diff --git a/patches/common/chromium/.patches.yaml b/patches/common/chromium/.patches.yaml
index 6902c0ddaa3..1e088a3a574 100644
--- a/patches/common/chromium/.patches.yaml
+++ b/patches/common/chromium/.patches.yaml
@@ -475,3 +475,9 @@ patches:
       desktop capture api.
     * Backports https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/c/chromium/src/+/1199806
       that fixes crash with screen capturer, can be removed in 71.0.3539.0
+-
+  author: Jeremy Apthorp <jeremya@chromium.org>
+  file: expose-net-observer-api.patch
+  description: |
+    Expose URLRequestContextGetter::{Add,Remove}Observer.
+    This patch should be removed once we switch to using the net service (cc @robo)
diff --git a/patches/common/chromium/expose-net-observer-api.patch b/patches/common/chromium/expose-net-observer-api.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1cc83693798
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/common/chromium/expose-net-observer-api.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+From f9178257245c16180336ff06debc6778d80b0975 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Jeremy Apthorp <nornagon@nornagon.net>
+Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 12:16:41 -0700
+Subject: Expose URLRequestContextGetter::{Add,Remove}Observer
+
+
+diff --git a/net/url_request/url_request_context_getter.h b/net/url_request/url_request_context_getter.h
+index 7a2dcd9de423..494526c843b9 100644
+--- a/net/url_request/url_request_context_getter.h
++++ b/net/url_request/url_request_context_getter.h
+@@ -79,11 +79,16 @@ class NET_EXPORT URLRequestContextGetter
+   friend class web::NetworkContextOwner;
+ #endif  // defined(OS_IOS)
+ 
++  // NOTE(nornagon/robo): electron currently depends on this deprecated API
++  // from net/, but will be removing it soon when we switch to using the
++  // network service.
++ public:
+   // Adds / removes an observer to watch for shutdown of |this|'s context. Must
+   // only be called on network thread. May not be called once
+   // GetURLRequestContext() starts returning nullptr.
+   void AddObserver(URLRequestContextGetterObserver* observer);
+   void RemoveObserver(URLRequestContextGetterObserver* observer);
++ private:
+ 
+   // OnDestruct is used to ensure deletion on the thread on which the request
+   // IO happens.
+-- 
+2.17.0
+