diff --git a/lrzip_core.h b/lrzip_core.h
index 1bffc8b..2a95e50 100644
--- a/lrzip_core.h
+++ b/lrzip_core.h
@@ -48,6 +48,4 @@ extern void zpaq_compress(uchar *c_buf, i64 *c_len, uchar *s_buf, i64 s_len, int
 extern void zpaq_decompress(uchar *s_buf, i64 *d_len, uchar *c_buf, i64 c_len,
 			    FILE *msgout, bool progress, long thread);
 
-static int current_priority;
-
 #endif
diff --git a/lrzip_private.h b/lrzip_private.h
index 5f15467..c7e5d49 100644
--- a/lrzip_private.h
+++ b/lrzip_private.h
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ struct rzip_control {
 	i64 max_mmap;
 	int threads;
 	char nice_val;		// added for consistency
+	int current_priority;
 	char major_version;
 	char minor_version;
 	i64 st_size;
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 470f898..859fdf2 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -569,19 +569,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* Set the main nice value to half that of the backend threads since
 	 * the rzip stage is usually the rate limiting step */
-	current_priority = getpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0);
+	control->current_priority = getpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0);
 	if (!NO_COMPRESS) {
 		/* If niceness can't be set. just reset process priority */
 		if (unlikely(setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, control->nice_val/2) == -1)) {
 			print_err("Warning, unable to set nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n",
-				control->nice_val, current_priority);
-			setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=current_priority));
+				control->nice_val, control->current_priority);
+			setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=control->current_priority));
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (unlikely(setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, control->nice_val) == -1)) {
 			print_err("Warning, unable to set nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n",
-				control->nice_val, current_priority);
-			setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=current_priority));
+				control->nice_val, control->current_priority);
+			setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=control->current_priority));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/stream.c b/stream.c
index 7196863..f5d26be 100644
--- a/stream.c
+++ b/stream.c
@@ -1278,8 +1278,8 @@ static void *compthread(void *data)
 	ctis = cti->sinfo;
 
 	if (unlikely(setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, control->nice_val) == -1)) {
-		print_err("Warning, unable to set thread nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n", control->nice_val, current_priority);
-		setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=current_priority));
+		print_err("Warning, unable to set thread nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n", control->nice_val, control->current_priority);
+		setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=control->current_priority));
 	}
 	cti->c_type = CTYPE_NONE;
 	cti->c_len = cti->s_len;
@@ -1515,8 +1515,8 @@ static void *ucompthread(void *data)
 	uci = &ucthread[i];
 
 	if (unlikely(setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, control->nice_val) == -1)) {
-		print_err("Warning, unable to set thread nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n", control->nice_val, current_priority);
-		setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=current_priority));
+		print_err("Warning, unable to set thread nice value %d...Resetting to %d\n", control->nice_val, control->current_priority);
+		setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, (control->nice_val=control->current_priority));
 	}
 
 retry: