diff --git a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_core.h b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_core.h
index ea09b65..42237ef 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_core.h
+++ b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_core.h
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <condition_variable>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -56,6 +59,8 @@
 
 static constexpr int kNumWorkerThreads = 4;
 
+static constexpr int kNiceValueForMergeThreads = -5;
+
 #define SNAP_LOG(level) LOG(level) << misc_name_ << ": "
 #define SNAP_PLOG(level) PLOG(level) << misc_name_ << ": "
 
diff --git a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_merge.cpp b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_merge.cpp
index c26a2cd..17f3c4f 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_merge.cpp
+++ b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_merge.cpp
@@ -543,6 +543,10 @@
         return true;
     }
 
+    if (setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, gettid(), kNiceValueForMergeThreads)) {
+        SNAP_PLOG(ERROR) << "Failed to set priority for TID: " << gettid();
+    }
+
     SNAP_LOG(INFO) << "Merge starting..";
 
     if (!Init()) {
diff --git a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_readahead.cpp b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_readahead.cpp
index fa2866f..b9e4255 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_readahead.cpp
+++ b/fs_mgr/libsnapshot/snapuserd/user-space-merge/snapuserd_readahead.cpp
@@ -727,6 +727,10 @@
 
     InitializeIouring();
 
+    if (setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, gettid(), kNiceValueForMergeThreads)) {
+        SNAP_PLOG(ERROR) << "Failed to set priority for TID: " << gettid();
+    }
+
     while (!RAIterDone()) {
         if (!ReadAheadIOStart()) {
             break;