diff --git a/programs/bench.c b/programs/bench.c
index c8f1dcf0..5870eaf7 100644
--- a/programs/bench.c
+++ b/programs/bench.c
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ static void BMK_benchCLevel(void* srcBuffer, size_t benchedSize,
                             const char* displayName, int cLevel, int cLevelLast,
                             const size_t* fileSizes, unsigned nbFiles,
                             const void* dictBuffer, size_t dictBufferSize,
-                            ZSTD_compressionParameters *compressionParams)
+                            ZSTD_compressionParameters *compressionParams, int setRealTimePrio)
 {
     int l;
 
@@ -457,7 +457,10 @@ static void BMK_benchCLevel(void* srcBuffer, size_t benchedSize,
     if (!pch) pch = strrchr(displayName, '/'); /* Linux */
     if (pch) displayName = pch+1;
 
-    SET_REALTIME_PRIORITY;
+    if (setRealTimePrio) {
+        DISPLAYLEVEL(2, "Note : switching to a real-time priority \n");
+        SET_REALTIME_PRIORITY;
+    }
 
     if (g_displayLevel == 1 && !g_additionalParam)
         DISPLAY("bench %s %s: input %u bytes, %u seconds, %u KB blocks\n", ZSTD_VERSION_STRING, ZSTD_GIT_COMMIT_STRING, (U32)benchedSize, g_nbSeconds, (U32)(g_blockSize>>10));
@@ -505,8 +508,8 @@ static void BMK_loadFiles(void* buffer, size_t bufferSize,
     if (totalSize == 0) EXM_THROW(12, "no data to bench");
 }
 
-static void BMK_benchFileTable(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, const char* dictFileName,
-                               int cLevel, int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters *compressionParams)
+static void BMK_benchFileTable(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, const char* dictFileName, int cLevel,
+                               int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters *compressionParams, int setRealTimePrio)
 {
     void* srcBuffer;
     size_t benchedSize;
@@ -545,7 +548,7 @@ static void BMK_benchFileTable(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, co
         BMK_benchCLevel(srcBuffer, benchedSize,
                         displayName, cLevel, cLevelLast,
                         fileSizes, nbFiles,
-                        dictBuffer, dictBufferSize, compressionParams);
+                        dictBuffer, dictBufferSize, compressionParams, setRealTimePrio);
     }
 
     /* clean up */
@@ -555,7 +558,7 @@ static void BMK_benchFileTable(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, co
 }
 
 
-static void BMK_syntheticTest(int cLevel, int cLevelLast, double compressibility, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams)
+static void BMK_syntheticTest(int cLevel, int cLevelLast, double compressibility, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams, int setRealTimePrio)
 {
     char name[20] = {0};
     size_t benchedSize = 10000000;
@@ -569,7 +572,7 @@ static void BMK_syntheticTest(int cLevel, int cLevelLast, double compressibility
 
     /* Bench */
     snprintf (name, sizeof(name), "Synthetic %2u%%", (unsigned)(compressibility*100));
-    BMK_benchCLevel(srcBuffer, benchedSize, name, cLevel, cLevelLast, &benchedSize, 1, NULL, 0, compressionParams);
+    BMK_benchCLevel(srcBuffer, benchedSize, name, cLevel, cLevelLast, &benchedSize, 1, NULL, 0, compressionParams, setRealTimePrio);
 
     /* clean up */
     free(srcBuffer);
@@ -577,7 +580,7 @@ static void BMK_syntheticTest(int cLevel, int cLevelLast, double compressibility
 
 
 int BMK_benchFiles(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, const char* dictFileName,
-                   int cLevel, int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams)
+                   int cLevel, int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams, int setRealTimePrio)
 {
     double const compressibility = (double)g_compressibilityDefault / 100;
 
@@ -587,8 +590,8 @@ int BMK_benchFiles(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles, const char* di
     if (cLevelLast > cLevel) DISPLAYLEVEL(2, "Benchmarking levels from %d to %d\n", cLevel, cLevelLast);
 
     if (nbFiles == 0)
-        BMK_syntheticTest(cLevel, cLevelLast, compressibility, compressionParams);
+        BMK_syntheticTest(cLevel, cLevelLast, compressibility, compressionParams, setRealTimePrio);
     else
-        BMK_benchFileTable(fileNamesTable, nbFiles, dictFileName, cLevel, cLevelLast, compressionParams);
+        BMK_benchFileTable(fileNamesTable, nbFiles, dictFileName, cLevel, cLevelLast, compressionParams, setRealTimePrio);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/programs/bench.h b/programs/bench.h
index 2918c02b..77a527f8 100644
--- a/programs/bench.h
+++ b/programs/bench.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include "zstd.h"     /* ZSTD_compressionParameters */
 
 int BMK_benchFiles(const char** fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles,const char* dictFileName,
-                   int cLevel, int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams);
+                   int cLevel, int cLevelLast, ZSTD_compressionParameters* compressionParams, int setRealTimePrio);
 
 /* Set Parameters */
 void BMK_setNbSeconds(unsigned nbLoops);
diff --git a/programs/zstdcli.c b/programs/zstdcli.c
index 6ca294fc..30391eb0 100644
--- a/programs/zstdcli.c
+++ b/programs/zstdcli.c
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
         nextArgumentsAreFiles=0,
         ultra=0,
         lastCommand = 0,
-        nbThreads = 1;
+        nbThreads = 1,
+        setRealTimePrio = 0;
     unsigned bench_nbSeconds = 3;   /* would be better if this value was synchronized from bench */
     size_t blockSize = 0;
     zstd_operation_mode operation = zom_compress;
@@ -356,6 +357,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
                     if (!strcmp(argument, "--no-dictID")) { FIO_setDictIDFlag(0); continue; }
                     if (!strcmp(argument, "--keep")) { FIO_setRemoveSrcFile(0); continue; }
                     if (!strcmp(argument, "--rm")) { FIO_setRemoveSrcFile(1); continue; }
+                    if (!strcmp(argument, "--rt-prio")) { setRealTimePrio = 1; continue; }
 
                     /* long commands with arguments */
 #ifndef  ZSTD_NODICT
@@ -574,7 +576,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
         BMK_setBlockSize(blockSize);
         BMK_setNbThreads(nbThreads);
         BMK_setNbSeconds(bench_nbSeconds);
-        BMK_benchFiles(filenameTable, filenameIdx, dictFileName, cLevel, cLevelLast, &compressionParams);
+        BMK_benchFiles(filenameTable, filenameIdx, dictFileName, cLevel, cLevelLast, &compressionParams, setRealTimePrio);
 #endif
         (void)bench_nbSeconds;
         goto _end;