diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Characters/Character.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Characters/Character.cs
index 47874398f..17269f919 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Characters/Character.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Characters/Character.cs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ namespace Barotrauma
     {
         public static List<Character> CharacterList = new List<Character>();
 
+        public static int CharacterUpdateInterval = 1;
+        private static int characterUpdateTick = 1;
+
         partial void UpdateLimbLightSource(Limb limb);
 
         private bool enabled = true;
@@ -2667,9 +2670,23 @@ namespace Barotrauma
                 }
             }
 
-            for (int i = 0; i < CharacterList.Count; i++)
+            characterUpdateTick++;
+
+            if (characterUpdateTick % CharacterUpdateInterval == 0)
             {
-                CharacterList[i].Update(deltaTime, cam);
+                for (int i = 0; i < CharacterList.Count; i++)
+                {
+                    if (GameMain.Lua.game.updatePriorityCharacters.Contains(CharacterList[i])) continue;
+
+                    CharacterList[i].Update(deltaTime * CharacterUpdateInterval, cam);
+                }
+            }
+
+            foreach (Character character in GameMain.Lua.game.updatePriorityCharacters)
+            {
+                if (character.Removed) continue;
+
+                character.Update(deltaTime, cam);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Lua/LuaClasses/LuaGame.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Lua/LuaClasses/LuaGame.cs
index b197f41c2..10e2cd882 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Lua/LuaClasses/LuaGame.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/SharedSource/Lua/LuaClasses/LuaGame.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,14 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 			set { MapEntity.GapUpdateInterval = value; }
 		}
 
+		public int characterUpdateInterval
+		{
+			get { return Character.CharacterUpdateInterval; }
+			set { Character.CharacterUpdateInterval = value; }
+		}
+
 		public HashSet<Item> updatePriorityItems = new HashSet<Item>();
+		public HashSet<Character> updatePriorityCharacters = new HashSet<Character>();
 
 		public void AddPriorityItem(Item item)
 		{
@@ -79,6 +86,21 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 			updatePriorityItems.Clear();
 		}
 
+		public void AddPriorityCharacter(Character character)
+		{
+			updatePriorityCharacters.Add(character);
+		}
+
+		public void RemovePriorityCharacter(Character character)
+		{
+			updatePriorityCharacters.Remove(character);
+		}
+
+		public void ClearPriorityCharacter()
+		{
+			updatePriorityCharacters.Clear();
+		}
+
 		public bool RoundStarted
 		{
 
@@ -476,6 +498,7 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 		{
 			mapEntityUpdateInterval = 1;
 			gapUpdateInterval = 4;
+			characterUpdateInterval = 1;
 
 			foreach (var cmd in luaAddedCommand)
 			{