diff --git a/lib/hk-util.js b/lib/hk-util.js
index a95eb19a6..71b0cb800 100644
--- a/lib/hk-util.js
+++ b/lib/hk-util.js
@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
     var metadata = {};
     var lastKnownHash;
     var txid;
+    var priority;
 
     // clients can optionally pass a map of attributes
     // if the channel already exists this map will be ignored
@@ -610,6 +611,7 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
         lastKnownHash = config.lastKnownHash;
         metadata = config.metadata || {};
         txid = config.txid;
+        priority = config.priority;
         if (metadata.expire) {
             metadata.expire = +metadata.expire * 1000 + (+new Date());
         }
@@ -653,7 +655,7 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
             if (checkExpired(Env, Server, channelName)) { return void waitFor.abort(); }
 
             // always send metadata with GET_HISTORY requests
-            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(metadata)], w);
+            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(metadata), priority], w);
         }));
     }).nThen(() => {
         let msgCount = 0;
@@ -664,7 +666,7 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
             // avoid sending the metadata message a second time
             if (isMetadataMessage(msg) && metadata_cache[channelName]) { return readMore(); }
             if (txid) { msg[0] = txid; }
-            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(msg)], readMore);
+            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(msg), priority], readMore);
         }, (err) => {
             // Any error but ENOENT: abort
             // ENOENT is allowed in case we want to create a new pad
@@ -707,13 +709,13 @@ const handleGetHistory = function (Env, Server, seq, userId, parsed) {
             if (msgCount === 0 && !metadata_cache[channelName] && Server.channelContainsUser(channelName, userId)) {
                 // TODO this might be a good place to reject channel creation by anonymous users
                 handleFirstMessage(Env, channelName, metadata);
-                Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(metadata)]);
+                Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(metadata), priority]);
             }
 
             // End of history message:
             let parsedMsg = {state: 1, channel: channelName, txid: txid};
 
-            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(parsedMsg)]);
+            Server.send(userId, [0, HISTORY_KEEPER_ID, 'MSG', userId, JSON.stringify(parsedMsg), priority]);
         });
     });
 };
diff --git a/www/common/outer/async-store.js b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
index bf518de99..05d7896b9 100644
--- a/www/common/outer/async-store.js
+++ b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
@@ -1803,6 +1803,7 @@ define([
             };
             var conf = {
                 Cache: Cache, // ICE pad cache
+                priority: 1,
                 onCacheStart: function () {
                     postMessage(clientId, "PAD_CACHE");
                 },