background.js

const queue = [];

chrome.browserAction.onClicked.addListener(function(tab) {
	var url = 'http://www.example.com/?x=' + String(Math.random()).substr(2);
	queue.push(url);
	console.log('queue', queue);
	chrome.tabs.update({url});
});

chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener(function(msg, sender, sendResponse) {
	if (typeof msg.url == 'string') {
		var i = queue.indexOf(msg.url);
		sendResponse(i >= 0);
		if (i >= 0) {
			queue.splice(i, 1);
			console.log('queue', queue);
		}
	}
});

content.js

chrome.runtime.sendMessage({url: location.href}, function(response) {
	if (response === true) {
		window.addEventListener('load', function(e) {
			console.log('LOADED because opened, not always');
		});
	}
});

manifest.json

{
	"name": "SO 47973057",
	"description": "SO 47973057",
	"version": "1.0",

	"permissions": [ "tabs", "<all_urls>" ],

	"background": {
		"scripts": [ "background.js" ]
	},
	"content_scripts": [
		{
			"all_frames": true,
			"js": [ "content.js" ],
			"matches": [ "http://*/*", "https://*/*" ],
			"run_at": "document_start"
		}
	],
	"browser_action": {
		"browser_style": false,
		"default_title": "Open tab",
		"default_icon": {
			"38": "images/38x38.png",
			"19": "images/19x19.png"
		}
	},

	"icons": {
		"128": "images/128x128.png",
		"64": "images/64x64.png",
		"48": "images/48x48.png",
		"32": "images/32x32.png",
		"16": "images/16x16.png"
	},
	"manifest_version": 2
}