diff --git a/atom.gyp b/atom.gyp
index cb480c74b967..191c0428c9ee 100644
--- a/atom.gyp
+++ b/atom.gyp
@@ -129,10 +129,17 @@
       'atom/browser/ui/file_dialog_gtk.cc',
       'atom/browser/ui/file_dialog_mac.mm',
       'atom/browser/ui/file_dialog_win.cc',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.cc',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x_observer.h',
       'atom/browser/ui/gtk/app_indicator_icon.cc',
       'atom/browser/ui/gtk/app_indicator_icon.h',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.cc',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h',
       'atom/browser/ui/gtk/status_icon.cc',
       'atom/browser/ui/gtk/status_icon.h',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.cc',
+      'atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h',
       'atom/browser/ui/message_box.h',
       'atom/browser/ui/message_box_gtk.cc',
       'atom/browser/ui/message_box_mac.mm',
diff --git a/atom/browser/native_window_gtk.cc b/atom/browser/native_window_gtk.cc
index 6fb4b5fdd47b..19c61c68b18b 100644
--- a/atom/browser/native_window_gtk.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/native_window_gtk.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h"
 #include "atom/common/draggable_region.h"
 #include "atom/common/options_switches.h"
 #include "base/environment.h"
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@
 #include "native_mate/dictionary.h"
 #include "ui/base/accelerators/platform_accelerator_gtk.h"
 #include "ui/base/models/simple_menu_model.h"
-#include "ui/base/x/active_window_watcher_x.h"
 #include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
 #include "ui/gfx/font_render_params_linux.h"
 #include "ui/gfx/gtk_util.h"
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.cc b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..937f161fa3c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h"
+
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+#include <gdk/gdkx.h>
+
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x_observer.h"
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h"
+#include "base/memory/singleton.h"
+#include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
+#include "ui/gfx/gdk_compat.h"
+#include "ui/gfx/gtk_compat.h"
+
+namespace ui {
+
+static const char* const kNetActiveWindow = "_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW";
+
+// static
+ActiveWindowWatcherX* ActiveWindowWatcherX::GetInstance() {
+  return Singleton<ActiveWindowWatcherX>::get();
+}
+
+// static
+void ActiveWindowWatcherX::AddObserver(ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver* observer) {
+  // Ensure that RootWindowPropertyWatcherX exists.
+  internal::RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::GetInstance();
+  GetInstance()->observers_.AddObserver(observer);
+}
+
+// static
+void ActiveWindowWatcherX::RemoveObserver(
+    ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver* observer) {
+  GetInstance()->observers_.RemoveObserver(observer);
+}
+
+// static
+Atom ActiveWindowWatcherX::GetPropertyAtom() {
+  return GetAtom(kNetActiveWindow);
+}
+
+// static
+void ActiveWindowWatcherX::Notify() {
+  GetInstance()->NotifyActiveWindowChanged();
+}
+
+// static
+bool ActiveWindowWatcherX::WMSupportsActivation() {
+  return gdk_x11_screen_supports_net_wm_hint(
+      gdk_screen_get_default(),
+      gdk_atom_intern_static_string(kNetActiveWindow));
+}
+
+ActiveWindowWatcherX::ActiveWindowWatcherX() {
+}
+
+ActiveWindowWatcherX::~ActiveWindowWatcherX() {
+}
+
+void ActiveWindowWatcherX::NotifyActiveWindowChanged() {
+  // We don't use gdk_screen_get_active_window() because it caches
+  // whether or not the window manager supports _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW.
+  // This causes problems at startup for chromiumos.
+  Atom type = None;
+  int format = 0;  // size in bits of each item in 'property'
+  long unsigned int num_items = 0, remaining_bytes = 0;
+  unsigned char* property = NULL;
+
+  XGetWindowProperty(gdk_x11_get_default_xdisplay(),
+                     GDK_WINDOW_XID(gdk_get_default_root_window()),
+                     GetAtom(kNetActiveWindow),
+                     0,      // offset into property data to read
+                     1,      // length to get in 32-bit quantities
+                     False,  // deleted
+                     AnyPropertyType,
+                     &type,
+                     &format,
+                     &num_items,
+                     &remaining_bytes,
+                     &property);
+
+  // Check that the property was set and contained a single 32-bit item (we
+  // don't check that remaining_bytes is 0, though, as XFCE's window manager
+  // seems to actually store two values in the property for some unknown
+  // reason.)
+  if (format == 32 && num_items == 1) {
+    int xid = *reinterpret_cast<int*>(property);
+    GdkDisplay* display = gdk_display_get_default();
+    GdkWindow* active_window = gdk_x11_window_lookup_for_display(display, xid);
+    FOR_EACH_OBSERVER(ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver, observers_,
+                      ActiveWindowChanged(active_window));
+  }
+  if (property)
+    XFree(property);
+}
+
+}  // namespace ui
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e10bbb298da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#ifndef ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_H_
+#define ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_H_
+
+#include "base/basictypes.h"
+#include "base/observer_list.h"
+#include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
+
+template <typename T> struct DefaultSingletonTraits;
+
+namespace ui {
+
+class ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver;
+
+namespace internal {
+class RootWindowPropertyWatcherX;
+}
+
+// This is a helper class that is used to keep track of which window the X
+// window manager thinks is active. Add an Observer to listen for changes to
+// the active window.
+class ActiveWindowWatcherX {
+ public:
+  static ActiveWindowWatcherX* GetInstance();
+  static void AddObserver(ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver* observer);
+  static void RemoveObserver(ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver* observer);
+
+  // Checks if the WM supports the active window property. Note that the return
+  // value can change, especially during system startup.
+  static bool WMSupportsActivation();
+
+ private:
+  friend struct DefaultSingletonTraits<ActiveWindowWatcherX>;
+  friend class ui::internal::RootWindowPropertyWatcherX;
+
+  ActiveWindowWatcherX();
+  ~ActiveWindowWatcherX();
+
+  // Gets the atom for the default display for the property this class is
+  // watching for.
+  static Atom GetPropertyAtom();
+
+  // Notify observers that the active window has changed.
+  static void Notify();
+
+  // Instance method that implements Notify().
+  void NotifyActiveWindowChanged();
+
+  ObserverList<ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver> observers_;
+
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(ActiveWindowWatcherX);
+};
+
+}  // namespace ui
+
+#endif  // ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_H_
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x_observer.h b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x_observer.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..47c677877bbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x_observer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2011 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#ifndef UI_BASE_X_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_OBSERVER_H_
+#define UI_BASE_X_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_OBSERVER_H_
+
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+
+namespace ui {
+
+class ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver {
+ public:
+  // |active_window| will be NULL if the active window isn't one of Chrome's.
+  virtual void ActiveWindowChanged(GdkWindow* active_window) = 0;
+
+ protected:
+  virtual ~ActiveWindowWatcherXObserver() {}
+};
+
+}  // namespace ui
+
+#endif  // UI_BASE_X_ACTIVE_WINDOW_WATCHER_X_OBSERVER_H_
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.cc b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d0bf0876cd61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h"
+
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+#include <gdk/gdkx.h>
+
+#include "base/memory/singleton.h"
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/active_window_watcher_x.h"
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h"
+
+namespace ui {
+
+namespace internal {
+
+// static
+RootWindowPropertyWatcherX* RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::GetInstance() {
+  return Singleton<RootWindowPropertyWatcherX>::get();
+}
+
+RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::RootWindowPropertyWatcherX() {
+  GdkWindow* root = gdk_get_default_root_window();
+
+  // Set up X Event filter to listen for PropertyChange X events.
+  // Don't use XSelectInput directly here, as gdk internally seems to cache the
+  // mask and reapply XSelectInput after this, resetting any mask we set here.
+  gdk_window_set_events(root,
+                        static_cast<GdkEventMask>(gdk_window_get_events(root) |
+                                                  GDK_PROPERTY_CHANGE_MASK));
+  gdk_window_add_filter(root,
+                        &RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::OnWindowXEventThunk,
+                        this);
+}
+
+RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::~RootWindowPropertyWatcherX() {
+  gdk_window_remove_filter(NULL,
+                           &RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::OnWindowXEventThunk,
+                           this);
+}
+
+GdkFilterReturn RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::OnWindowXEvent(
+    GdkXEvent* xevent, GdkEvent* event) {
+  XEvent* xev = static_cast<XEvent*>(xevent);
+
+  if (xev->xany.type == PropertyNotify) {
+    if (xev->xproperty.atom == ActiveWindowWatcherX::GetPropertyAtom())
+      ActiveWindowWatcherX::Notify();
+    else if (xev->xproperty.atom == WorkAreaWatcherX::GetPropertyAtom())
+      WorkAreaWatcherX::Notify();
+  }
+
+  return GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
+}
+
+}  // namespace internal
+
+}  // namespace ui
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3b60df49adbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#ifndef ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ROOT_WINDOW_PROPERTY_WATCHER_X_H_
+#define ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ROOT_WINDOW_PROPERTY_WATCHER_X_H_
+
+#include <gdk/gdk.h>
+
+#include "base/basictypes.h"
+#include "ui/base/gtk/gtk_signal.h"
+
+template <typename T> struct DefaultSingletonTraits;
+
+namespace ui {
+
+namespace internal {
+
+// This class keeps track of changes to properties on the root window. This is
+// not to be used directly. Implement a watcher for the specific property you're
+// interested in.
+class RootWindowPropertyWatcherX {
+ public:
+  static RootWindowPropertyWatcherX* GetInstance();
+
+ private:
+  friend struct DefaultSingletonTraits<RootWindowPropertyWatcherX>;
+
+  RootWindowPropertyWatcherX();
+  ~RootWindowPropertyWatcherX();
+
+  // Callback for PropertyChange XEvents.
+  CHROMEG_CALLBACK_1(RootWindowPropertyWatcherX, GdkFilterReturn,
+                     OnWindowXEvent, GdkXEvent*, GdkEvent*);
+
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(RootWindowPropertyWatcherX);
+};
+
+}  // namespace internal
+
+}  // namespace ui
+
+#endif  // ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_ROOT_WINDOW_PROPERTY_WATCHER_X_H_
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.cc b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3d045270abb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h"
+
+#include "base/memory/singleton.h"
+#include "ui/base/work_area_watcher_observer.h"
+#include "atom/browser/ui/gtk/root_window_property_watcher_x.h"
+#include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
+
+namespace ui {
+
+static const char* const kNetWorkArea = "_NET_WORKAREA";
+
+// static
+WorkAreaWatcherX* WorkAreaWatcherX::GetInstance() {
+  return Singleton<WorkAreaWatcherX>::get();
+}
+
+// static
+void WorkAreaWatcherX::AddObserver(WorkAreaWatcherObserver* observer) {
+  // Ensure that RootWindowPropertyWatcherX exists.
+  internal::RootWindowPropertyWatcherX::GetInstance();
+  GetInstance()->observers_.AddObserver(observer);
+}
+
+// static
+void WorkAreaWatcherX::RemoveObserver(WorkAreaWatcherObserver* observer) {
+  GetInstance()->observers_.RemoveObserver(observer);
+}
+
+// static
+void WorkAreaWatcherX::Notify() {
+  GetInstance()->NotifyWorkAreaChanged();
+}
+
+// static
+Atom WorkAreaWatcherX::GetPropertyAtom() {
+  return GetAtom(kNetWorkArea);
+}
+
+WorkAreaWatcherX::WorkAreaWatcherX() {
+}
+
+WorkAreaWatcherX::~WorkAreaWatcherX() {
+}
+
+void WorkAreaWatcherX::NotifyWorkAreaChanged() {
+  FOR_EACH_OBSERVER(WorkAreaWatcherObserver, observers_, WorkAreaChanged());
+}
+
+}  // namespace ui
diff --git a/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..56dbf014acca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atom/browser/ui/gtk/work_area_watcher_x.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#ifndef ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_WORK_AREA_WATCHER_X_H_
+#define ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_WORK_AREA_WATCHER_X_H_
+
+#include "base/basictypes.h"
+#include "base/observer_list.h"
+#include "ui/base/x/x11_util.h"
+
+template <typename T> struct DefaultSingletonTraits;
+
+namespace ui {
+
+class WorkAreaWatcherObserver;
+
+namespace internal {
+class RootWindowPropertyWatcherX;
+}
+
+// This is a helper class that is used to keep track of changes to work area.
+// Add an observer to track changes.
+class WorkAreaWatcherX {
+ public:
+  static WorkAreaWatcherX* GetInstance();
+  static void AddObserver(WorkAreaWatcherObserver* observer);
+  static void RemoveObserver(WorkAreaWatcherObserver* observer);
+
+ private:
+  friend struct DefaultSingletonTraits<WorkAreaWatcherX>;
+  friend class ui::internal::RootWindowPropertyWatcherX;
+
+  WorkAreaWatcherX();
+  ~WorkAreaWatcherX();
+
+  // Gets the atom for the default display for the property this class is
+  // watching for.
+  static Atom GetPropertyAtom();
+
+  // Notify observers that the work area has changed.
+  static void Notify();
+
+  // Instance method that implements Notify().
+  void NotifyWorkAreaChanged();
+
+  ObserverList<WorkAreaWatcherObserver> observers_;
+
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(WorkAreaWatcherX);
+};
+
+}  // namespace ui
+
+#endif  // ATOM_BROWSER_UI_GTK_WORK_AREA_WATCHER_X_H_