diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 939bc11f00..c082938123 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1090,6 +1090,31 @@ else
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_IOPRIO_SYSCALL], [test "$have_ioprio_syscall" = "yes"])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Windows file I/O priority functions)
+AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
+  AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+    #define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0600
+    #include <windows.h>
+    #include <io.h>
+    #include <stdio.h>
+  ]],[[
+    static const FILE_IO_PRIORITY_HINT_INFO priorityHint = {
+        .PriorityHint = IoPriorityHintLow,
+    };
+    FILE * const F = fopen("test", "r");
+    HANDLE hFile = _get_osfhandle(_fileno(F));
+
+    SetFileInformationByHandle(hFile, FileIoPriorityHintInfo, &priorityHint, sizeof(priorityHint));
+  ]])
+],[
+  have_windows_ioprio=yes
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_WINDOWS_IOPRIO,1,[Define this symbol if you have Windows I/O priority functions])
+],[
+  have_windows_ioprio=no
+])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($have_windows_ioprio)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_WINDOWS_IOPRIO], [test "$have_windows_ioprio" = "yes"])
+
 if test "$use_thread_local" = "yes" || test "$use_thread_local" = "auto"; then
   TEMP_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
   LDFLAGS="$TEMP_LDFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS"
diff --git a/src/node/blockstorage.cpp b/src/node/blockstorage.cpp
index d776ed07db..ce195f5118 100644
--- a/src/node/blockstorage.cpp
+++ b/src/node/blockstorage.cpp
@@ -1038,6 +1038,8 @@ bool BlockManager::ReadBlockFromDisk(CBlock& block, const FlatFilePos& pos, cons
         return error("ReadBlockFromDisk: OpenBlockFile failed for %s", pos.ToString());
     }
 
+    ioprio_set_file_idle(filein.Get());
+
     // Read block
     try {
         filein >> TX_WITH_WITNESS(block);
diff --git a/src/util/ioprio.cpp b/src/util/ioprio.cpp
index db280b4e87..d3eb0ff585 100644
--- a/src/util/ioprio.cpp
+++ b/src/util/ioprio.cpp
@@ -55,3 +55,25 @@ int ioprio_set_idle() {
 }
 
 #endif
+
+
+#ifdef HAVE_WINDOWS_IOPRIO
+
+#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
+#undef _WIN32_WINNT
+#endif
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0600
+
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <io.h>
+
+bool ioprio_set_file_idle(FILE * const F) {
+    static const FILE_IO_PRIORITY_HINT_INFO priorityHint = {
+        .PriorityHint = IoPriorityHintLow,
+    };
+    HANDLE hFile = _get_osfhandle(_fileno(F));
+
+    return SetFileInformationByHandle(hFile, FileIoPriorityHintInfo, &priorityHint, sizeof(priorityHint));
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/util/ioprio.h b/src/util/ioprio.h
index c5cd351845..edbb823d6c 100644
--- a/src/util/ioprio.h
+++ b/src/util/ioprio.h
@@ -54,4 +54,10 @@ public:
 #define IOPRIO_IDLER(lowprio)  (void)lowprio;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_WINDOWS_IOPRIO
+bool ioprio_set_file_idle(FILE *);
+#else
+#define ioprio_set_file_idle(f)  ((void)false)
+#endif
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_UTIL_IOPRIO_H