diff --git a/static/js/services/angular-poll-channel.js b/static/js/services/angular-poll-channel.js
index adba49757..f4028a65f 100644
--- a/static/js/services/angular-poll-channel.js
+++ b/static/js/services/angular-poll-channel.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 /**
  * Specialized class for conducting an HTTP poll, while properly preventing multiple calls.
  */
-angular.module('quay').factory('AngularPollChannel', ['ApiService', '$timeout', function(ApiService, $timeout) {
+angular.module('quay').factory('AngularPollChannel', ['ApiService', '$timeout', 'DocumentVisibilityService',
+    function(ApiService, $timeout, DocumentVisibilityService) {
   var _PollChannel = function(scope, requester, opt_sleeptime) {
     this.scope_ = scope;
     this.requester_ = requester;
@@ -50,6 +51,12 @@ angular.module('quay').factory('AngularPollChannel', ['ApiService', '$timeout',
   _PollChannel.prototype.call_ = function() {
     if (this.working) { return; }
 
+    // If the document is currently hidden, skip the call.
+    if (DocumentVisibilityService.isHidden()) {
+      this.setupTimer_();
+      return;
+    }
+
     var that = this;
     this.working = true;
     this.scope_.$apply(function() {
diff --git a/static/js/services/document-visibility-service.js b/static/js/services/document-visibility-service.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f56ecc633
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/js/services/document-visibility-service.js
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/**
+ * Helper service which fires off events when the document's visibility changes, as well as allowing
+ * other Angular code to query the state of the document's visibility directly.
+ */
+angular.module('quay').constant('CORE_EVENT', {
+  DOC_VISIBILITY_CHANGE: 'core.event.doc_visibility_change'
+});
+
+angular.module('quay').factory('DocumentVisibilityService', ['$rootScope', '$document', 'CORE_EVENT',
+    function($rootScope, $document, CORE_EVENT) {
+  var document = $document[0],
+  features,
+  detectedFeature;
+
+  function broadcastChangeEvent() {
+    $rootScope.$broadcast(CORE_EVENT.DOC_VISIBILITY_CHANGE,
+                          document[detectedFeature.propertyName]);
+  }
+
+  features = {
+    standard: {
+      eventName: 'visibilitychange',
+      propertyName: 'hidden'
+    },
+    moz: {
+      eventName: 'mozvisibilitychange',
+      propertyName: 'mozHidden'
+    },
+    ms: {
+      eventName: 'msvisibilitychange',
+      propertyName: 'msHidden'
+    },
+    webkit: {
+      eventName: 'webkitvisibilitychange',
+      propertyName: 'webkitHidden'
+    }
+  };
+
+  Object.keys(features).some(function(feature) {
+    if (document[features[feature].propertyName] !== undefined) {
+      detectedFeature = features[feature];
+      return true;
+    }
+  });
+
+  if (detectedFeature) {
+    $document.on(detectedFeature.eventName, broadcastChangeEvent);
+  }
+
+  return {
+    /**
+     * Is the window currently hidden or not.
+     */
+    isHidden: function() {
+      if (detectedFeature) {
+        return document[detectedFeature.propertyName];
+      }
+    }
+  };
+}]);
\ No newline at end of file