diff --git a/services/datareporting/DataReportingService.js b/services/datareporting/DataReportingService.js
index 8f41632114d..25b3abfee14 100644
--- a/services/datareporting/DataReportingService.js
+++ b/services/datareporting/DataReportingService.js
@@ -391,6 +391,15 @@ DataReportingService.prototype = Object.freeze({
     return this._clientID;
   }),
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the SessionRecorder instance associated with the data reporting service.
+   * Returns an actual object only if FHR is enabled and after initialization,
+   * else returns undefined.
+   */
+  getSessionRecorder: function() {
+    return this.sessionRecorder;
+  },
+
   /*
    * Simulate a restart of the service. This is for testing only.
    */
diff --git a/toolkit/components/telemetry/TelemetryPing.jsm b/toolkit/components/telemetry/TelemetryPing.jsm
index 0c3603c28cf..8ff9ed2d7b7 100644
--- a/toolkit/components/telemetry/TelemetryPing.jsm
+++ b/toolkit/components/telemetry/TelemetryPing.jsm
@@ -372,6 +372,18 @@ let Impl = {
       ret.savedPings = TelemetryFile.pingsLoaded;
     }
 
+    ret.activeTicks = -1;
+    if ("@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1" in Cc) {
+      let drs = Cc["@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1"]
+                  .getService(Ci.nsISupports)
+                  .wrappedJSObject;
+
+      let sr = drs.getSessionRecorder();
+      if (sr) {
+        ret.activeTicks = sr.activeTicks;
+      }
+    }
+
     ret.pingsOverdue = TelemetryFile.pingsOverdue;
     ret.pingsDiscarded = TelemetryFile.pingsDiscarded;
 
diff --git a/toolkit/components/telemetry/tests/unit/test_TelemetryPing.js b/toolkit/components/telemetry/tests/unit/test_TelemetryPing.js
index f23cd42c3e8..4a831dbe5a2 100644
--- a/toolkit/components/telemetry/tests/unit/test_TelemetryPing.js
+++ b/toolkit/components/telemetry/tests/unit/test_TelemetryPing.js
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ let gNumberOfThreadsLaunched = 0;
 const PREF_BRANCH = "toolkit.telemetry.";
 const PREF_ENABLED = PREF_BRANCH + "enabled";
 const PREF_FHR_UPLOAD_ENABLED = "datareporting.healthreport.uploadEnabled";
+const PREF_FHR_SERVICE_ENABLED = "datareporting.healthreport.service.enabled";
+
+const HAS_DATAREPORTINGSERVICE = "@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1" in Cc;
 
 const Telemetry = Cc["@mozilla.org/base/telemetry;1"].getService(Ci.nsITelemetry);
 
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ let gHttpServer = new HttpServer();
 let gServerStarted = false;
 let gRequestIterator = null;
 let gDataReportingClientID = null;
+let gOrigFhrServiceEnabled = true;
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyGetter(this, "gDatareportingService",
   () => Cc["@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1"]
@@ -220,6 +224,9 @@ function checkPayload(request, reason, successfulPings) {
   do_check_true("maximalNumberOfConcurrentThreads" in payload.simpleMeasurements);
   do_check_true(payload.simpleMeasurements.maximalNumberOfConcurrentThreads >= gNumberOfThreadsLaunched);
 
+  let activeTicks = payload.simpleMeasurements.activeTicks;
+  do_check_true(HAS_DATAREPORTINGSERVICE ? activeTicks >= 0 : activeTicks == -1);
+
   do_check_eq(payload.simpleMeasurements.failedProfileLockCount,
               FAILED_PROFILE_LOCK_ATTEMPTS);
   let profileDirectory = Services.dirsvc.get("ProfD", Ci.nsIFile);
@@ -432,6 +439,13 @@ function run_test() {
     // If we can't test gfxInfo, that's fine, we'll note it later.
   }
 
+  // make sure getSessionRecorder() can be called before the DRS init.
+  // It's not a requirement that it returns undefined, but that's how it behaves
+  // now - so just let this test fail if this behavior changes.
+  if (HAS_DATAREPORTINGSERVICE) {
+    do_check_true(gDatareportingService.getSessionRecorder() === undefined);
+  }
+
   // Addon manager needs a profile directory
   do_get_profile();
   createAppInfo("xpcshell@tests.mozilla.org", "XPCShell", "1", "1.9.2");
@@ -441,7 +455,11 @@ function run_test() {
 
   // Send the needed startup notifications to the datareporting service
   // to ensure that it has been initialized.
-  if ("@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1" in Cc) {
+  if (HAS_DATAREPORTINGSERVICE) {
+    // Initially disable FHR to verify that activeTicks ends up as -1
+    gOrigFhrServiceEnabled = Services.prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_FHR_SERVICE_ENABLED, true);
+    Services.prefs.setBoolPref(PREF_FHR_SERVICE_ENABLED, false);
+
     gDatareportingService.observe(null, "app-startup", null);
     gDatareportingService.observe(null, "profile-after-change", null);
   }
@@ -495,7 +513,18 @@ function actualTest() {
 add_task(function* asyncSetup() {
   yield TelemetryPing.setup();
 
-  if ("@mozilla.org/datareporting/service;1" in Cc) {
+  // When FHR is disabled or no DRS, the payload's activeTicks should be -1.
+  do_check_true(TelemetryPing.getPayload().simpleMeasurements.activeTicks == -1);
+
+  if (HAS_DATAREPORTINGSERVICE) {
+    // after we got the no-FHR activeTicks, re-enable FHR and re-init the DRS.
+    // Note: this relies on the fact that the data reporting service reinitializes
+    // itself when calling its 'observe' method, without checking if it's already
+    // initialized. If this DRS behavior changes, this test would need to be adapted.
+    Services.prefs.setBoolPref(PREF_FHR_SERVICE_ENABLED, gOrigFhrServiceEnabled);
+    gDatareportingService.observe(null, "app-startup", null);
+    gDatareportingService.observe(null, "profile-after-change", null);
+
     gDataReportingClientID = yield gDatareportingService.getClientID();
 
     // We should have cached the client id now. Lets confirm that by