diff --git a/src/renderer/controllers/playback-controller.js b/src/renderer/controllers/playback-controller.js
index 7acfb90eec..8288baa3bd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/controllers/playback-controller.js
+++ b/src/renderer/controllers/playback-controller.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ module.exports = class PlaybackController {
   // * Stream, if not already fully downloaded
   // * If no file index is provided, restore the most recently viewed file or autoplay the first
   playFile (infoHash, index /* optional */) {
+    this.pauseActiveTorrents(infoHash)
+
     const state = this.state
     if (state.location.url() === 'player') {
       this.updatePlayer(infoHash, index, false, (err) => {
@@ -84,6 +86,17 @@ module.exports = class PlaybackController {
     else this.pause()
   }
 
+  pauseActiveTorrents (infoHash) {
+    // Playback Priority: pause all active torrents if needed.
+    if (!this.state.saved.prefs.highestPlaybackPriority) return
+
+    // Do not pause active torrents if playing a fully downloaded torrent.
+    const torrentSummary = TorrentSummary.getByKey(this.state, infoHash)
+    if (torrentSummary.status === 'seeding') return
+
+    dispatch('prioritizeTorrent', infoHash)
+  }
+
   // Play next file in list (if any)
   nextTrack () {
     const state = this.state
@@ -341,6 +354,11 @@ module.exports = class PlaybackController {
 
     ipcRenderer.send('onPlayerClose')
 
+    // Playback Priority: resume previously paused downloads.
+    if (this.state.saved.prefs.highestPlaybackPriority) {
+      dispatch('resumePausedTorrents')
+    }
+
     this.update()
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/controllers/torrent-list-controller.js b/src/renderer/controllers/torrent-list-controller.js
index 0360214ca2..12cee06318 100644
--- a/src/renderer/controllers/torrent-list-controller.js
+++ b/src/renderer/controllers/torrent-list-controller.js
@@ -121,11 +121,10 @@ module.exports = class TorrentListController {
       torrentSummary.status = 'new'
       this.startTorrentingSummary(torrentSummary.torrentKey)
       sound.play('ENABLE')
-    } else {
-      torrentSummary.status = 'paused'
-      ipcRenderer.send('wt-stop-torrenting', torrentSummary.infoHash)
-      sound.play('DISABLE')
+      return
     }
+
+    this.pauseTorrent(torrentSummary, true)
   }
 
   pauseAllTorrents () {
@@ -149,6 +148,40 @@ module.exports = class TorrentListController {
     sound.play('ENABLE')
   }
 
+  pauseTorrent (torrentSummary, playSound) {
+    torrentSummary.status = 'paused'
+    ipcRenderer.send('wt-stop-torrenting', torrentSummary.infoHash)
+
+    if (playSound) sound.play('DISABLE')
+  }
+
+  prioritizeTorrent (infoHash) {
+    this.state.saved.torrents
+    .filter((torrent) => { // We're interested in active torrents only.
+      return (['downloading', 'seeding'].indexOf(torrent.status) !== -1)
+    })
+    .map((torrent) => { // Pause all active torrents except the one that started playing.
+      if (infoHash === torrent.infoHash) return
+
+      // Pause torrent without playing sounds.
+      this.pauseTorrent(torrent, false)
+
+      this.state.saved.torrentsToResume.push(torrent.infoHash)
+    })
+
+    console.log('Playback Priority: paused torrents: ', this.state.saved.torrentsToResume)
+  }
+
+  resumePausedTorrents () {
+    console.log('Playback Priority: resuming paused torrents')
+    this.state.saved.torrentsToResume.map((infoHash) => {
+      this.toggleTorrent(infoHash)
+    })
+
+    // reset paused torrents
+    this.state.saved.torrentsToResume = []
+  }
+
   toggleTorrentFile (infoHash, index) {
     const torrentSummary = TorrentSummary.getByKey(this.state, infoHash)
     torrentSummary.selections[index] = !torrentSummary.selections[index]
diff --git a/src/renderer/lib/state.js b/src/renderer/lib/state.js
index 1bd9bcd300..6a909d9629 100644
--- a/src/renderer/lib/state.js
+++ b/src/renderer/lib/state.js
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ function setupStateSaved (cb) {
       startup: false
     },
     torrents: config.DEFAULT_TORRENTS.map(createTorrentObject),
+    torrentsToResume: [],
     version: config.APP_VERSION /* make sure we can upgrade gracefully later */
   }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/main.js b/src/renderer/main.js
index 006e4a7ed5..7acb24f59d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/main.js
+++ b/src/renderer/main.js
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ const dispatchHandlers = {
     controllers.torrentList().startTorrentingSummary(torrentKey),
   'saveTorrentFileAs': (torrentKey) =>
     controllers.torrentList().saveTorrentFileAs(torrentKey),
+  'prioritizeTorrent': (infoHash) => controllers.torrentList().prioritizeTorrent(infoHash),
+  'resumePausedTorrents': () => controllers.torrentList().resumePausedTorrents(),
 
   // Playback
   'playFile': (infoHash, index) => controllers.playback().playFile(infoHash, index),
@@ -354,6 +356,7 @@ function setupIpc () {
   ipcRenderer.on('wt-infohash', (e, ...args) => tc.torrentInfoHash(...args))
   ipcRenderer.on('wt-metadata', (e, ...args) => tc.torrentMetadata(...args))
   ipcRenderer.on('wt-done', (e, ...args) => tc.torrentDone(...args))
+  ipcRenderer.on('wt-done', () => controllers.torrentList().resumePausedTorrents())
   ipcRenderer.on('wt-warning', (e, ...args) => tc.torrentWarning(...args))
   ipcRenderer.on('wt-error', (e, ...args) => tc.torrentError(...args))
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js b/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
index 57ae9670f1..bf7291413c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
+++ b/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
@@ -62,6 +62,24 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
     dispatch('updatePreferences', 'openExternalPlayer', !isChecked)
   }
 
+  highestPlaybackPriorityCheckbox () {
+    return (
+      <Preference>
+        <Checkbox
+          className='control'
+          checked={this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.highestPlaybackPriority}
+          label={'Highest Playback Priority'}
+          onCheck={this.handleHighestPlaybackPriorityChange}
+        />
+        <p>Pauses all active torrents to allow playback to use all of the available bandwidth.</p>
+      </Preference>
+    )
+  }
+
+  handleHighestPlaybackPriorityChange (e, isChecked) {
+    dispatch('updatePreferences', 'highestPlaybackPriority', isChecked)
+  }
+
   externalPlayerPathSelector () {
     const playerPath = this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.externalPlayerPath
     const playerName = this.props.state.getExternalPlayerName()
@@ -151,6 +169,7 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
         <PreferencesSection title='Playback'>
           {this.openExternalPlayerCheckbox()}
           {this.externalPlayerPathSelector()}
+          {this.highestPlaybackPriorityCheckbox()}
         </PreferencesSection>
         <PreferencesSection title='Default torrent app'>
           {this.setDefaultAppButton()}
diff --git a/src/renderer/webtorrent.js b/src/renderer/webtorrent.js
index b080beca6d..1cb6abe565 100644
--- a/src/renderer/webtorrent.js
+++ b/src/renderer/webtorrent.js
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ function startTorrenting (torrentKey, torrentID, path, fileModtimes, selections)
 }
 
 function stopTorrenting (infoHash) {
+  console.log('--- STOP TORRENTING: ', infoHash)
   const torrent = client.get(infoHash)
   if (torrent) torrent.destroy()
 }