diff --git a/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32.java b/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32.java
index 14a1bd772..60a150ba9 100644
--- a/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32.java
+++ b/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32.java
@@ -68,6 +68,35 @@ public interface Kernel32 extends StdCallLibrary, WinNT, Wincon {
      */
     int LOAD_LIBRARY_AS_DATAFILE = 0x2;
 
+    /**
+     * Process priority classes
+     */
+    DWORD NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS         = new DWORD(0x00000020L);
+    DWORD IDLE_PRIORITY_CLASS           = new DWORD(0x00000040L);
+    DWORD HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS           = new DWORD(0x00000080L);
+    DWORD REALTIME_PRIORITY_CLASS       = new DWORD(0x00000100L);
+    DWORD BELOW_NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS   = new DWORD(0x00004000L);
+    DWORD ABOVE_NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS   = new DWORD(0x00008000L);
+    DWORD PROCESS_MODE_BACKGROUND_BEGIN = new DWORD(0x00100000L);
+    DWORD PROCESS_MODE_BACKGROUND_END   = new DWORD(0x00200000L);
+
+    /**
+     * Thread priorities
+     */
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_IDLE          = -15
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_LOWEST        = -2
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_BELOW_NORMAL  = -1
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL        =  0
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_ABOVE_NORMAL  =  1
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST       =  2
+    int THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL =  15
+
+    /**
+     * Thread mode flags
+     */
+    int THREAD_MODE_BACKGROUND_BEGIN = 0x10000
+    int THREAD_MODE_BACKGROUND_END   = 0x20000
+
     /**
      * Reads data from the specified file or input/output (I/O) device. Reads
      * occur at the position specified by the file pointer if supported by the
@@ -4152,6 +4181,24 @@ Pointer VirtualAllocEx(HANDLE hProcess, Pointer lpAddress, SIZE_T dwSize,
      */
     boolean GetExitCodeThread(HANDLE hThread, IntByReference exitCode);
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority class for the specified process.
+     * 
+     * @param hProcess A handle to the process.
+     * @param dwPriorityClass The priority class for the process.
+     * @return If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.
+     */
+    boolean SetPriorityClass(HANDLE hProcess, DWORD dwPriorityClass);
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority value for the specified thread.
+     * 
+     * @param hThread A handle to the thread whose priority value is to be set.
+     * @param nPriority The priority value for the thread. 
+     * @return If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.
+     */
+    boolean SetThreadPriority(HANDLE hThread, int nPriority);
+
     /**
      * Releases, decommits, or releases and decommits a region of memory within
      * the virtual address space of a specified process.
diff --git a/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32Util.java b/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32Util.java
index a77afc43d..0a6f6b950 100644
--- a/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32Util.java
+++ b/contrib/platform/src/com/sun/jna/platform/win32/Kernel32Util.java
@@ -1258,6 +1258,80 @@ public static String expandEnvironmentStrings(String input) {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority class for the current process.
+     * 
+     * @param dwPriorityClass The priority class for the process.
+     * @throws Win32Exception if an error occurs.
+     */
+    public static void setCurrentProcessPriority(final DWORD dwPriorityClass) {
+        if (!Kernel32.INSTANCE.SetPriorityClass(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetCurrentProcess(), dwPriorityClass)) {
+            throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority value for the current thread.
+     * 
+     * @param nPriority The priority value for the thread.
+     * @throws Win32Exception if an error occurs.
+     */
+    public static void setCurrentThreadPriority(final int nPriority) {
+        if (!Kernel32.INSTANCE.SetThreadPriority(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetCurrentThread(), nPriority)) {
+            throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority class for the specified process.
+     * 
+     * @param pid Identifier for the running process.
+     * @param dwPriorityClass The priority class for the process.
+     * @throws Win32Exception if an error occurs.
+     */
+    public static final void setProcessPriority(final int pid, final DWORD dwPriorityClass) {
+        final HANDLE hProcess = Kernel32.INSTANCE.OpenProcess(WinNT.PROCESS_SET_INFORMATION, false, pid);
+        if (hProcess == null) {
+            throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+        }
+
+        Win32Exception we = null;
+        try {
+            if (!Kernel32.INSTANCE.SetPriorityClass(hProcess, dwPriorityClass)) {
+                throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+            }    
+        } catch (final Win32Exception e) {
+            we = e;
+        } finally {
+            cleanUp(hProcess, we);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the priority value for the specified thread.
+     * 
+     * @param tid Identifier for the running thread.
+     * @param nPriority The priority value for the thread.
+     * @throws Win32Exception if an error occurs.
+     */
+    public static void setThreadPriority(final int tid, final int nPriority) {
+        final HANDLE hThread = Kernel32.INSTANCE.OpenThread(WinNT.THREAD_SET_INFORMATION, false, pid);
+        if (hThread == null) {
+            throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+        }
+
+        Win32Exception we = null;
+        try {
+            if (!Kernel32.INSTANCE.SetThreadPriority(hThread, nPriority)) {
+                throw new Win32Exception(Kernel32.INSTANCE.GetLastError());
+            }    
+        } catch (final Win32Exception e) {
+            we = e;
+        } finally {
+            cleanUp(hThread, we);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static void cleanUp(final HANDLE h, Win32Exception we) {
         try {
             closeHandle(h);