diff --git a/plugins/focuspoll/src/accessibilitywatcher.cpp b/plugins/focuspoll/src/accessibilitywatcher.cpp
index a7ac4d00863c6a73d478d222c9359f5d26034bb0..2c5cdb455e4c5fd6df7f053c172f76e0a8bcb507 100644
--- a/plugins/focuspoll/src/accessibilitywatcher.cpp
+++ b/plugins/focuspoll/src/accessibilitywatcher.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ bool AccessibilityWatcher::ignoreLinks = false;
 
 AccessibilityWatcher::AccessibilityWatcher () :
     initialized (false),
+    mActive (false),
     screenWidth (0),
     screenHeight (0),
     optimizedPaths ({{}}),
@@ -686,6 +687,7 @@ void AccessibilityWatcher::addWatches () {
     atspi_event_listener_register (selectedListener, "object:state-changed:selected", NULL);
     atspi_event_listener_register (descendantChangedListener, "object:active-descendant-changed", NULL);
     atspi_event_listener_register (globalListener, "object:", NULL);
+    mActive = true;
 }
 
 void AccessibilityWatcher::removeWatches () {
@@ -698,6 +700,7 @@ void AccessibilityWatcher::removeWatches () {
     atspi_event_listener_deregister (selectedListener, "object:state-changed:selected", NULL); // deprecation in stretch?
     atspi_event_listener_deregister (descendantChangedListener, "object:active-descendant-changed", NULL);
     atspi_event_listener_deregister (globalListener, "object:", NULL);
+    mActive = false;
 }
 
 void AccessibilityWatcher::init () {