
+
+#include "base/bind.h"
+#include "base/threading/sequenced_task_runner_handle.h"
+#include "chrome/browser/ui/browser.h"
+#include "chrome/browser/ui/browser_list.h"
+#include "chrome/browser/ui/browser_window.h"
+#include "ui/aura/window.h"
+#include "ui/aura/window_tree_host.h"
+#include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
+
+namespace brave_ads {
+
+
+BackgroundHelperLinux::BackgroundHelperLinux() {
+  BrowserList::AddObserver(this);
+  OnBrowserSetLastActive(BrowserList::GetInstance()->GetLastActive());
+}
+
+BackgroundHelperLinux::~BackgroundHelperLinux() {
+  BrowserList::RemoveObserver(this);
+}
+
+bool BackgroundHelperLinux::IsForeground() const {
+  XID xid = 0;
+  ui::GetXIDProperty(ui::GetX11RootWindow(), "_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW", &xid);
+
+  for (auto* browser : *BrowserList::GetInstance()) {
+    auto window =
+        browser->window()->GetNativeWindow()->GetHost()->GetAcceleratedWidget();
+    if (xid == window)
+      return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+void BackgroundHelperLinux::CheckState() {
+  if (IsForeground()) {
+    TriggerOnForeground();
+  } else {
+    TriggerOnBackground();
+  }
+}
+
+void BackgroundHelperLinux::OnBrowserSetLastActive(Browser* browser) {
+  base::SequencedTaskRunnerHandle::Get()->PostTask(
+      FROM_HERE,
+      base::BindOnce(&BackgroundHelperLinux::CheckState, AsWeakPtr()));
+}
+
+void BackgroundHelperLinux::OnBrowserNoLongerActive(Browser* browser) {
+  base::SequencedTaskRunnerHandle::Get()->PostTask(
+      FROM_HERE,
+      base::BindOnce(&BackgroundHelperLinux::CheckState, AsWeakPtr()));
+}
+
+BackgroundHelperLinux* BackgroundHelperLinux::GetInstance() {
+  return base::Singleton<BackgroundHelperLinux>::get();
+}
+
+BackgroundHelper* BackgroundHelper::GetInstance() {
+  return BackgroundHelperLinux::GetInstance();
+}
+
+}  // namespace brave_ads
diff --git a/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.h b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..809c13c903c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper_linux.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/* Copyright 2018 The Brave Authors. All rights reserved.
+ * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+ * You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+#ifndef BRAVE_COMPONENTS_BRAVE_ADS_BROWSER_BACKGROUND_HELPER_LINUX_H_
+#define BRAVE_COMPONENTS_BRAVE_ADS_BROWSER_BACKGROUND_HELPER_LINUX_H_
+
+#include "base/macros.h"
+#include "base/memory/singleton.h"
+#include "base/memory/weak_ptr.h"
+#include "brave/components/brave_ads/browser/background_helper.h"
+#include "chrome/browser/ui/browser_list_observer.h"
+
+namespace brave_ads {
+
+class BackgroundHelperLinux :
+    public BackgroundHelper,
+    public base::SupportsWeakPtr<BackgroundHelperLinux>,
+    public BrowserListObserver {
+ public:
+  BackgroundHelperLinux();
+  ~BackgroundHelperLinux() override;
+
+  static BackgroundHelperLinux* GetInstance();
+
+ private:
+  friend struct base::DefaultSingletonTraits<BackgroundHelperLinux>;
+
+  // BackgroundHelper impl
+  bool IsForeground() const override;
+
+  // BrowserListObserver overrides
+  void OnBrowserSetLastActive(Browser* browser) override;
+  void OnBrowserNoLongerActive(Browser* browser) override;
+
+  void CheckState();
+
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(BackgroundHelperLinux);
+};
+
+}  // namespace brave_ads
+
+#endif  // BRAVE_COMPONENTS_BRAVE_ADS_BROWSER_BACKGROUND_HELPER_LINUX_H_
diff --git a/components/brave_ads/browser/buildflags/buildflags.gni b/components/brave_ads/browser/buildflags/buildflags.gni
index fa3e76f19b0d..a0113746b844 100644
--- a/components/brave_ads/browser/buildflags/buildflags.gni
+++ b/components/brave_ads/browser/buildflags/buildflags.gni
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import("//build/config/features.gni")
 
 declare_args() {
-  brave_ads_enabled = !is_linux
+  brave_ads_enabled = !is_android
 }
diff --git a/components/services/bat_ads/manifest.json b/components/services/bat_ads/manifest.json
index 6ad126409414..757ed4356703 100644
--- a/components/services/bat_ads/manifest.json
+++ b/components/services/bat_ads/manifest.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "bat_ads",
   "display_name": "Bat Ads Service",
-  "sandbox_type": "utility",
+  "sandbox_type": "none",
   "options" : {
     "instance_sharing" : "shared_instance_across_users"
   },