diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/DisplayNotificationTask.java b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/DisplayNotificationTask.java
index cb2b069f..e21073ee 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/DisplayNotificationTask.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/DisplayNotificationTask.java
@@ -294,9 +294,11 @@ public class DisplayNotificationTask extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void> {
   }
 
   private NotificationCompat.Action createAction(Bundle action, Class intentClass, Bundle notification) {
+    boolean runInBackground = action.containsKey("runInBackground") && action.getBoolean("runInBackground");
     String actionKey = action.getString("action");
-    PendingIntent actionIntent = createIntent(intentClass, notification, actionKey);
-
+    PendingIntent actionIntent = runInBackground ?
+      createBroadcastIntent(notification, actionKey) :
+      createIntent(intentClass, notification, actionKey);
     int icon = getIcon(action.getString("icon"));
     String title = action.getString("title");
 
@@ -334,10 +336,21 @@ public class DisplayNotificationTask extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void> {
     }
 
     String notificationId = notification.getString("notificationId");
-
     return PendingIntent.getActivity(context, notificationId.hashCode(), intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
   }
 
+  private PendingIntent createBroadcastIntent(Bundle notification, String action) {
+    Intent intent = new Intent(context, RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.class);
+    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP);
+
+    String notificationId = notification.getString("notificationId") + action;
+
+    intent.setAction("io.invertase.firebase.notifications.BackgroundAction");
+    intent.putExtra("action", action);
+    intent.putExtra("notification", notification);
+    return PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, notificationId.hashCode(), intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
+  }
+
   private RemoteInput createRemoteInput(Bundle remoteInput) {
     String resultKey = remoteInput.getString("resultKey");
 
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.java b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ac2db87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package io.invertase.firebase.notifications;
+
+import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.Intent;
+import android.os.Bundle;
+
+import com.facebook.react.HeadlessJsTaskService;
+import com.facebook.react.ReactApplication;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.Arguments;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactContext;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.WritableMap;
+
+import io.invertase.firebase.Utils;
+
+public class RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
+  static boolean isBackgroundNotficationIntent(Intent intent) {
+    return intent.getExtras() != null && intent.hasExtra("action") && intent.hasExtra("notification");
+  }
+
+  static WritableMap toNotificationOpenMap(Intent intent) {
+    Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
+    WritableMap notificationMap = Arguments.makeNativeMap(extras.getBundle("notification"));
+    WritableMap notificationOpenMap = Arguments.createMap();
+    notificationOpenMap.putString("action", extras.getString("action"));
+    notificationOpenMap.putMap("notification", notificationMap);
+    return notificationOpenMap;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
+    if (!isBackgroundNotficationIntent(intent)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (Utils.isAppInForeground(context)) {
+      WritableMap notificationOpenMap = toNotificationOpenMap(intent);
+
+      ReactApplication reactApplication =  (ReactApplication)context.getApplicationContext();
+      ReactContext reactContext = reactApplication.getReactNativeHost().getReactInstanceManager().getCurrentReactContext();
+
+      Utils.sendEvent(reactContext, "notifications_notification_opened", notificationOpenMap);
+    } else {
+      Intent serviceIntent = new Intent(context, RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionsService.class);
+      serviceIntent.putExtras(intent.getExtras());
+      context.startService(serviceIntent);
+      HeadlessJsTaskService.acquireWakeLockNow(context);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionsService.java b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionsService.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9bfb83bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/invertase/firebase/notifications/RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionsService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package io.invertase.firebase.notifications;
+
+import android.content.Intent;
+
+import com.facebook.react.HeadlessJsTaskService;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.WritableMap;
+import com.facebook.react.jstasks.HeadlessJsTaskConfig;
+
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+
+import static io.invertase.firebase.notifications.RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.isBackgroundNotficationIntent;
+import static io.invertase.firebase.notifications.RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionReceiver.toNotificationOpenMap;
+
+public class RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationActionsService extends HeadlessJsTaskService {
+  @Override
+  protected @Nullable HeadlessJsTaskConfig getTaskConfig(Intent intent) {
+    if (isBackgroundNotficationIntent(intent)) {
+      WritableMap notificationOpenMap = toNotificationOpenMap(intent);
+
+      return new HeadlessJsTaskConfig(
+        "RNFirebaseBackgroundNotificationAction",
+        notificationOpenMap,
+        60000,
+        true
+      );
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index c7bf9fb2..ae41b750 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -1277,6 +1277,7 @@ declare module 'react-native-firebase' {
           semanticAction?: SemanticAction;
           showUserInterface?: boolean;
           title: string;
+          runInBackground?: boolean;
 
           constructor(action: string, icon: string, title: string);
 
@@ -1284,6 +1285,7 @@ declare module 'react-native-firebase' {
           setAllowGenerateReplies(allowGeneratedReplies: boolean): Action;
           setSemanticAction(semanticAction: SemanticAction): Action;
           setShowUserInterface(showUserInterface: boolean): Action;
+          setRunInBackground(runInBackground: boolean): Action;
         }
 
         class RemoteInput {
diff --git a/lib/modules/notifications/AndroidAction.js b/lib/modules/notifications/AndroidAction.js
index ed2a940c..c52f9c13 100644
--- a/lib/modules/notifications/AndroidAction.js
+++ b/lib/modules/notifications/AndroidAction.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default class AndroidAction {
   _semanticAction: SemanticActionType | void;
   _showUserInterface: boolean | void;
   _title: string;
+  _runInBackground: boolean | void;
 
   constructor(action: string, icon: string, title: string) {
     this._action = action;
@@ -52,6 +53,10 @@ export default class AndroidAction {
     return this._title;
   }
 
+  get runInBackground(): ?boolean {
+    return this._runInBackground;
+  }
+
   /**
    *
    * @param remoteInput
@@ -102,6 +107,16 @@ export default class AndroidAction {
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * 
+   * @param runInBackground 
+   * @returns {AndroidAction}
+   */
+  setRunInBackground(runInBackground: boolean): AndroidAction {
+    this._runInBackground = runInBackground
+    return this;
+  }
+
   build(): NativeAndroidAction {
     if (!this._action) {
       throw new Error('AndroidAction: Missing required `action` property');
@@ -119,6 +134,7 @@ export default class AndroidAction {
       semanticAction: this._semanticAction,
       showUserInterface: this._showUserInterface,
       title: this._title,
+      runInBackground: this._runInBackground
     };
   }
 }
@@ -145,6 +161,9 @@ export const fromNativeAndroidAction = (
   if (nativeAction.showUserInterface) {
     action.setShowUserInterface(nativeAction.showUserInterface);
   }
+  if (nativeAction.runInBackground) {
+    action.setRunInBackground(nativeAction.runInBackground);
+  }
 
   return action;
 };
diff --git a/lib/modules/notifications/types.js b/lib/modules/notifications/types.js
index 780eabab..c94cbd7b 100644
--- a/lib/modules/notifications/types.js
+++ b/lib/modules/notifications/types.js
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ export type NativeAndroidAction = {|
   semanticAction?: SemanticActionType,
   showUserInterface?: boolean,
   title: string,
+  runInBackground?: boolean,
 |};
 
 export type NativeAndroidNotification = {|