diff --git a/include/SDL_thread.h b/include/SDL_thread.h
index 66a7f8dec..25e7194d5 100644
--- a/include/SDL_thread.h
+++ b/include/SDL_thread.h
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ extern DECLSPEC SDL_threadID SDLCALL SDL_ThreadID(void);
 extern DECLSPEC SDL_threadID SDLCALL SDL_GetThreadID(SDL_Thread * thread);
 
 /**
- *  Set the thread priority
+ *  Set the priority for the current thread
  */
-extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority);
+extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority);
 
 /**
  *  Wait for a thread to finish.
diff --git a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
index ad4bc02e8..c7c14f81b 100644
--- a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
+++ b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ SDL_RunAudio(void *devicep)
     int silence;
     Uint32 delay;
 
+    /* The audio mixing is always a high priority thread */
+    SDL_SetThreadPriority(SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGH);
+
     /* For streaming when the buffer sizes don't match up */
     Uint8 *istream;
     int istream_len = 0;
@@ -974,7 +977,6 @@ open_audio_device(const char *devname, int iscapture,
             SDL_SetError("Couldn't create audio thread");
             return 0;
         }
-        SDL_SetThreadPriority(device->thread, SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGH);
     }
 
     return id + 1;
diff --git a/src/thread/SDL_systhread.h b/src/thread/SDL_systhread.h
index f520ddd79..684547e57 100644
--- a/src/thread/SDL_systhread.h
+++ b/src/thread/SDL_systhread.h
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ extern int SDL_SYS_CreateThread(SDL_Thread * thread, void *args);
 /* This function does any necessary setup in the child thread */
 extern void SDL_SYS_SetupThread(void);
 
-/* This function sets thread priority */
-extern int SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority);
+/* This function sets the current thread priority */
+extern int SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority);
 
 /* This function waits for the thread to finish and frees any data
    allocated by SDL_SYS_CreateThread()
diff --git a/src/thread/SDL_thread.c b/src/thread/SDL_thread.c
index 349e7b49e..a51e506f3 100644
--- a/src/thread/SDL_thread.c
+++ b/src/thread/SDL_thread.c
@@ -295,13 +295,9 @@ SDL_GetThreadID(SDL_Thread * thread)
 }
 
 int
-SDL_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
+SDL_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
-    if (!thread) {
-        SDL_SetError("SDL_SetThreadPriority() passed NULL thread");
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(thread, priority);
+    return SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(priority);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/thread/beos/SDL_systhread.c b/src/thread/beos/SDL_systhread.c
index 235bcae88..ffc077d22 100644
--- a/src/thread/beos/SDL_systhread.c
+++ b/src/thread/beos/SDL_systhread.c
@@ -93,14 +93,16 @@ SDL_ThreadID(void)
 int
 SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
-    int32 new_priority = B_NORMAL_PRIORITY;
+    int32 value;
 
     if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_LOW) {
-        new_priority = B_LOW_PRIORITY;
+        value = B_LOW_PRIORITY;
     } else if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGH) {
-        new_priority = B_URGENT_DISPLAY_PRIORITY;
+        value = B_URGENT_DISPLAY_PRIORITY;
+    } else {
+        value = B_NORMAL_PRIORITY;
     }
-    set_thread_priority(thread->handle, new_priority);
+    set_thread_priority(find_thread(NULL), value);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/thread/generic/SDL_systhread.c b/src/thread/generic/SDL_systhread.c
index e59f3a945..5201d9477 100644
--- a/src/thread/generic/SDL_systhread.c
+++ b/src/thread/generic/SDL_systhread.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ SDL_ThreadID(void)
 }
 
 int
-SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
+SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
     return (0);
 }
diff --git a/src/thread/nds/SDL_systhread.c b/src/thread/nds/SDL_systhread.c
index ad5bf9bed..8dd829f70 100644
--- a/src/thread/nds/SDL_systhread.c
+++ b/src/thread/nds/SDL_systhread.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ SDL_SYS_WaitThread(SDL_Thread * thread)
 }
 
 int
-SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
+SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
     return (0);
 }
diff --git a/src/thread/pthread/SDL_systhread.c b/src/thread/pthread/SDL_systhread.c
index 42e60f3f0..4711b1c49 100644
--- a/src/thread/pthread/SDL_systhread.c
+++ b/src/thread/pthread/SDL_systhread.c
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#ifdef linux
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
+#include <sys/syscall.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "SDL_thread.h"
 #include "../SDL_thread_c.h"
@@ -34,6 +39,7 @@ static const int sig_list[] = {
     SIGVTALRM, SIGPROF, 0
 };
 
+
 static void *
 RunThread(void *data)
 {
@@ -92,12 +98,29 @@ SDL_ThreadID(void)
 }
 
 int
-SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
+SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
+#ifdef linux
+    int value;
+
+    if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_LOW) {
+        value = 19;
+    } else if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGH) {
+        value = -20;
+    } else {
+        value = 0;
+    }
+    if (setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, syscall(SYS_gettid), value) < 0) {
+        SDL_SetError("setpriority() failed");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+#else
     struct sched_param sched;
     int policy;
+    pthread_t thread = pthread_self();
 
-    if (pthread_getschedparam(thread->handle, &policy, &sched) < 0) {
+    if (pthread_getschedparam(thread, &policy, &sched) < 0) {
         SDL_SetError("pthread_getschedparam() failed");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -108,14 +131,14 @@ SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
     } else {
         int min_priority = sched_get_priority_min(policy);
         int max_priority = sched_get_priority_max(policy);
-        int priority = (min_priority + (max_priority - min_priority) / 2);
-        sched.sched_priority = priority;
+        sched.sched_priority = (min_priority + (max_priority - min_priority) / 2);
     }
-    if (pthread_setschedparam(thread->handle, policy, &sched) < 0) {
+    if (pthread_setschedparam(thread, policy, &sched) < 0) {
         SDL_SetError("pthread_setschedparam() failed");
         return -1;
     }
     return 0;
+#endif /* linux */
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/thread/windows/SDL_systhread.c b/src/thread/windows/SDL_systhread.c
index 058ff93f0..26d994e00 100644
--- a/src/thread/windows/SDL_systhread.c
+++ b/src/thread/windows/SDL_systhread.c
@@ -156,18 +156,18 @@ SDL_ThreadID(void)
 }
 
 int
-SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_Thread * thread, SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
+SDL_SYS_SetThreadPriority(SDL_ThreadPriority priority)
 {
-    BOOL result;
+    int value;
 
     if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_LOW) {
-        result = SetThreadPriority(thread->handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_LOWEST);
+        value = THREAD_PRIORITY_LOWEST;
     } else if (priority == SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGH) {
-        result = SetThreadPriority(thread->handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST);
+        value = THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST;
     } else {
-        result = SetThreadPriority(thread->handle, THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL);
+        value = THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL;
     }
-    if (!result) {
+    if (!SetThreadPriority(GetCurrentThread(), value)) {
         WIN_SetError("SetThreadPriority()");
         return -1;
     }