diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/detect-tokens.js b/app/scripts/controllers/detect-tokens.js
index f1810cfa1..4fe4b4c61 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/detect-tokens.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/detect-tokens.js
@@ -64,10 +64,9 @@ class DetectTokensController {
    *
    */
   restartTokenDetection () {
-    if (this.isActive && this.selectedAddress) {
-      this.detectNewTokens()
-      this.interval = DEFAULT_INTERVAL
-    }
+    if (!(this.isActive && this.selectedAddress)) { return }
+    this.detectNewTokens()
+    this.interval = DEFAULT_INTERVAL
   }
 
   /**
@@ -113,11 +112,15 @@ class DetectTokensController {
     this._keyringMemStore = keyringMemStore
     this._keyringMemStore.subscribe(({ isUnlocked }) => {
       if (this.isUnlocked !== isUnlocked) {
-        if (isUnlocked) { this.restartTokenDetection() }
         this.isUnlocked = isUnlocked
+        if (isUnlocked) { this.restartTokenDetection() }
       }
     })
   }
+
+  get isActive () {
+    return this.isOpen && this.isUnlocked
+  }
 }
 
 module.exports = DetectTokensController
diff --git a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
index 4e97ce583..d3650815e 100644
--- a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
+++ b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
@@ -1274,16 +1274,15 @@ module.exports = class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
   set isClientOpen (open) {
     this._isClientOpen = open
     this.isClientOpenAndUnlocked = this.getState().isUnlocked && open
+    this.detectTokensController.isOpen = open
   }
 
   /**
-   * A method for activating the retrieval of price data and auto detect tokens, 
-   * which should only be fetched when the UI is visible.
+   * A method for activating the retrieval of price data, which should only be fetched when the UI is visible.
    * @private
    * @param {boolean} active - True if price data should be getting fetched.
    */
   set isClientOpenAndUnlocked (active) {
     this.tokenRatesController.isActive = active
-    this.detectTokensController.isActive = active
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/app/controllers/detect-tokens-test.js b/test/unit/app/controllers/detect-tokens-test.js
index dcb3c431f..426ffe23a 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/controllers/detect-tokens-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/controllers/detect-tokens-test.js
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     network.setProviderType('mainnet')
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
 
     var stub = sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectNewTokens')
 
@@ -48,7 +49,8 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     network.setProviderType('rinkeby')
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
 
     var stub = sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectTokenBalance')
         .withArgs('0x0D262e5dC4A06a0F1c90cE79C7a60C09DfC884E4').returns(true)
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     network.setProviderType('mainnet')
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
 
     sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectTokenBalance')
         .withArgs('0x0D262e5dC4A06a0F1c90cE79C7a60C09DfC884E4')
@@ -82,7 +85,8 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     preferences.addToken('0x0d262e5dc4a06a0f1c90ce79c7a60c09dfc884e4', 'J8T', 8)
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
 
     sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectTokenBalance')
       .withArgs('0x0D262e5dC4A06a0F1c90cE79C7a60C09DfC884E4')
@@ -100,7 +104,8 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     network.setProviderType('mainnet')
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
     var stub = sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectNewTokens')
     await preferences.setSelectedAddress('0xbc86727e770de68b1060c91f6bb6945c73e10388')
     sandbox.assert.called(stub)
@@ -111,10 +116,26 @@ describe('DetectTokensController', () => {
     network.setProviderType('mainnet')
     const preferences = new PreferencesController()
     const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
-    controller.isActive = true
+    controller.isOpen = true
     controller.selectedAddress = '0x0'
     var stub = sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectNewTokens')
     await controller._keyringMemStore.updateState({ isUnlocked: true })
     sandbox.assert.called(stub)
   })
+
+  it('should not trigger detect new tokens when not open or not unlocked', async () => {
+    const network = new NetworkController()
+    network.setProviderType('mainnet')
+    const preferences = new PreferencesController()
+    const controller = new DetectTokensController({ preferences: preferences, network: network, keyringMemStore: keyringMemStore })
+    controller.isOpen = true
+    controller.isUnlocked = false
+    var stub = sandbox.stub(controller, 'detectTokenBalance')
+    clock.tick(180000)
+    sandbox.assert.notCalled(stub)
+    controller.isOpen = false
+    controller.isUnlocked = true
+    clock.tick(180000)
+    sandbox.assert.notCalled(stub)
+  })
 })