diff --git a/kate/kateapp.h b/kate/kateapp.h
--- a/kate/kateapp.h
+++ b/kate/kateapp.h
@@ -191,6 +191,13 @@
      */
     bool openUrl(const QUrl &url, const QString &encoding, bool isTempFile);
 
+    /**
+     * checks if the current instance is in a given activity
+     * @param activity activity to check
+     * @return true if the window is in the given activity, false otherwise
+     */
+    bool isOnActivity(const QString &activity);
+
     KTextEditor::Document *openDocUrl(const QUrl &url, const QString &encoding, bool isTempFile);
 
     void emitDocumentClosed(const QString &token);
diff --git a/kate/kateapp.cpp b/kate/kateapp.cpp
--- a/kate/kateapp.cpp
+++ b/kate/kateapp.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <KConfigGui>
 #include <KConfigGroup>
+#include <KWindowInfo>
 
 #include <QCommandLineParser>
 #include <QFileInfo>
@@ -272,6 +273,20 @@
     return openDocUrl(url, encoding, isTempFile);
 }
 
+bool KateApp::isOnActivity(const QString &activity)
+{
+    for (const auto& window : m_mainWindows) {
+        WId id = window->winId();
+
+        KWindowInfo info = KWindowInfo(id, 0, NET::WM2Activities);
+
+        if (info.activities().contains(activity))
+            return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 KTextEditor::Document *KateApp::openDocUrl(const QUrl &url, const QString &encoding, bool isTempFile)
 {
     KateMainWindow *mainWindow = activeKateMainWindow();
diff --git a/kate/kateappadaptor.h b/kate/kateappadaptor.h
--- a/kate/kateappadaptor.h
+++ b/kate/kateappadaptor.h
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@
      */
     bool openUrl(QString url, QString encoding);
 
+    /**
+     * checks if the Kate instance is in the specified activity
+     * @param activity activity to check
+     * @return true if it is in the specified activity, false otherwise
+     */
+    bool isOnActivity(const QString &activity);
+
     /**
      * open a file with given url and encoding
      * will get view created
diff --git a/kate/kateappadaptor.cpp b/kate/kateappadaptor.cpp
--- a/kate/kateappadaptor.cpp
+++ b/kate/kateappadaptor.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@
     return m_app->openUrl(QUrl(url), encoding, isTempFile);
 }
 
+bool KateAppAdaptor::isOnActivity(const QString &activity) {
+    return m_app->isOnActivity(activity);
+}
+
 //-----------
 QString KateAppAdaptor::tokenOpenUrl(QString url, QString encoding)
 {
diff --git a/kate/main.cpp b/kate/main.cpp
--- a/kate/main.cpp
+++ b/kate/main.cpp
@@ -283,10 +283,46 @@
             return 1;
         }
 
+        QString currentActivity;
+        QDBusMessage m = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(
+                                        QStringLiteral("org.kde.ActivityManager"),
+                                        QStringLiteral("/ActivityManager/Activities"), QStringLiteral("org.kde.ActivityManager.Activities"), QStringLiteral("CurrentActivity"));
+        QDBusMessage res = QDBusConnection::sessionBus().call(m);
+        QList<QVariant> answer = res.arguments();
+        if (answer.size() == 1) {
+            currentActivity = answer.at(0).toString();
+        }
+
         QStringList kateServices;
         for (KateRunningInstanceMap::const_iterator it = mapSessionRii.constBegin(); it != mapSessionRii.constEnd(); ++it) {
-            kateServices << (*it)->serviceName;
+            QString serviceName = (*it)->serviceName;
+
+            if (currentActivity.length() != 0) {
+                QDBusMessage m = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(serviceName,
+                                        QStringLiteral("/MainApplication"), QStringLiteral("org.kde.Kate.Application"), QStringLiteral("isOnActivity"));
+
+                QList<QVariant> dbargs;
+
+                // convert to an url
+                dbargs.append(currentActivity);
+                m.setArguments(dbargs);
+
+                QDBusMessage res = QDBusConnection::sessionBus().call(m);
+                QList<QVariant> answer = res.arguments();
+                if (answer.size() == 1) {
+                    const bool canBeUsed = answer.at(0).toBool();
+
+                    // If the Kate instance is in a specific activity, add it to
+                    // the list of candidate reusable services
+                    if (canBeUsed) {
+                        kateServices << serviceName;
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                kateServices << serviceName;
+            }
         }
+
         QString serviceName;
 
         QString start_session;