diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index 56273b6df..e6563ff3d 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -5052,19 +5052,24 @@ static gint
 fu_engine_sort_releases_cb(gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b, gpointer user_data)
 {
 	FuDevice *device = FU_DEVICE(user_data);
-	FwupdRelease *rel_a = FWUPD_RELEASE(*((FwupdRelease **)a));
-	FwupdRelease *rel_b = FWUPD_RELEASE(*((FwupdRelease **)b));
+	FuRelease *rel_a = FU_RELEASE(*((FuRelease **)a));
+	FuRelease *rel_b = FU_RELEASE(*((FuRelease **)b));
 	gint rc;
 
 	/* first by branch */
-	rc = g_strcmp0(fwupd_release_get_branch(rel_b), fwupd_release_get_branch(rel_a));
+	rc = g_strcmp0(fu_release_get_branch(rel_b), fu_release_get_branch(rel_a));
 	if (rc != 0)
 		return rc;
 
 	/* then by version */
-	return fu_version_compare(fwupd_release_get_version(rel_b),
-				  fwupd_release_get_version(rel_a),
-				  fu_device_get_version_format(device));
+	rc = fu_version_compare(fu_release_get_version(rel_b),
+				fu_release_get_version(rel_a),
+				fu_device_get_version_format(device));
+	if (rc != 0)
+		return rc;
+
+	/* then by priority */
+	return fu_release_compare(rel_a, rel_b);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/fu-release.c b/src/fu-release.c
index 30788b6f0..af83db2ff 100644
--- a/src/fu-release.c
+++ b/src/fu-release.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ struct _FuRelease {
 	gboolean is_downgrade;
 	GPtrArray *soft_reqs; /* nullable, element-type XbNode */
 	GPtrArray *hard_reqs; /* nullable, element-type XbNode */
+	guint64 priority;
 };
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE(FuRelease, fu_release, FWUPD_TYPE_RELEASE)
@@ -618,6 +619,13 @@ fu_release_check_requirements(FuRelease *self,
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+void
+fu_release_set_priority(FuRelease *self, guint64 priority)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail(FU_IS_RELEASE(self));
+	self->priority = priority;
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_release_load:
  * @self: a #FuRelease
@@ -689,6 +697,9 @@ fu_release_load(FuRelease *self,
 	tmp = xb_node_query_text(component, "developer_name", NULL);
 	if (tmp != NULL)
 		fwupd_release_set_vendor(FWUPD_RELEASE(self), tmp);
+	tmp64 = xb_node_get_attr_as_uint(component, "priority");
+	if (tmp64 != G_MAXUINT64)
+		fu_release_set_priority(self, tmp64);
 
 	/* use default release */
 	if (rel_optional == NULL) {
@@ -1014,7 +1025,7 @@ fu_release_get_action_id(FuRelease *self)
  * @release1: first task to compare.
  * @release2: second task to compare.
  *
- * Compares two install tasks.
+ * Compares two releases.
  *
  * Returns: 1, 0 or -1 if @release1 is greater, equal, or less than @release2, respectively.
  **/
@@ -1023,10 +1034,18 @@ fu_release_compare(FuRelease *release1, FuRelease *release2)
 {
 	FuDevice *device1 = fu_release_get_device(release1);
 	FuDevice *device2 = fu_release_get_device(release2);
+
+	/* device order, lower is better */
 	if (fu_device_get_order(device1) < fu_device_get_order(device2))
 		return -1;
 	if (fu_device_get_order(device1) > fu_device_get_order(device2))
 		return 1;
+
+	/* release priority, higher is better */
+	if (release1->priority > release2->priority)
+		return -1;
+	if (release1->priority < release2->priority)
+		return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fu-release.h b/src/fu-release.h
index 9233d9fbe..910381e2a 100644
--- a/src/fu-release.h
+++ b/src/fu-release.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ fu_release_new(void);
 #define fu_release_add_flag(r, v)     fwupd_release_add_flag(FWUPD_RELEASE(r), v)
 #define fu_release_add_tag(r, v)      fwupd_release_add_tag(FWUPD_RELEASE(r), v)
 #define fu_release_add_metadata(r, v) fwupd_release_add_metadata(FWUPD_RELEASE(r), v)
+#define fu_release_set_branch(r, v)   fwupd_release_set_branch(FWUPD_RELEASE(r), v)
 
 FuDevice *
 fu_release_get_device(FuRelease *self);
@@ -58,3 +59,5 @@ const gchar *
 fu_release_get_action_id(FuRelease *self);
 gint
 fu_release_compare(FuRelease *release1, FuRelease *release2);
+void
+fu_release_set_priority(FuRelease *self, guint64 priority);
diff --git a/src/fu-self-test.c b/src/fu-self-test.c
index e4c1b8a4b..916e59d67 100644
--- a/src/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/src/fu-self-test.c
@@ -4096,7 +4096,6 @@ fu_spawn_timeout_func(void)
 static void
 fu_release_compare_func(gconstpointer user_data)
 {
-	FuDevice *device_tmp;
 	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) releases = g_ptr_array_new();
 	g_autoptr(FuDevice) device1 = fu_device_new(NULL);
 	g_autoptr(FuDevice) device2 = fu_device_new(NULL);
@@ -4105,25 +4104,31 @@ fu_release_compare_func(gconstpointer user_data)
 	g_autoptr(FuRelease) release2 = fu_release_new();
 	g_autoptr(FuRelease) release3 = fu_release_new();
 
-	fu_device_set_order(device1, 99);
+	fu_device_set_order(device1, 33);
 	fu_release_set_device(release1, device1);
-	g_ptr_array_add(releases, release1);
+	fu_release_set_priority(release1, 0);
+	fu_release_set_branch(release1, "1");
+
 	fu_device_set_order(device2, 11);
 	fu_release_set_device(release2, device2);
-	g_ptr_array_add(releases, release2);
-	fu_device_set_order(device3, 33);
+	fu_release_set_priority(release2, 0);
+	fu_release_set_branch(release2, "2");
+
+	fu_device_set_order(device3, 11);
 	fu_release_set_device(release3, device3);
+	fu_release_set_priority(release3, 99);
+	fu_release_set_branch(release3, "3");
+
+	g_ptr_array_add(releases, release1);
+	g_ptr_array_add(releases, release2);
 	g_ptr_array_add(releases, release3);
 
 	/* order the install tasks */
 	g_ptr_array_sort(releases, fu_release_compare_func_cb);
 	g_assert_cmpint(releases->len, ==, 3);
-	device_tmp = fu_release_get_device(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 0));
-	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_order(device_tmp), ==, 11);
-	device_tmp = fu_release_get_device(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 1));
-	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_order(device_tmp), ==, 33);
-	device_tmp = fu_release_get_device(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 2));
-	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_order(device_tmp), ==, 99);
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_release_get_branch(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 0)), ==, "3");
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_release_get_branch(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 1)), ==, "2");
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_release_get_branch(g_ptr_array_index(releases, 2)), ==, "1");
 }
 
 static void