diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildstep.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildstep.cpp
index 68b514d6f13..581adade966 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildstep.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ CMakeBuildStep::CMakeBuildStep(BuildStepList *bsl) :
     if (m_buildTarget.isEmpty())
         setBuildTarget(defaultBuildTarget());
 
-    setLowPriority();
+    setLowPriorityIfConfigured();
 
     connect(target(), &Target::kitChanged, this, &CMakeBuildStep::cmakeCommandChanged);
     connect(project(), &Project::parsingFinished,
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
index de80337d55e..ce16dea25f7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 #include "ioutputparser.h"
 #include "processparameters.h"
 #include "project.h"
+#include "projectexplorer.h"
+#include "projectexplorersettings.h"
 #include "target.h"
 #include "task.h"
 
@@ -249,9 +251,10 @@ void AbstractProcessStep::doRun()
     processStarted();
 }
 
-void AbstractProcessStep::setLowPriority()
+void AbstractProcessStep::setLowPriorityIfConfigured()
 {
-    d->m_lowPriority = true;
+    if (ProjectExplorerPlugin::projectExplorerSettings().lowBuildPriority)
+        d->m_lowPriority = true;
 }
 
 void AbstractProcessStep::doCancel()
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
index 3cc7aa8bf50..a4a0350b20c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ protected:
     ~AbstractProcessStep() override;
     bool init() override;
     void doRun() override;
-    void setLowPriority();
+    void setLowPriorityIfConfigured();
     virtual void finish(bool success);
 
     virtual void processStarted();
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/makestep.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/makestep.cpp
index 7bfcc0655be..d4acb5629d8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/makestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/makestep.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ MakeStep::MakeStep(BuildStepList *parent, Core::Id id)
       m_userJobCount(defaultJobCount())
 {
     setDefaultDisplayName(defaultDisplayName());
-    setLowPriority();
+    setLowPriorityIfConfigured();
 }
 
 void MakeStep::setBuildTarget(const QString &buildTarget)
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
index be4a5b65cbd..6c33f24370a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ const char CLOSE_FILES_WITH_PROJECT_SETTINGS_KEY[]
 const char CLEAR_ISSUES_ON_REBUILD_SETTINGS_KEY[] = "ProjectExplorer/Settings/ClearIssuesOnRebuild";
 const char ABORT_BUILD_ALL_ON_ERROR_SETTINGS_KEY[]
     = "ProjectExplorer/Settings/AbortBuildAllOnError";
+const char LOW_BUILD_PRIORITY_SETTINGS_KEY[] = "ProjectExplorer/Settings/LowBuildPriority";
 
 } // namespace Constants
 
@@ -1395,6 +1396,8 @@ bool ProjectExplorerPlugin::initialize(const QStringList &arguments, QString *er
             = s->value(Constants::CLEAR_ISSUES_ON_REBUILD_SETTINGS_KEY, true).toBool();
     dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.abortBuildAllOnError
             = s->value(Constants::ABORT_BUILD_ALL_ON_ERROR_SETTINGS_KEY, true).toBool();
+    dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.lowBuildPriority
+            = s->value(Constants::LOW_BUILD_PRIORITY_SETTINGS_KEY, false).toBool();
     dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.buildDirectoryTemplate
             = s->value(Constants::DEFAULT_BUILD_DIRECTORY_TEMPLATE_KEY).toString();
     if (dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.buildDirectoryTemplate.isEmpty())
@@ -2002,6 +2005,8 @@ void ProjectExplorerPluginPrivate::savePersistentSettings()
                 dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.clearIssuesOnRebuild);
     s->setValue(Constants::ABORT_BUILD_ALL_ON_ERROR_SETTINGS_KEY,
                 dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.abortBuildAllOnError);
+    s->setValue(Constants::LOW_BUILD_PRIORITY_SETTINGS_KEY,
+                dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.lowBuildPriority);
     s->setValue(QLatin1String("ProjectExplorer/Settings/AutomaticallyCreateRunConfigurations"),
                 dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.automaticallyCreateRunConfigurations);
     s->setValue(QLatin1String("ProjectExplorer/Settings/EnvironmentId"), dd->m_projectExplorerSettings.environmentId.toByteArray());
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettings.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettings.h
index 6472725db6b..920f849fe11 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettings.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettings.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public:
     bool closeSourceFilesWithProject = true;
     bool clearIssuesOnRebuild = true;
     bool abortBuildAllOnError = true;
+    bool lowBuildPriority = false;
     StopBeforeBuild stopBeforeBuild = StopBeforeBuild::StopNone;
     TerminalMode terminalMode = TerminalMode::Smart;
     QString buildDirectoryTemplate;
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ inline bool operator==(const ProjectExplorerSettings &p1, const ProjectExplorerS
             && p1.closeSourceFilesWithProject == p2.closeSourceFilesWithProject
             && p1.clearIssuesOnRebuild == p2.clearIssuesOnRebuild
             && p1.abortBuildAllOnError == p2.abortBuildAllOnError
+            && p1.lowBuildPriority == p2.lowBuildPriority
             && p1.buildDirectoryTemplate == p2.buildDirectoryTemplate;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.cpp
index 78727aa08b6..5251eff14c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ ProjectExplorerSettings ProjectExplorerSettingsWidget::settings() const
     m_settings.closeSourceFilesWithProject = m_ui.closeSourceFilesCheckBox->isChecked();
     m_settings.clearIssuesOnRebuild = m_ui.clearIssuesCheckBox->isChecked();
     m_settings.abortBuildAllOnError = m_ui.abortBuildAllOnErrorCheckBox->isChecked();
+    m_settings.lowBuildPriority = m_ui.lowBuildPriorityCheckBox->isChecked();
     m_settings.buildDirectoryTemplate = buildDirectoryTemplate();
     return m_settings;
 }
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ void ProjectExplorerSettingsWidget::setSettings(const ProjectExplorerSettings  &
     m_ui.closeSourceFilesCheckBox->setChecked(m_settings.closeSourceFilesWithProject);
     m_ui.clearIssuesCheckBox->setChecked(m_settings.clearIssuesOnRebuild);
     m_ui.abortBuildAllOnErrorCheckBox->setChecked(m_settings.abortBuildAllOnError);
+    m_ui.lowBuildPriorityCheckBox->setChecked(m_settings.lowBuildPriority);
     setBuildDirectoryTemplate(pes.buildDirectoryTemplate);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.ui b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.ui
index dc826601127..80520451138 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.ui
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorersettingspage.ui
@@ -148,6 +148,16 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QCheckBox" name="lowBuildPriorityCheckBox">
+        <property name="toolTip">
+         <string>Enable this if your system becomes unresponsive while building.</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>Start build processes with low priority</string>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
       <item>
        <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout">
         <item row="0" column="0">
@@ -310,6 +320,7 @@
      <zorder>addLibraryPathsToRunEnvCheckBox</zorder>
      <zorder>clearIssuesCheckBox</zorder>
      <zorder>abortBuildAllOnErrorCheckBox</zorder>
+     <zorder>lowBuildPriorityCheckBox</zorder>
     </widget>
    </item>
    <item>
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
index 84b756012f3..44b96519fdd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ QMakeStep::QMakeStep(BuildStepList *bsl) : AbstractProcessStep(bsl, Constants::Q
 {
     //: QMakeStep default display name
     setDefaultDisplayName(tr("qmake"));
-    setLowPriority();
+    setLowPriorityIfConfigured();
 }
 
 QmakeBuildConfiguration *QMakeStep::qmakeBuildConfiguration() const