diff --git a/buffer.c b/buffer.c
index 99aa1d58..19897296 100644
--- a/buffer.c
+++ b/buffer.c
@@ -404,7 +404,8 @@ evbuffer_defer_callbacks(struct evbuffer *buffer, struct event_base *base)
 	EVBUFFER_LOCK(buffer);
 	buffer->cb_queue = base;
 	buffer->deferred_cbs = 1;
-	event_deferred_cb_init_(base, &buffer->deferred,
+	event_deferred_cb_init_(&buffer->deferred,
+	    event_base_get_npriorities(base) / 2,
 	    evbuffer_deferred_callback, buffer);
 	EVBUFFER_UNLOCK(buffer);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/bufferevent.c b/bufferevent.c
index f47153c9..98003ac7 100644
--- a/bufferevent.c
+++ b/bufferevent.c
@@ -324,14 +324,14 @@ bufferevent_init_common_(struct bufferevent_private *bufev_private,
 	if (options & BEV_OPT_DEFER_CALLBACKS) {
 		if (options & BEV_OPT_UNLOCK_CALLBACKS)
 			event_deferred_cb_init_(
-			    bufev->ev_base,
 			    &bufev_private->deferred,
+			    event_base_get_npriorities(base) / 2,
 			    bufferevent_run_deferred_callbacks_unlocked,
 			    bufev_private);
 		else
 			event_deferred_cb_init_(
-			    bufev->ev_base,
 			    &bufev_private->deferred,
+			    event_base_get_npriorities(base) / 2,
 			    bufferevent_run_deferred_callbacks_locked,
 			    bufev_private);
 	}
diff --git a/bufferevent_pair.c b/bufferevent_pair.c
index da4b1117..16edad3d 100644
--- a/bufferevent_pair.c
+++ b/bufferevent_pair.c
@@ -260,8 +260,9 @@ be_pair_disable(struct bufferevent *bev, short events)
 	if (events & EV_READ) {
 		BEV_DEL_GENERIC_READ_TIMEOUT(bev);
 	}
-	if (events & EV_WRITE)
+	if (events & EV_WRITE) {
 		BEV_DEL_GENERIC_WRITE_TIMEOUT(bev);
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/bufferevent_sock.c b/bufferevent_sock.c
index 3f782155..50270be9 100644
--- a/bufferevent_sock.c
+++ b/bufferevent_sock.c
@@ -636,6 +636,8 @@ int
 bufferevent_priority_set(struct bufferevent *bufev, int priority)
 {
 	int r = -1;
+	struct bufferevent_private *bufev_p =
+	    EVUTIL_UPCAST(bufev, struct bufferevent_private, bev);
 
 	BEV_LOCK(bufev);
 	if (bufev->be_ops != &bufferevent_ops_socket)
@@ -646,6 +648,8 @@ bufferevent_priority_set(struct bufferevent *bufev, int priority)
 	if (event_priority_set(&bufev->ev_write, priority) == -1)
 		goto done;
 
+	event_deferred_cb_set_priority_(&bufev_p->deferred, priority);
+
 	r = 0;
 done:
 	BEV_UNLOCK(bufev);
diff --git a/defer-internal.h b/defer-internal.h
index f2ed2823..d8cf32f4 100644
--- a/defer-internal.h
+++ b/defer-internal.h
@@ -42,10 +42,15 @@ typedef void (*deferred_cb_fn)(struct event_callback *, void *);
    Initialize an empty, non-pending event_callback.
 
    @param deferred The struct event_callback structure to initialize.
+   @param priority The priority that the callback should run at.
    @param cb The function to run when the struct event_callback executes.
    @param arg The function's second argument.
  */
-void event_deferred_cb_init_(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *, deferred_cb_fn, void *);
+void event_deferred_cb_init_(struct event_callback *, ev_uint8_t, deferred_cb_fn, void *);
+/**
+   Change the priority of a non-pending event_callback.
+ */
+void event_deferred_cb_set_priority_(struct event_callback *, ev_uint8_t);
 /**
    Cancel a struct event_callback if it is currently scheduled in an event_base.
  */
diff --git a/evdns.c b/evdns.c
index b815b9d0..ae86fe92 100644
--- a/evdns.c
+++ b/evdns.c
@@ -836,8 +836,10 @@ reply_schedule_callback(struct request *const req, u32 ttl, u32 err, struct repl
 		d->handle = req->handle;
 	}
 
-	event_deferred_cb_init_(req->base->event_base,
-	    &d->deferred, reply_run_callback,
+	event_deferred_cb_init_(
+	    &d->deferred,
+	    event_get_priority(&req->timeout_event),
+	    reply_run_callback,
 	    req->user_pointer);
 	event_deferred_cb_schedule_(
 		req->base->event_base,
diff --git a/event-internal.h b/event-internal.h
index 4757836c..2c908208 100644
--- a/event-internal.h
+++ b/event-internal.h
@@ -218,6 +218,12 @@ struct event_base {
 	 * reentrant invocation. */
 	int running_loop;
 
+	/** Set to the number of deferred_cbs we've made 'active' in the
+	 * loop.  This is a hack to prevent starvation; it would be smarter
+	 * to just use event_config_set_max_dispatch_interval's max_callbacks
+	 * feature */
+	int n_deferreds_queued;
+
 	/* Active event management. */
 	/** An array of nactivequeues queues for active event_callbacks (ones
 	 * that have triggered, and whose callbacks need to be called).  Low
diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index 2080d256..56d12ab6 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -1072,8 +1072,8 @@ event_config_set_max_dispatch_interval(struct event_config *cfg,
 		cfg->max_dispatch_interval.tv_sec = -1;
 	cfg->max_dispatch_callbacks =
 	    max_callbacks >= 0 ? max_callbacks : INT_MAX;
-	if (min_priority <= 0)
-		min_priority = 1;
+	if (min_priority < 0)
+		min_priority = 0;
 	cfg->limit_callbacks_after_prio = min_priority;
 	return (0);
 }
@@ -1683,6 +1683,7 @@ event_base_loop(struct event_base *base, int flags)
 
 	while (!done) {
 		base->event_continue = 0;
+		base->n_deferreds_queued = 0;
 
 		/* Terminate the loop if we have been asked to */
 		if (base->event_gotterm) {
@@ -2593,21 +2594,28 @@ event_callback_cancel_nolock_(struct event_base *base,
 	case 0:
 		break;
 	}
+
+	event_base_assert_ok_(base);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
 void
-event_deferred_cb_init_(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *cb, deferred_cb_fn fn, void *arg)
+event_deferred_cb_init_(struct event_callback *cb, ev_uint8_t priority, deferred_cb_fn fn, void *arg)
 {
-	if (!base)
-		base = current_base;
 	memset(cb, 0, sizeof(*cb));
 	cb->evcb_cb_union.evcb_selfcb = fn;
 	cb->evcb_arg = arg;
-	cb->evcb_pri = base->nactivequeues - 1;
+	cb->evcb_pri = priority;
 	cb->evcb_closure = EV_CLOSURE_CB_SELF;
 }
 
+void
+event_deferred_cb_set_priority_(struct event_callback *cb, ev_uint8_t priority)
+{
+	cb->evcb_pri = priority;
+}
+
 void
 event_deferred_cb_cancel_(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *cb)
 {
@@ -2616,12 +2624,22 @@ event_deferred_cb_cancel_(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *cb)
 	event_callback_cancel_(base, cb);
 }
 
+#define MAX_DEFERREDS_QUEUED 32
 int
 event_deferred_cb_schedule_(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *cb)
 {
+	int r = 1;
 	if (!base)
 		base = current_base;
-	return event_callback_activate_(base, cb);
+	EVBASE_ACQUIRE_LOCK(base, th_base_lock);
+	if (base->n_deferreds_queued > MAX_DEFERREDS_QUEUED) {
+		event_callback_activate_later_nolock_(base, cb);
+	} else {
+		++base->n_deferreds_queued;
+		r = event_callback_activate_nolock_(base, cb);
+	}
+	EVBASE_RELEASE_LOCK(base, th_base_lock);
+	return r;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2868,6 +2886,7 @@ event_queue_insert_active(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *evcb)
 	evcb->evcb_flags |= EVLIST_ACTIVE;
 
 	base->event_count_active++;
+	EVUTIL_ASSERT(evcb->evcb_pri < base->nactivequeues);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&base->activequeues[evcb->evcb_pri],
 	    evcb, evcb_active_next);
 }
@@ -2884,6 +2903,7 @@ event_queue_insert_active_later(struct event_base *base, struct event_callback *
 	INCR_EVENT_COUNT(base, evcb->evcb_flags);
 	evcb->evcb_flags |= EVLIST_ACTIVE_LATER;
 	base->event_count_active++;
+	EVUTIL_ASSERT(evcb->evcb_pri < base->nactivequeues);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&base->active_later_queue, evcb, evcb_active_next);
 }
 
@@ -2920,7 +2940,9 @@ event_queue_make_later_events_active(struct event_base *base)
 	while ((evcb = TAILQ_FIRST(&base->active_later_queue))) {
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&base->active_later_queue, evcb, evcb_active_next);
 		evcb->evcb_flags = (evcb->evcb_flags & ~EVLIST_ACTIVE_LATER) | EVLIST_ACTIVE;
+		EVUTIL_ASSERT(evcb->evcb_pri < base->nactivequeues);
 		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&base->activequeues[evcb->evcb_pri], evcb, evcb_active_next);
+		base->n_deferreds_queued += (evcb->evcb_closure == EV_CLOSURE_CB_SELF);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index 63224f8d..936d4321 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -2197,8 +2197,9 @@ evhttp_connection_base_bufferevent_new(struct event_base *base, struct evdns_bas
 			bufferevent_base_set(base, evcon->bufev);
 	}
 
-	event_deferred_cb_init_(evcon->base,
+	event_deferred_cb_init_(
 	    &evcon->read_more_deferred_cb,
+	    bufferevent_get_priority(bev),
 	    evhttp_deferred_read_cb, evcon);
 
 	evcon->dns_base = dnsbase;
diff --git a/listener.c b/listener.c
index 30fd4c11..7cec0571 100644
--- a/listener.c
+++ b/listener.c
@@ -498,7 +498,8 @@ new_accepting_socket(struct evconnlistener_iocp *lev, int family)
 	res->family = family;
 
 	event_deferred_cb_init_(&res->deferred,
-		accepted_socket_invoke_user_cb, res);
+	    event_base_get_npriorities(base) / 2,
+	    accepted_socket_invoke_user_cb, res);
 
 	InitializeCriticalSectionAndSpinCount(&res->lock, 1000);
 
diff --git a/test/regress_thread.c b/test/regress_thread.c
index 2c668329..24ac0ef6 100644
--- a/test/regress_thread.c
+++ b/test/regress_thread.c
@@ -439,7 +439,8 @@ load_deferred_queue(void *arg)
 	size_t i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < CB_COUNT; ++i) {
-		event_deferred_cb_init_(data->queue, &data->cbs[i], deferred_callback, NULL);
+		event_deferred_cb_init_(&data->cbs[i], 0, deferred_callback,
+		    NULL);
 		event_deferred_cb_schedule_(data->queue, &data->cbs[i]);
 		SLEEP_MS(1);
 	}
@@ -469,20 +470,28 @@ thread_deferred_cb_skew(void *arg)
 {
 	struct basic_test_data *data = arg;
 	struct timeval tv_timer = {1, 0};
-	struct event_base *queue = data->base;
+	struct event_base *base = NULL;
+	struct event_config *cfg = NULL;
 	struct timeval elapsed;
 	int elapsed_usec;
 	int i;
 
+	cfg = event_config_new();
+	tt_assert(cfg);
+	event_config_set_max_dispatch_interval(cfg, NULL, 16, 0);
+
+	base = event_base_new_with_config(cfg);
+	tt_assert(base);
+
 	for (i = 0; i < QUEUE_THREAD_COUNT; ++i)
-		deferred_data[i].queue = queue;
+		deferred_data[i].queue = base;
 
 	evutil_gettimeofday(&timer_start, NULL);
-	event_base_once(data->base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, timer_callback, NULL,
+	event_base_once(base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, timer_callback, NULL,
 			&tv_timer);
-	event_base_once(data->base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, start_threads_callback,
+	event_base_once(base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, start_threads_callback,
 			NULL, NULL);
-	event_base_dispatch(data->base);
+	event_base_dispatch(base);
 
 	evutil_timersub(&timer_end, &timer_start, &elapsed);
 	TT_BLATHER(("callback count, %u", callback_count));
@@ -497,6 +506,10 @@ thread_deferred_cb_skew(void *arg)
 end:
 	for (i = 0; i < QUEUE_THREAD_COUNT; ++i)
 		THREAD_JOIN(load_threads[i]);
+	if (base)
+		event_base_free(base);
+	if (cfg)
+		event_config_free(cfg);
 }
 
 static struct event time_events[5];
@@ -580,7 +593,8 @@ struct testcase_t thread_testcases[] = {
 	  &basic_setup, (char*)"forking" },
 #endif
 	TEST(conditions_simple),
-	TEST(deferred_cb_skew),
+	{ "deferred_cb_skew", thread_deferred_cb_skew, TT_FORK|TT_NEED_THREADS,
+	  &basic_setup, NULL },
 	TEST(no_events),
 	END_OF_TESTCASES
 };