diff --git a/.github/workflows/cpal.yml b/.github/workflows/cpal.yml
index a8130178f..765e6f09d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cpal.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cpal.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ jobs:
       run: sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev
     - name: Install libjack
       run: sudo apt-get install libjack-jackd2-dev libjack-jackd2-0
+    - name: Install dbus
+      run: sudo apt-get install libdbus-1-dev
     - name: Install stable
       uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
       with:
@@ -67,6 +69,8 @@ jobs:
       run: sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev
     - name: Install libjack
       run: sudo apt-get install libjack-jackd2-dev libjack-jackd2-0
+    - name: Install dbus
+      run: sudo apt-get install libdbus-1-dev
     - name: Install stable
       uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
     - name: Run without features
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 130e36edb..de0026fdb 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -35,12 +35,14 @@ windows = { version = "0.54.0", features = [
     "Win32_Media_Multimedia",
     "Win32_UI_Shell_PropertiesSystem"
 ]}
+audio_thread_priority = "0.33.0"
 asio-sys = { version = "0.2", path = "asio-sys", optional = true }
 num-traits = { version = "0.2.6", optional = true }
 
 [target.'cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "dragonfly", target_os = "freebsd", target_os = "netbsd"))'.dependencies]
 alsa = "0.9"
 libc = "0.2"
+audio_thread_priority = "0.33.0"
 jack = { version = "0.13.0", optional = true }
 
 [target.'cfg(any(target_os = "macos", target_os = "ios"))'.dependencies]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b82cbd2aa..d9f3a46cf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ Currently, supported hosts include:
 - Android (via AAudio)
 - Emscripten
 
-Note that on Linux, the ALSA development files are required. These are provided
-as part of the `libasound2-dev` package on Debian and Ubuntu distributions and
-`alsa-lib-devel` on Fedora.
+Note that on Linux, the ALSA development files and D-Bus development files are
+required. These are provided as part of the `libasound2-dev` and `libdbus-1-dev`
+packages on Debian and Ubuntu distributions and `alsa-lib-devel` and `dbus-devel`
+on Fedora.
 
 ## Compiling for Web Assembly
 
diff --git a/src/host/alsa/mod.rs b/src/host/alsa/mod.rs
index 027b12ca7..fd17f765e 100644
--- a/src/host/alsa/mod.rs
+++ b/src/host/alsa/mod.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use crate::{
     SupportedBufferSize, SupportedStreamConfig, SupportedStreamConfigRange,
     SupportedStreamConfigsError,
 };
+use audio_thread_priority::promote_current_thread_to_real_time;
 use std::cell::Cell;
 use std::cmp;
 use std::convert::TryInto;
@@ -589,6 +590,17 @@ fn input_stream_worker(
     error_callback: &mut (dyn FnMut(StreamError) + Send + 'static),
     timeout: Option<Duration>,
 ) {
+    let buffer_size = if let BufferSize::Fixed(buffer_size) = stream.conf.buffer_size {
+        buffer_size
+    } else {
+        // if the buffer size isn't fixed, let audio_thread_priority choose a sensible default value
+        0
+    };
+
+    if let Err(err) = promote_current_thread_to_real_time(buffer_size, stream.conf.sample_rate.0) {
+        eprintln!("Failed to promote audio thread to real-time priority: {err}");
+    }
+
     let mut ctxt = StreamWorkerContext::new(&timeout);
     loop {
         let flow =
@@ -640,6 +652,17 @@ fn output_stream_worker(
     error_callback: &mut (dyn FnMut(StreamError) + Send + 'static),
     timeout: Option<Duration>,
 ) {
+    let buffer_size = if let BufferSize::Fixed(buffer_size) = stream.conf.buffer_size {
+        buffer_size
+    } else {
+        // if the buffer size isn't fixed, let audio_thread_priority choose a sensible default value
+        0
+    };
+
+    if let Err(err) = promote_current_thread_to_real_time(buffer_size, stream.conf.sample_rate.0) {
+        eprintln!("Failed to promote audio thread to real-time priority: {err}");
+    }
+
     let mut ctxt = StreamWorkerContext::new(&timeout);
     loop {
         let flow =
diff --git a/src/host/wasapi/stream.rs b/src/host/wasapi/stream.rs
index 72c7836b2..4b41bde36 100644
--- a/src/host/wasapi/stream.rs
+++ b/src/host/wasapi/stream.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 use super::windows_err_to_cpal_err;
 use crate::traits::StreamTrait;
 use crate::{
-    BackendSpecificError, Data, InputCallbackInfo, OutputCallbackInfo, PauseStreamError,
-    PlayStreamError, SampleFormat, StreamError,
+    BackendSpecificError, BufferSize, Data, InputCallbackInfo, OutputCallbackInfo,
+    PauseStreamError, PlayStreamError, SampleFormat, StreamError,
 };
+use audio_thread_priority::promote_current_thread_to_real_time;
 use std::mem;
 use std::ptr;
 use std::sync::mpsc::{channel, Receiver, SendError, Sender};
 use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle};
 use windows::Win32::Foundation;
-use windows::Win32::Foundation::HANDLE;
 use windows::Win32::Foundation::WAIT_OBJECT_0;
 use windows::Win32::Media::Audio;
 use windows::Win32::System::SystemServices;
@@ -269,7 +269,18 @@ fn run_input(
     data_callback: &mut dyn FnMut(&Data, &InputCallbackInfo),
     error_callback: &mut dyn FnMut(StreamError),
 ) {
-    boost_current_thread_priority();
+    let buffer_size = if let BufferSize::Fixed(buffer_size) = run_ctxt.stream.config.buffer_size {
+        buffer_size
+    } else {
+        // if the buffer size isn't fixed, let audio_thread_priority choose a sensible default value
+        0
+    };
+
+    if let Err(err) =
+        promote_current_thread_to_real_time(buffer_size, run_ctxt.stream.config.sample_rate.0)
+    {
+        eprintln!("Failed to promote audio thread to real-time priority: {err}");
+    }
 
     loop {
         match process_commands_and_await_signal(&mut run_ctxt, error_callback) {
@@ -298,7 +309,18 @@ fn run_output(
     data_callback: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut Data, &OutputCallbackInfo),
     error_callback: &mut dyn FnMut(StreamError),
 ) {
-    boost_current_thread_priority();
+    let buffer_size = if let BufferSize::Fixed(buffer_size) = run_ctxt.stream.config.buffer_size {
+        buffer_size
+    } else {
+        // if the buffer size isn't fixed, let audio_thread_priority choose a sensible default value
+        0
+    };
+
+    if let Err(err) =
+        promote_current_thread_to_real_time(buffer_size, run_ctxt.stream.config.sample_rate.0)
+    {
+        eprintln!("Failed to promote audio thread to real-time priority: {err}");
+    }
 
     loop {
         match process_commands_and_await_signal(&mut run_ctxt, error_callback) {
@@ -322,17 +344,6 @@ fn run_output(
     }
 }
 
-fn boost_current_thread_priority() {
-    unsafe {
-        let thread_id = Threading::GetCurrentThreadId();
-
-        let _ = Threading::SetThreadPriority(
-            HANDLE(thread_id as isize),
-            Threading::THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL,
-        );
-    }
-}
-
 enum ControlFlow {
     Break,
     Continue,