diff --git a/xplat/FlipperTestLib/FlipperPluginMock.h b/xplat/FlipperTestLib/FlipperPluginMock.h
index 20a27b64f..02becf427 100644
--- a/xplat/FlipperTestLib/FlipperPluginMock.h
+++ b/xplat/FlipperTestLib/FlipperPluginMock.h
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 /*
- *  Copyright (c) 2018-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ *  Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc.
  *
  *  This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the LICENSE
  *  file in the root directory of this source tree.
  *
  */
-
 #pragma once
 
 #include <Flipper/FlipperPlugin.h>
@@ -35,6 +34,16 @@ class FlipperPluginMock : public FlipperPlugin {
         connectionCallback_(connectionCallback),
         disconnectionCallback_(disconnectionCallback) {}
 
+  FlipperPluginMock(
+      const std::string& identifier,
+      const ConnectionCallback& connectionCallback,
+      const DisconnectionCallback& disconnectionCallback,
+      bool runInBackground)
+      : identifier_(identifier),
+        runInBackground_(runInBackground),
+        connectionCallback_(connectionCallback),
+        disconnectionCallback_(disconnectionCallback) {}
+
   std::string identifier() const override {
     return identifier_;
   }
@@ -51,8 +60,13 @@ class FlipperPluginMock : public FlipperPlugin {
     }
   }
 
+  bool runInBackground() override {
+    return runInBackground_;
+  }
+
  private:
   std::string identifier_;
+  bool runInBackground_ = false;
   ConnectionCallback connectionCallback_;
   DisconnectionCallback disconnectionCallback_;
 };
diff --git a/xplat/FlipperTests/FlipperClientTests.cpp b/xplat/FlipperTests/FlipperClientTests.cpp
index 853f1eca9..1eb08eb91 100644
--- a/xplat/FlipperTests/FlipperClientTests.cpp
+++ b/xplat/FlipperTests/FlipperClientTests.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 /*
- *  Copyright (c) 2018-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ *  Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc.
  *
  *  This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the LICENSE
  *  file in the root directory of this source tree.
  *
  */
-
 #include <Flipper/FlipperClient.h>
 #include <FlipperTestLib/FlipperPluginMock.h>
 #include <FlipperTestLib/FlipperConnectionManagerMock.h>
@@ -289,6 +288,46 @@ TEST(FlipperClientTests, testExceptionUnknownApi) {
             "connection Unknown not found for method execute");
 }
 
+TEST(FlipperClientTests, testBackgroundPluginActivated) {
+  auto socket = new FlipperConnectionManagerMock;
+  FlipperClient client(
+      std::unique_ptr<FlipperConnectionManagerMock>{socket}, state);
+
+  bool pluginConnected = false;
+  const auto connectionCallback = [&](std::shared_ptr<FlipperConnection> conn) {
+    pluginConnected = true;
+  };
+  const auto disconnectionCallback = [&]() { pluginConnected = false; };
+  auto plugin = std::make_shared<FlipperPluginMock>(
+      "Test", connectionCallback, disconnectionCallback, true);
+
+  client.addPlugin(plugin);
+  client.start();
+  EXPECT_TRUE(pluginConnected);
+  client.stop();
+  EXPECT_FALSE(pluginConnected);
+}
+
+TEST(FlipperClientTests, testNonBackgroundPluginNotActivated) {
+  auto socket = new FlipperConnectionManagerMock;
+  FlipperClient client(
+      std::unique_ptr<FlipperConnectionManagerMock>{socket}, state);
+
+  bool pluginConnected = false;
+  const auto connectionCallback = [&](std::shared_ptr<FlipperConnection> conn) {
+    pluginConnected = true;
+  };
+  const auto disconnectionCallback = [&]() { pluginConnected = false; };
+  auto plugin = std::make_shared<FlipperPluginMock>(
+      "Test", connectionCallback, disconnectionCallback, false);
+
+  client.addPlugin(plugin);
+  client.start();
+  EXPECT_FALSE(pluginConnected);
+  client.stop();
+  EXPECT_FALSE(pluginConnected);
+}
+
 } // namespace test
 } // namespace flipper
 } // namespace facebook