--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/downloads.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/downloads.js
@@ -11,16 +11,17 @@ function dump(a) {
 
 const URI_GENERIC_ICON_DOWNLOAD = "drawable://alert_download";
 
 var Downloads = {
   _initialized: false,
   _dlmgr: null,
   _progressAlert: null,
   _privateDownloads: [],
+  isForeground : true,
 
   _getLocalFile: function dl__getLocalFile(aFileURI) {
     // if this is a URL, get the file from that
     // XXX it's possible that using a null char-set here is bad
     const fileUrl = Services.io.newURI(aFileURI, null, null).QueryInterface(Ci.nsIFileURL);
     return fileUrl.file.clone().QueryInterface(Ci.nsILocalFile);
   },
 
@@ -28,18 +29,19 @@ var Downloads = {
     if (this._initialized)
       return;
     this._initialized = true;
 
     // Monitor downloads and display alerts
     this._dlmgr = Cc["@mozilla.org/download-manager;1"].getService(Ci.nsIDownloadManager);
     this._progressAlert = new AlertDownloadProgressListener();
     this._dlmgr.addPrivacyAwareListener(this._progressAlert);
-    Services.obs.addObserver(this, "xpcom-shutdown", true);
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "last-pb-context-exited", true);
+    Services.obs.addObserver(this, "application-background", false);
+    Services.obs.addObserver(this, "application-foreground", false);
   },
 
   openDownload: function dl_openDownload(aDownload) {
     let fileUri = aDownload.target.spec;
     let guid = aDownload.guid;
     let f = this._getLocalFile(fileUri);
     try {
       f.launch();
@@ -100,26 +102,39 @@ var Downloads = {
 
     var notifier = Cc["@mozilla.org/alerts-service;1"].getService(Ci.nsIAlertsService);
     notifier.showAlertNotification(aIcon, aTitle, aMessage, true, "", observer,
                                    aDownload.target.spec.replace("file:", "download:"));
   },
 
   // observer for last-pb-context-exited
   observe: function dl_observe(aSubject, aTopic, aData) {
-    let alertsService = Cc["@mozilla.org/alerts-service;1"].getService(Ci.nsIAlertsService);
-    let progressListener = alertsService.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIAlertsProgressListener);
-    let download;
-    while ((download = this._privateDownloads.pop())) {
-      try {
-        let notificationName = download.target.spec.replace("file:", "download:");
-        progressListener.onCancel(notificationName);
-      } catch (e) {
-        dump("Error removing private download: " + e);
+    switch (aTopic) {
+      case "last-pb-context-exited": {
+        let alertsService = Cc["@mozilla.org/alerts-service;1"].getService(Ci.nsIAlertsService);
+        let progressListener = alertsService.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIAlertsProgressListener);
+        let download;
+        while ((download = this._privateDownloads.pop())) {
+          try {
+            let notificationName = download.target.spec.replace("file:", "download:");
+            progressListener.onCancel(notificationName);
+          } catch (e) {
+            dump("Error removing private download: " + e);
+          }
+        }
+        break;
       }
+
+      case "application-foreground":
+        this.isForeground = true;
+        break;
+
+      case "application-background":
+        this.isForeground = false;
+        break;
     }
   },
 
   QueryInterface: function (aIID) {
     if (!aIID.equals(Ci.nsISupports) &&
         !aIID.equals(Ci.nsIObserver) &&
         !aIID.equals(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference))
       throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_NO_INTERFACE;
@@ -178,17 +193,20 @@ AlertDownloadProgressListener.prototype 
 
         if (aDownload.isPrivate) {
           let index = this._privateDownloads.indexOf(aDownload);
           if (index != -1) {
             this._privateDownloads.splice(index, 1);
           }
         }
 
-        if (state == Ci.nsIDownloadManager.DOWNLOAD_FINISHED) {
+        // We want to show the download finished notification only if it is not automatically opened.
+        // A download is automatically opened if it has a default handler and fennec is in foreground.
+        if (state == Ci.nsIDownloadManager.DOWNLOAD_FINISHED &&
+            !(aDownload.MIMEInfo.hasDefaultHandler && Downloads.isForeground)) {
           Downloads.showAlert(aDownload, Strings.browser.GetStringFromName("alertDownloadsDone2"),
                               aDownload.displayName);
         }
         break;
       }
     }
   },