diff --git a/src/Abstractions/OrchestrationPriorityLevel.cs b/src/Abstractions/OrchestrationPriorityLevel.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80f7a0a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Abstractions/OrchestrationPriorityLevel.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+namespace Microsoft.DurableTask;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Priority level enum for intuitive priority specification.
+/// </summary>
+public enum OrchestrationPriorityLevel
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Unspecified priority. Uses instance key (normal priority, FIFO).
+    /// </summary>
+    Unspecified = 0,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Highest priority (priority value 0).
+    /// </summary>
+    Urgent = 1,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// High priority (priority value 1000).
+    /// </summary>
+    High = 2,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Normal priority (uses instance key, FIFO).
+    /// </summary>
+    Normal = 3,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Low priority (instance key + 1,000,000).
+    /// </summary>
+    Low = 4,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Background priority (instance key + 10,000,000).
+    /// </summary>
+    Background = 5,
+}
+
diff --git a/src/Abstractions/TaskOptions.cs b/src/Abstractions/TaskOptions.cs
index f8e527fe..7c54eacf 100644
--- a/src/Abstractions/TaskOptions.cs
+++ b/src/Abstractions/TaskOptions.cs
@@ -134,4 +134,14 @@ public record StartOrchestrationOptions(string? InstanceId = null, DateTimeOffse
     /// Gets the version to associate with the orchestration instance.
     /// </summary>
     public TaskVersion? Version { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the optional custom numeric priority. Lower numbers are processed more urgently. Takes precedence over PriorityLevel.
+    /// </summary>
+    public long? Priority { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the optional priority level for intuitive priority specification. Ignored if Priority is set.
+    /// </summary>
+    public OrchestrationPriorityLevel? PriorityLevel { get; init; }
 }
diff --git a/src/Client/Grpc/GrpcDurableTaskClient.cs b/src/Client/Grpc/GrpcDurableTaskClient.cs
index efc6d765..ef60e101 100644
--- a/src/Client/Grpc/GrpcDurableTaskClient.cs
+++ b/src/Client/Grpc/GrpcDurableTaskClient.cs
@@ -121,6 +121,17 @@ public override async Task<string> ScheduleNewOrchestrationInstanceAsync(
             request.ScheduledStartTimestamp = Timestamp.FromDateTimeOffset(startAt.Value.ToUniversalTime());
         }
 
+        // Set priority if specified (takes precedence over priorityLevel)
+        if (options?.Priority.HasValue == true)
+        {
+            request.Priority = options.Priority.Value;
+        }
+        // Set priorityLevel if specified and priority is not set
+        else if (options?.PriorityLevel.HasValue == true)
+        {
+            request.PriorityLevel = options.PriorityLevel.Value.ToGrpcPriorityLevel();
+        }
+
         using Activity? newActivity = TraceHelper.StartActivityForNewOrchestration(request);
 
         P.CreateInstanceResponse? result = await this.sidecarClient.StartInstanceAsync(
diff --git a/src/Client/Grpc/ProtoUtils.cs b/src/Client/Grpc/ProtoUtils.cs
index f5bc750d..11063ebd 100644
--- a/src/Client/Grpc/ProtoUtils.cs
+++ b/src/Client/Grpc/ProtoUtils.cs
@@ -30,4 +30,21 @@ internal static P.OrchestrationStatus ToGrpcStatus(this OrchestrationRuntimeStat
             _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(status), "Unexpected value"),
         };
 #pragma warning restore 0618 // Referencing Obsolete member.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Converts <see cref="OrchestrationPriorityLevel" /> to <see cref="P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel" />.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="priorityLevel">The priority level.</param>
+    /// <returns>A <see cref="P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel" />.</returns>
+    internal static P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel ToGrpcPriorityLevel(this OrchestrationPriorityLevel priorityLevel)
+        => priorityLevel switch
+        {
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Unspecified => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Unspecified,
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Urgent => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Urgent,
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.High => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.High,
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Normal => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Normal,
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Low => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Low,
+            OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Background => P.OrchestrationPriorityLevel.Background,
+            _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(priorityLevel), "Unexpected value"),
+        };
 }
diff --git a/src/Grpc/orchestrator_service.proto b/src/Grpc/orchestrator_service.proto
index d59bca3c..f099ffe4 100644
--- a/src/Grpc/orchestrator_service.proto
+++ b/src/Grpc/orchestrator_service.proto
@@ -358,6 +358,16 @@ message OrchestratorResponse {
     bool requiresHistory = 7;
 }
 
+// Priority level enum for intuitive priority specification
+enum OrchestrationPriorityLevel {
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_UNSPECIFIED = 0;  // Uses instance key (normal priority, FIFO)
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_URGENT = 1;       // Highest priority (priority value 0)
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_HIGH = 2;         // High priority (priority value 1000)
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_NORMAL = 3;       // Normal priority (uses instance key, FIFO)
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_LOW = 4;          // Low priority (instance key + 1,000,000)
+    ORCHESTRATION_PRIORITY_LEVEL_BACKGROUND = 5;  // Background priority (instance key + 10,000,000)
+}
+
 message CreateInstanceRequest {
     string instanceId = 1;
     string name = 2;
@@ -369,6 +379,8 @@ message CreateInstanceRequest {
     map<string, string> tags = 8;
     TraceContext parentTraceContext = 9;
     google.protobuf.Timestamp requestTime = 10;
+    google.protobuf.Int64Value priority = 11;  // Optional custom numeric priority. Lower numbers are processed more urgently. Takes precedence over priorityLevel.
+    OrchestrationPriorityLevel priorityLevel = 12;  // Optional priority level for intuitive priority specification. Ignored if priority is set.
 }
 
 message OrchestrationIdReusePolicy {