diff --git a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_darwin.cc b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_darwin.cc
index d20169c7642809..4bcc5b940f68a7 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_darwin.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_darwin.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 #include <sys/un.h>
 
 #include <libproc.h>
+#include <pthread/spawn.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <spawn.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
@@ -193,6 +195,19 @@ string GetSystemJavabase() {
   return javabase.substr(0, javabase.length()-1);
 }
 
+int ConfigureDaemonProcess(posix_spawnattr_t* attrp) {
+  // The Bazel server and all of its subprocesses consume a ton of resources.
+  //
+  // It is common for these processes to rely on system services started by
+  // launchd and launchd-initiated services typically run as the Utility QoS
+  // class. We should run Bazel at the same level or otherwise we risk starving
+  // these services that we require to function properly.
+  //
+  // Explicitly lowering Bazel to run at the Utility QoS class also improves
+  // general system responsiveness.
+  return posix_spawnattr_set_qos_class_np(attrp, QOS_CLASS_UTILITY);
+}
+
 void WriteSystemSpecificProcessIdentifier(
     const string& server_dir, pid_t server_pid) {
 }
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_freebsd.cc b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_freebsd.cc
index b9721688e7e590..6ae37a12c1959c 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_freebsd.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_freebsd.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <spawn.h>
 #include <string.h>  // strerror
 #include <sys/mount.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -154,6 +155,11 @@ string GetSystemJavabase() {
   return "/usr/local/openjdk8";
 }
 
+int ConfigureDaemonProcess(posix_spawnattr_t* attrp) {
+  // No interesting platform-specific details to configure on this platform.
+  return 0;
+}
+
 void WriteSystemSpecificProcessIdentifier(
     const string& server_dir, pid_t server_pid) {
 }
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_linux.cc b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_linux.cc
index 3801028e2ddb28..11047e2ec30828 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_linux.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_linux.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <linux/magic.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <spawn.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>  // strerror
@@ -212,6 +213,11 @@ static bool GetStartTime(const string& pid, string* start_time) {
   return true;
 }
 
+int ConfigureDaemonProcess(posix_spawnattr_t* attrp) {
+  // No interesting platform-specific details to configure on this platform.
+  return 0;
+}
+
 void WriteSystemSpecificProcessIdentifier(
     const string& server_dir, pid_t server_pid) {
   string pid_string = ToString(server_pid);
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_posix.cc b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_posix.cc
index c4206589c1d2b5..641878c0e24c84 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_posix.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/blaze_util_posix.cc
@@ -276,6 +276,11 @@ void ExecuteProgram(const string& exe, const vector<string>& args_vector) {
   BAZEL_LOG(INFO) << "Invoking binary " << exe << " in "
                   << blaze_util::GetCwd();
 
+  // TODO(jmmv): This execution does not respect any settings we might apply
+  // to the server process with ConfigureDaemonProcess when executed in the
+  // background as a daemon.  Because we use that function to lower the
+  // priority of Bazel on macOS from a QoS perspective, this could have
+  // adverse scheduling effects on any tools invoked via ExecuteProgram.
   CharPP argv(args_vector);
   execv(exe.c_str(), argv.get());
 }
@@ -325,6 +330,12 @@ bool SocketBlazeServerStartup::IsStillAlive() {
   }
 }
 
+// Sets platform-specific attributes for the creation of the daemon process.
+//
+// Returns zero on success or -1 on error, in which case errno is set to the
+// corresponding error details.
+int ConfigureDaemonProcess(posix_spawnattr_t* attrp);
+
 void WriteSystemSpecificProcessIdentifier(
     const string& server_dir, pid_t server_pid);
 
@@ -366,8 +377,18 @@ int ExecuteDaemon(const string& exe,
       << "Failed to modify posix_spawn_file_actions: "<< GetLastErrorString();
   }
 
+  posix_spawnattr_t attrp;
+  if (posix_spawnattr_init(&attrp) == -1) {
+    BAZEL_DIE(blaze_exit_code::INTERNAL_ERROR)
+      << "Failed to create posix_spawnattr: "<< GetLastErrorString();
+  }
+  if (ConfigureDaemonProcess(&attrp) == -1) {
+    BAZEL_DIE(blaze_exit_code::INTERNAL_ERROR)
+      << "Failed to modify posix_spawnattr: "<< GetLastErrorString();
+  }
+
   pid_t transient_pid;
-  if (posix_spawn(&transient_pid, daemonize.c_str(), &file_actions, NULL,
+  if (posix_spawn(&transient_pid, daemonize.c_str(), &file_actions, &attrp,
       CharPP(daemonize_args).get(), CharPP(env).get()) == -1) {
     BAZEL_DIE(blaze_exit_code::INTERNAL_ERROR)
       << "Failed to execute JVM via " << daemonize
@@ -375,6 +396,7 @@ int ExecuteDaemon(const string& exe,
   }
   close(fds[1]);
 
+  posix_spawnattr_destroy(&attrp);
   posix_spawn_file_actions_destroy(&file_actions);
 
   // Wait for daemonize to exit. This guarantees that the pid file exists.