diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index cbaec9612b28f..f150b9e7d500b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -646,6 +646,31 @@ else
   have_ioprio_syscall=no
 fi
 
+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($have_windows_ioprio)
+
+
 dnl Check for MSG_NOSIGNAL
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for MSG_NOSIGNAL)
 AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <sys/socket.h>]],
@@ -1217,6 +1242,7 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_LCOV],[test x$use_lcov = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([GLIBC_BACK_COMPAT],[test x$use_glibc_compat = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_IOPOLICY],[test x$have_iopolicy = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_IOPRIO_SYSCALL],[test x$have_ioprio_syscall = xyes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_WINDOWS_IOPRIO],[test x$have_windows_ioprio = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HARDEN],[test x$use_hardening = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_HWCRC32],[test x$enable_hwcrc32 = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([EXPERIMENTAL_ASM],[test x$experimental_asm = xyes])
diff --git a/src/utilioprio.cpp b/src/utilioprio.cpp
index a1e58703d4c81..f37ba470dbe7d 100644
--- a/src/utilioprio.cpp
+++ b/src/utilioprio.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/utilioprio.h b/src/utilioprio.h
index e9fdf71ffc166..4d259a47e5624 100644
--- a/src/utilioprio.h
+++ b/src/utilioprio.h
@@ -54,4 +54,10 @@ class ioprio_idler {
 #define IOPRIO_IDLER(actually_idle)  (void)actually_idle;
 #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
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 60a9f1e13e23d..64391d8dda567 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -996,6 +996,8 @@ bool ReadBlockFromDisk(CBlock& block, const CDiskBlockPos& pos, const Consensus:
     if (filein.IsNull())
         return error("ReadBlockFromDisk: OpenBlockFile failed for %s", pos.ToString());
 
+    ioprio_set_file_idle(filein.Get());
+
     // Read block
     try {
         filein >> block;