diff --git a/src/background.js b/src/background.js
index 58265a7f7..9cbd953cc 100644
--- a/src/background.js
+++ b/src/background.js
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ offers.on('enabled', () => {
  * Set listener for 'enabled' event for Offers module.
  * It registers message handler for messages with the offers.
  * This handler adds incoming message data to the array of
- * notimication messages (CMP_DATA) to be eventually displayed.
+ * notification messages (CMP_DATA) to be eventually displayed.
  * @memberOf Background
  */
 messageCenter.on('enabled', () => {
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@ messageCenter.on('enabled', () => {
 		log('IN MESSAGE CENTER ON ENABLED', offers, messageCenter);
 		// const messageCenter = cliqz.modules['message-center'];
 		return messageCenter.action('registerMessageHandler', OFFERS_HANDLER_ID, (msg) => {
-			// ffers enabled at the moment when message received
+			// offers enabled at the moment when message received
 			messageCenter.action('hideMessage', OFFERS_HANDLER_ID, msg);
 			msg.Dismiss = 1; // to be immediately dismissed once shown
 			/**
@@ -1356,7 +1356,8 @@ messageCenter.on('enabled', () => {
 				rewards.unreadOfferIds.push(msg.data.offer_id);
 				button.update();
 
-				if (msg.data.offer_data.ui_info.notif_type !== 'star') {
+				// Don't show the Rewards hotdog if Ghostery is currently paused
+				if (msg.data.offer_data.ui_info.notif_type !== 'star' && !globals.SESSION.paused_blocking) {
 					// We use getTabByUrl() instead of getActiveTab()
 					// because user may open the offer-triggering url in a new tab
 					// through the context menu, which may not switch to the new tab
diff --git a/src/classes/EventHandlers.js b/src/classes/EventHandlers.js
index dbbc3ef39..9c6f515d5 100644
--- a/src/classes/EventHandlers.js
+++ b/src/classes/EventHandlers.js
@@ -146,11 +146,17 @@ class EventHandlers {
 	onDOMContentLoaded(details) {
 		const tab_id = details.tabId;
 
+		// ignore if this is a sub-frame
 		if (!utils.isValidTopLevelNavigation(details)) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// show upgrade notifications
+		// do not show CMP notifications if Ghostery is paused
+		if (globals.SESSION.paused_blocking) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// show CMP upgrade notifications
 		utils.getActiveTab((tab) => {
 			if (!tab || tab.id !== tab_id || tab.incognito) {
 				return;
diff --git a/src/classes/Rewards.js b/src/classes/Rewards.js
index 1175a0555..74ded9fd6 100644
--- a/src/classes/Rewards.js
+++ b/src/classes/Rewards.js
@@ -107,9 +107,8 @@ class Rewards {
 		this.currentOffer = offer;
 		const tab = tabInfo.getTabInfo(tab_id);
 
-		// If the tab is prefetched, we can't add purplebox to it.
-		if (!conf.enable_offers ||
-			!tab || tab.rewards) {
+		// If the tab is prefetched, we can't add Rewards hotdog to it
+		if (!conf.enable_offers || !tab || tab.rewards) {
 			return Promise.resolve(false);
 		}