diff --git a/ubus.c b/ubus.c
index 24f4bf4..14f077b 100644
--- a/ubus.c
+++ b/ubus.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ static void uh_ubus_allowed_cb(struct ubus_request *req, int type, struct blob_a
 		*allow = blobmsg_get_bool(tb[SES_ACCESS]);
 }
 
-static bool uh_ubus_allowed(const char *sid, const char *obj, const char *fun)
+static bool uh_ubus_allowed(struct client *cl, const char *sid, const char *obj, const char *fun)
 {
 	uint32_t id;
 	bool allow = false;
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ static bool uh_ubus_allowed(const char *sid, const char *obj, const char *fun)
 	blobmsg_add_string(&req, "ubus_rpc_session", sid);
 	blobmsg_add_string(&req, "object", obj);
 	blobmsg_add_string(&req, "function", fun);
+	if (cl && cl->dispatch.ubus.notouch)
+		blobmsg_add_u8(&req, "notouch", 1);
 
 	ubus_invoke(ctx, id, "access", req.head, uh_ubus_allowed_cb, &allow, conf.script_timeout * 500);
 
@@ -379,7 +381,7 @@ static void uh_ubus_handle_get_subscribe(struct client *cl, const char *path)
 
 	sid = uh_ubus_get_auth(cl->hdr.head);
 
-	if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(sid, path, ":subscribe")) {
+	if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(cl, sid, path, ":subscribe")) {
 		uh_ubus_send_header(cl, 200, "OK", "application/json");
 		uh_ubus_posix_error(cl, EACCES);
 		return;
@@ -566,7 +568,7 @@ static void uh_ubus_send_request(struct client *cl, const char *sid, struct blob
 {
 	struct dispatch *d = &cl->dispatch;
 	struct dispatch_ubus *du = &d->ubus;
-	struct blob_attr *cur;
+	struct blob_attr *cur, *saw_notouch = NULL;
 	static struct blob_buf req;
 	int ret, rem;
 
@@ -578,10 +580,17 @@ static void uh_ubus_send_request(struct client *cl, const char *sid, struct blob
 	blobmsg_for_each_attr(cur, args, rem) {
 		if (!strcmp(blobmsg_name(cur), "ubus_rpc_session"))
 			return uh_ubus_json_rpc_error(cl, ERROR_PARAMS);
+		if (!strcmp(blobmsg_name(cur), "notouch"))
+			saw_notouch = cur;
 		blobmsg_add_blob(&req, cur);
 	}
 
 	blobmsg_add_string(&req, "ubus_rpc_session", sid);
+	/* Propagate the LuCI background hint into the RPC args when the
+	 * caller did not already set it. Harmless for objects that don't
+	 * recognise the "notouch" key. */
+	if (du->notouch && !saw_notouch)
+		blobmsg_add_u8(&req, "notouch", 1);
 
 	blob_buf_init(&du->buf, 0);
 	memset(&du->req, 0, sizeof(du->req));
@@ -800,7 +809,7 @@ static void uh_ubus_handle_request_object(struct client *cl, struct json_object
 			goto error;
 		}
 
-		if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(data.sid, data.object, data.function)) {
+		if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(cl, data.sid, data.object, data.function)) {
 			err = ERROR_ACCESS;
 			goto error;
 		}
@@ -887,7 +896,7 @@ static void uh_ubus_call(struct client *cl, const char *path, const char *sid)
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(sid, path, data.method)) {
+	if (!conf.ubus_noauth && !uh_ubus_allowed(cl, sid, path, data.method)) {
 		err = ERROR_ACCESS;
 		goto error;
 	}
@@ -969,8 +978,25 @@ static void uh_ubus_handle_request(struct client *cl, char *url, struct path_inf
 		return;
 	}
 	chr = strchr(du->url_path, '?');
-	if (chr)
+	du->notouch = false;
+	if (chr) {
+		/* Check query string for _luci_bg=1 flag, used by LuCI to mark
+		 * background poll requests that should not touch the rpcd
+		 * session idle timer. */
+		const char *q = chr + 1;
+		while (*q) {
+			if ((q[0] == '_') && !strncmp(q, "_luci_bg=1", 10) &&
+			    (q[10] == '\0' || q[10] == '&')) {
+				du->notouch = true;
+				break;
+			}
+			while (*q && *q != '&')
+				q++;
+			while (*q == '&')
+				q++;
+		}
 		chr[0] = '\0';
+	}
 
 	du->legacy = false;
 	d->free = uh_ubus_request_free;
diff --git a/uhttpd.h b/uhttpd.h
index 9a9fc3c..2a09175 100644
--- a/uhttpd.h
+++ b/uhttpd.h
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ struct dispatch_ubus {
 	bool array;
 	int array_idx;
 	bool legacy; /* Got legacy request => use legacy reply */
+	bool notouch; /* URL had ?_luci_bg=1 or &_luci_bg=1: pass notouch=1 to session/access */
 
 	struct ubus_subscriber sub;
 };