diff --git a/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertReceiver.java b/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertReceiver.java
index dfc81864d3eb24b72871e09ae7dbe2a93f4d7c02..445893f367cb074128cf339e1a104accff9b2936 100644
--- a/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertReceiver.java
+++ b/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertReceiver.java
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class AlertReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
                 mStartingService.setReferenceCounted(false);
             }
             mStartingService.acquire();
-            context.startService(intent);
+            context.startForegroundService(intent);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertService.java b/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertService.java
index c5f9af89d5573192c5d64a54de52a30975772f0a..b9b0617183d61efdca82e8ac82a89f555aea4bc5 100644
--- a/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertService.java
+++ b/src/com/android/calendar/alerts/AlertService.java
@@ -989,6 +989,7 @@ public class AlertService extends Service {
 
         mServiceLooper = thread.getLooper();
         mServiceHandler = new ServiceHandler(mServiceLooper);
+        startForeground(1, new Notification());
 
         // Flushes old fired alerts from internal storage, if needed.
         AlertUtils.flushOldAlertsFromInternalStorage(getApplication());