diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_fsm.c b/bgpd/bgp_fsm.c
index 98ebf5138541..9047f3277e31 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_fsm.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_fsm.c
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ static void bgp_connect_timer(struct event *thread)
 /* BGP holdtime timer. */
 static void bgp_holdtime_timer(struct event *thread)
 {
-	atomic_size_t inq_count;
+	atomic_size_t inq_count, inq_count_priority;
 	struct peer_connection *connection = EVENT_ARG(thread);
 	struct peer *peer = connection->peer;
 
@@ -523,7 +523,11 @@ static void bgp_holdtime_timer(struct event *thread)
 	 */
 	inq_count = atomic_load_explicit(&connection->ibuf->count,
 					 memory_order_relaxed);
-	if (inq_count)
+	inq_count_priority =
+		atomic_load_explicit(&connection->ibuf_priority->count,
+				     memory_order_relaxed);
+
+	if (inq_count + inq_count_priority)
 		BGP_TIMER_ON(connection->t_holdtime, bgp_holdtime_timer,
 			     peer->v_holdtime);
 
@@ -1489,6 +1493,8 @@ enum bgp_fsm_state_progress bgp_stop(struct peer_connection *connection)
 	frr_with_mutex (&connection->io_mtx) {
 		if (connection->ibuf)
 			stream_fifo_clean(connection->ibuf);
+		if (connection->ibuf_priority)
+			stream_fifo_clean(connection->ibuf_priority);
 		if (connection->obuf)
 			stream_fifo_clean(connection->obuf);
 
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_io.c b/bgpd/bgp_io.c
index b07e69ac31bb..d8020cbc90af 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_io.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_io.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ void bgp_writes_on(struct peer_connection *connection)
 	assert(connection->status != Deleted);
 	assert(connection->obuf);
 	assert(connection->ibuf);
+	assert(connection->ibuf_priority);
 	assert(connection->ibuf_work);
 	assert(!connection->t_connect_check_r);
 	assert(!connection->t_connect_check_w);
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ void bgp_reads_on(struct peer_connection *connection)
 
 	assert(connection->status != Deleted);
 	assert(connection->ibuf);
+	assert(connection->ibuf_priority);
 	assert(connection->fd);
 	assert(connection->ibuf_work);
 	assert(connection->obuf);
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ static int read_ibuf_work(struct peer_connection *connection)
 	/* packet size as given by header */
 	uint16_t pktsize = 0;
 	struct stream *pkt;
+	uint8_t type;
 
 	/* ============================================== */
 	frr_with_mutex (&connection->io_mtx) {
@@ -200,8 +203,18 @@ static int read_ibuf_work(struct peer_connection *connection)
 	stream_set_endp(pkt, pktsize);
 
 	frrtrace(2, frr_bgp, packet_read, connection->peer, pkt);
+
+	/* get the type of message */
+	stream_forward_getp(pkt, BGP_MARKER_SIZE + 2);
+	type = *stream_pnt(pkt);
+	stream_rewind_getp(pkt, BGP_MARKER_SIZE + 2);
+
 	frr_with_mutex (&connection->io_mtx) {
-		stream_fifo_push(connection->ibuf, pkt);
+		if (type == BGP_MSG_OPEN || type == BGP_MSG_KEEPALIVE ||
+		    type == BGP_MSG_NOTIFY)
+			stream_fifo_push(connection->ibuf_priority, pkt);
+		else
+			stream_fifo_push(connection->ibuf, pkt);
 	}
 
 	return pktsize;
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_packet.c b/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
index 842fd1734ad3..da2b416da4f4 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
@@ -4027,7 +4027,9 @@ void bgp_process_packet(struct event *thread)
 		char notify_data_length[2];
 
 		frr_with_mutex (&connection->io_mtx) {
-			peer->curr = stream_fifo_pop(connection->ibuf);
+			peer->curr = stream_fifo_pop(connection->ibuf_priority);
+			if (peer->curr == NULL)
+				peer->curr = stream_fifo_pop(connection->ibuf);
 		}
 
 		if (peer->curr == NULL) // no packets to process, hmm...
@@ -4155,7 +4157,8 @@ void bgp_process_packet(struct event *thread)
 	    && fsm_update_result != FSM_PEER_STOPPED) {
 		frr_with_mutex (&connection->io_mtx) {
 			// more work to do, come back later
-			if (connection->ibuf->count > 0)
+			if (connection->ibuf->count > 0 ||
+			    connection->ibuf_priority->count)
 				event_add_event(bm->master, bgp_process_packet,
 						connection, 0,
 						&connection->t_process_packet);
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.c b/bgpd/bgpd.c
index 44cd24565a96..2c01426d8b79 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.c
@@ -1177,6 +1177,11 @@ void bgp_peer_connection_buffers_free(struct peer_connection *connection)
 			connection->ibuf = NULL;
 		}
 
+		if (connection->ibuf_priority) {
+			stream_fifo_free(connection->ibuf_priority);
+			connection->ibuf_priority = NULL;
+		}
+
 		if (connection->obuf) {
 			stream_fifo_free(connection->obuf);
 			connection->obuf = NULL;
@@ -1211,6 +1216,7 @@ struct peer_connection *bgp_peer_connection_new(struct peer *peer)
 	connection->fd = -1;
 
 	connection->ibuf = stream_fifo_new();
+	connection->ibuf_priority = stream_fifo_new();
 	connection->obuf = stream_fifo_new();
 	pthread_mutex_init(&connection->io_mtx, NULL);
 
diff --git a/bgpd/bgpd.h b/bgpd/bgpd.h
index b733be9f0dd8..546e20822f9c 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgpd.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgpd.h
@@ -1197,6 +1197,8 @@ struct peer_connection {
 	/* Packet receive and send buffer. */
 	pthread_mutex_t io_mtx;	  // guards ibuf, obuf
 	struct stream_fifo *ibuf; // packets waiting to be processed
+	struct stream_fifo *ibuf_priority; // keepalive/open/notify packets
+					   // waiting to be processed
 	struct stream_fifo *obuf; // packets waiting to be written
 
 	struct ringbuf *ibuf_work; // WiP buffer used by bgp_read() only