diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Cron/Console/Command/CronCommand.php b/app/code/Magento/Cron/Console/Command/CronCommand.php
index 142a9a397eb5f..91129e8d63185 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Cron/Console/Command/CronCommand.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Cron/Console/Command/CronCommand.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public function __construct(
     }
 
     /**
-     * {@inheritdoc}
+     * @inheritDoc
      */
     protected function configure()
     {
@@ -86,10 +86,16 @@ protected function configure()
     /**
      * Runs cron jobs if cron is not disabled in Magento configurations
      *
-     * {@inheritdoc}
+     * @param InputInterface $input
+     * @param OutputInterface $output
      */
     protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
     {
+        // Tasks run via cron are slightly less important than website visitors.
+        if (function_exists('proc_nice')) {
+            proc_nice(5);
+        }
+
         if (!$this->deploymentConfig->get('cron/enabled', 1)) {
             $output->writeln('<info>' . 'Cron is disabled. Jobs were not run.' . '</info>');
             return;