diff --git a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox.run b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox.run
index 482a3e1a92..8f131e580f 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox.run
+++ b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox.run
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ build $build_components
 create_boot_directory
 
 set config {
-<config>
+<config prio_levels="4">
 	<parent-provides>
 		<service name="ROM"/>
 		<service name="RAM"/>
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ set config {
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec acpi] config {
-	<start name="acpi">
+	<start name="acpi" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="5M"/>
 		<binary name="acpi_drv"/>
 		<provides>
@@ -51,25 +51,25 @@ append_if [have_spec acpi] config {
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [expr ![have_spec acpi] && [have_spec pci]] config {
-	<start name="pci_drv">
+	<start name="pci_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="2M"/>
 		<provides> <service name="PCI"/> </provides>
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec ps2] config {
-	<start name="ps2_drv">
+	<start name="ps2_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1M"/>
 		<provides><service name="Input"/></provides>
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec framebuffer] config {
-	<start name="fb_drv">
+	<start name="fb_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="4M"/>
 		<provides><service name="Framebuffer"/></provides>
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec sdl] config {
-	<start name="fb_sdl">
+	<start name="fb_sdl" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="4M"/>
 		<provides>
 			<service name="Input"/>
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ append_if [have_spec sdl] config {
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec x86] config {
-	<start name="rtc_drv">
+	<start name="rtc_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1M"/>
 		<provides>
 			<service name="Rtc"/>
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ append_if [have_spec x86] config {
 	</start>}
 
 append config {
-	<start name="virtualbox">
+	<start name="virtualbox" priority="-2">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1G"/>
 		<config>
 			<image type="iso" file="test.iso" />
diff --git a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto.inc b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto.inc
index 703b24c73d..70f93caa49 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto.inc
+++ b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto.inc
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ build $build_components
 create_boot_directory
 
 set config {
-<config verbose="yes">
+<config verbose="yes" prio_levels="4">
 	<parent-provides>
 		<service name="ROM"/>
 		<service name="RAM"/>
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ set config {
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1M"/>
 		<provides><service name="Timer"/></provides>
 	</start>
-	<start name="ahci">
+	<start name="ahci" priority="-1">
 		<binary name="ahci" />
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="10M" />
 		<provides><service name="Block" /></provides>
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ set config {
 			<any-service> <parent /> <any-child /></any-service>
 		</route>
 	</start>
-	<start name="part_blk">
+	<start name="part_blk" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="10M" />
 		<provides><service name="Block" /></provides>
 		<route>
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ set config {
 			<policy label="rump_fs" partition="4"/>
 		</config>
 	</start>
-	<start name="rump_fs">
+	<start name="rump_fs" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="32M" />
 		<provides><service name="File_system"/></provides>
 		<config fs="ext2fs"><policy label="" root="/" writeable="yes"/></config>
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ set config {
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec acpi] config {
-	<start name="acpi">
+	<start name="acpi" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="10M"/>
 		<binary name="acpi_drv"/>
 		<provides>
@@ -88,26 +88,26 @@ append_if [have_spec acpi] config {
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [expr ![have_spec acpi] && [have_spec pci]] config {
-	<start name="pci_drv">
+	<start name="pci_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="2M"/>
 		<provides> <service name="PCI"/> </provides>
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec ps2] config {
-	<start name="ps2_drv">
+	<start name="ps2_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1M"/>
 		<provides><service name="Input"/></provides>
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec framebuffer] config {
-	<start name="fb_drv">
+	<start name="fb_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="6M"/>
 		<provides><service name="Framebuffer"/></provides>
 		<config buffered="yes" width="1024" height="768" depth="16" />
 	</start>}
 
 append_if [have_spec x86] config {
-	<start name="rtc_drv">
+	<start name="rtc_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1M"/>
 		<provides>
 			<service name="Rtc"/>
diff --git a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_disk.run b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_disk.run
index cae91360b1..8fcdbc0cc3 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_disk.run
+++ b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_disk.run
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ set use_iso 0
 set vdi_image "win7.vdi"
 
 set config_of_app {
-	<start name="vbox-auto-test-helper">
+	<start name="vbox-auto-test-helper" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="10M"/>
 		<route>
 			<service name="File_system"> <child name="rump_fs"/> </service>
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ set build_components { }
 set boot_modules { }
 
 set config_of_app {
-	<start name="vbox">
+	<start name="vbox" priority="-2">
 		<binary name="virtualbox" />
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="2G"/>
 		<config>}
diff --git a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_share.run b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_share.run
index 77b789e96b..1f05f0be53 100644
--- a/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_share.run
+++ b/repos/ports/run/virtualbox_auto_share.run
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ catch { exec dd if=/dev/urandom of=bin/test.bin bs=4096 count=8160 }
 # Step 0: prepare overlay.vdi for a clean run of the VM
 #
 set config_of_app {
-	<start name="vbox-auto-test-helper">
+	<start name="vbox-auto-test-helper" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="10M"/>
 		<route>
 			<service name="File_system"> <child name="rump_fs"/> </service>
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ set boot_modules {
 }
 
 set config_of_app {
-	<start name="nic_drv">
+	<start name="nic_drv" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="4M"/>
 		<provides> <service name="Nic"/> </provides>
 		<route>
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ set config_of_app {
 		</route>
 	</start>
 
-	<start name="tcp_terminal">
+	<start name="tcp_terminal" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="5M"/>
 		<provides> <service name="Terminal"/> </provides>
 		<config>
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ set config_of_app {
 		</config>
 	</start>
 
-	<start name="noux">
+	<start name="noux" priority="-1">
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="32M" />
 		<config>
 			<fstab>
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ set config_of_app {
 		</route>
 	</start>
 
-	<start name="ram_fs_from">
+	<start name="ram_fs_from" priority="-1">
 		<binary name="ram_fs" />
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="64M"/>
 		<provides><service name="File_system"/></provides>
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ set config_of_app {
 		</config>
 	</start>
 
-	<start name="ram_fs_to">
+	<start name="ram_fs_to" priority="-1">
 		<binary name="ram_fs" />
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="64M"/>
 		<provides><service name="File_system"/></provides>
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ set config_of_app {
 		</config>
 	</start>
 
-	<start name="vbox">
+	<start name="vbox" priority="-2">
 		<binary name="virtualbox" />
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="1536M"/>
 		<config>