diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
index d1cd1dbe18bcf..1d71d8764bf7a 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
@@ -980,6 +980,10 @@ class ActivityStarter {
         if (mSupervisor.mRecentTasks.isCallerRecents(callingUid)) {
             return false;
         }
+        // don't abort if the callingPackage is a device owner
+        if (mService.getDevicePolicyManager().isDeviceOwnerApp(callingPackage)) {
+            return false;
+        }
         // anything that has fallen through would currently be aborted
         Slog.w(TAG, "Background activity start [callingPackage: " + callingPackage
                 + "; callingUid: " + callingUid
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskManagerService.java
index 09ef4b95e66b2..14c481455752b 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskManagerService.java
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ import android.app.RemoteAction;
 import android.app.WaitResult;
 import android.app.WindowConfiguration;
 import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyCache;
+import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager;
 import android.app.assist.AssistContent;
 import android.app.assist.AssistStructure;
 import android.app.usage.UsageStatsManagerInternal;
@@ -362,6 +363,7 @@ public class ActivityTaskManagerService extends IActivityTaskManager.Stub {
     WindowManagerService mWindowManager;
     private UserManagerService mUserManager;
     private AppOpsService mAppOpsService;
+    private DevicePolicyManager mDpm;
     /** All active uids in the system. */
     private final SparseArray<Integer> mActiveUids = new SparseArray<>();
     private final SparseArray<String> mPendingTempWhitelist = new SparseArray<>();
@@ -836,6 +838,13 @@ public class ActivityTaskManagerService extends IActivityTaskManager.Stub {
         return mAppOpsService;
     }
 
+    DevicePolicyManager getDevicePolicyManager() {
+        if (mDpm == null) {
+            mDpm = mContext.getSystemService(DevicePolicyManager.class);
+        }
+        return mDpm;
+    }
+
     boolean hasUserRestriction(String restriction, int userId) {
         return getUserManager().hasUserRestriction(restriction, userId);
     }
diff --git a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
index e86d7df285739..60f1ae26f5dd3 100644
--- a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
+++ b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
 
 import android.app.ActivityOptions;
 import android.app.IApplicationThread;
+import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager;
 import android.content.ComponentName;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.pm.ActivityInfo;
@@ -561,7 +562,7 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends ActivityTestsBase {
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest("allowed_noStartsAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -576,7 +577,7 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends ActivityTestsBase {
                 "disallowed_unsupportedUsecase_aborted", true,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -591,56 +592,61 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends ActivityTestsBase {
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest("disallowed_rootUid_notAborted", false,
                 Process.ROOT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest("disallowed_systemUid_notAborted", false,
                 Process.SYSTEM_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest("disallowed_nfcUid_notAborted", false,
                 Process.NFC_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_callingUidHasVisibleWindow_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, true, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_callingUidProcessStateTop_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_realCallingUidHasVisibleWindow_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, true, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_realCallingUidProcessStateTop_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP,
-                false, false, false, false);
+                false, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_hasForegroundActivities_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                true, false, false, false);
+                true, false, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_callerIsRecents_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, true, false, false);
+                false, true, false, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_callerIsWhitelisted_notAborted", false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, true, false);
+                false, false, true, false, false);
         runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
                 "disallowed_callerIsInstrumentingWithBackgroundActivityStartPrivileges_notAborted",
                 false,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
                 UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
-                false, false, false, true);
+                false, false, false, true, false);
+        runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(
+                "disallowed_callingPackageIsDeviceOwner_notAborted", false,
+                UNIMPORTANT_UID, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
+                UNIMPORTANT_UID2, false, PROCESS_STATE_TOP + 1,
+                false, false, false, false, true);
     }
 
     private void runAndVerifyBackgroundActivityStartsSubtest(String name, boolean shouldHaveAborted,
@@ -648,7 +654,8 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends ActivityTestsBase {
             int realCallingUid, boolean realCallingUidHasVisibleWindow, int realCallingUidProcState,
             boolean hasForegroundActivities, boolean callerIsRecents,
             boolean callerIsTempWhitelisted,
-            boolean callerIsInstrumentingWithBackgroundActivityStartPrivileges) {
+            boolean callerIsInstrumentingWithBackgroundActivityStartPrivileges,
+            boolean isCallingPackageDeviceOwner) {
         // window visibility
         doReturn(callingUidHasVisibleWindow).when(mService.mWindowManager.mRoot)
                 .isAnyNonToastWindowVisibleForUid(callingUid);
@@ -674,6 +681,9 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends ActivityTestsBase {
         // caller is instrumenting with background activity starts privileges
         callerApp.setInstrumenting(callerIsInstrumentingWithBackgroundActivityStartPrivileges,
                 callerIsInstrumentingWithBackgroundActivityStartPrivileges);
+        // caller is device owner
+        DevicePolicyManager dpmMock = mService.getDevicePolicyManager();
+        doReturn(isCallingPackageDeviceOwner).when(dpmMock).isDeviceOwnerApp(any());
 
         final ActivityOptions options = spy(ActivityOptions.makeBasic());
         ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK)
diff --git a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTestsBase.java b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTestsBase.java
index 3b399ffc708c0..e27dd94b1a2c8 100644
--- a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTestsBase.java
+++ b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTestsBase.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import static com.android.server.wm.ActivityStackSupervisor.ON_TOP;
 import android.app.ActivityManagerInternal;
 import android.app.ActivityOptions;
 import android.app.IApplicationThread;
+import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager;
 import android.content.ComponentName;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
@@ -424,6 +425,7 @@ class ActivityTestsBase {
             spyOn(getLifecycleManager());
             spyOn(getLockTaskController());
             doReturn(mock(IPackageManager.class)).when(this).getPackageManager();
+            doReturn(mock(DevicePolicyManager.class)).when(this).getDevicePolicyManager();
             // allow background activity starts by default
             doReturn(true).when(this).isBackgroundActivityStartsEnabled();
             doNothing().when(this).updateCpuStats();