diff --git a/ac/initialization.m4 b/ac/initialization.m4
index ba725d1bd..f7258f9a2 100644
--- a/ac/initialization.m4
+++ b/ac/initialization.m4
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
 
 dnl Check for headers
 AC_HEADER_STDC()
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([inttypes.h stdint.h sys/types.h])
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(vsscanf,,)
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([inttypes.h stdint.h sys/types.h sys/syscall.h])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([vsscanf syscall],,)
diff --git a/src/common/common.cpp b/src/common/common.cpp
index b91b6d394..233e73b4f 100644
--- a/src/common/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common/common.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 #ifdef SYS_WINDOWS
 # include <windows.h>
 #endif
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_SYSCALL_H)
+# include <sys/syscall.h>
+#endif
 
 #include <matroska/KaxVersion.h>
 #include <matroska/FileKax.h>
@@ -107,6 +110,14 @@ set_process_priority(int priority) {
   // 'warn if return value is ignored'.
   if (!nice(s_nice_levels[priority + 2])) {
   }
+
+# if defined(HAVE_SYSCALL) && defined(SYS_ioprio_set)
+  if (0 < s_nice_levels[priority + 2])
+    syscall(SYS_ioprio_set,
+            1,        // IOPRIO_WHO_PROCESS
+            0,        // current process/thread
+            3 << 13); // I/O class 'idle'
+# endif
 #endif
 }