diff --git a/Nasal/loadpriority.xml b/Nasal/loadpriority.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85e5618c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Nasal/loadpriority.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!--
+ Core Nasal module load priority list.
+ The files listed below will be loaded in order before any other files in the
+ Nasal directory.  This is to avoid dependency problems that would otherwise
+ occur if aaaa.nas relied on props.nas
+-->
+<PropertyList>
+  <file n="0">props.nas</file>
+  <file n="1">globals.nas</file>
+  <file n="2">math.nas</file>
+  <file n="3">string.nas</file>
+  <file n="3">io.nas</file>
+</PropertyList>
diff --git a/defaults.xml b/defaults.xml
index 1725c204c..7530c1f4f 100644
--- a/defaults.xml
+++ b/defaults.xml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
     <session type="int" userarchive="y">0</session>
     <nasal-gc-threaded type="bool">true</nasal-gc-threaded>
     <nasal-gc-threaded-wait type="bool">false</nasal-gc-threaded-wait>
+    <nasal-load-priority include="Nasal/loadpriority.xml" />
     <paths>
       <screenshot-dir type="string" userarchive="y"/>
       <!-- defaults to current working dir -->