diff --git a/src/smt/params/smt_params.cpp b/src/smt/params/smt_params.cpp
index a5b3e4867..f295e260b 100644
--- a/src/smt/params/smt_params.cpp
+++ b/src/smt/params/smt_params.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ void smt_params::updt_local_params(params_ref const & _p) {
     m_restart_factor = p.restart_factor();
     m_case_split_strategy = static_cast<case_split_strategy>(p.case_split());
     m_theory_case_split = p.theory_case_split();
+    m_theory_aware_branching = p.theory_aware_branching();
     m_delay_units = p.delay_units();
     m_delay_units_threshold = p.delay_units_threshold();
     m_preprocess = _p.get_bool("preprocess", true); // hidden parameter
diff --git a/src/smt/params/smt_params.h b/src/smt/params/smt_params.h
index 55346d34f..a0c90a525 100644
--- a/src/smt/params/smt_params.h
+++ b/src/smt/params/smt_params.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ struct smt_params : public preprocessor_params,
     unsigned            m_rel_case_split_order;
     bool                m_lookahead_diseq;
     bool                m_theory_case_split;
+    bool                m_theory_aware_branching;
 
     // -----------------------------------
     //
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@ struct smt_params : public preprocessor_params,
         m_rel_case_split_order(0),
         m_lookahead_diseq(false),
         m_theory_case_split(false),
+        m_theory_aware_branching(false),
         m_delay_units(false),
         m_delay_units_threshold(32),
         m_theory_resolve(false),
diff --git a/src/smt/params/smt_params_helper.pyg b/src/smt/params/smt_params_helper.pyg
index 4e3bec57d..8e8e52987 100644
--- a/src/smt/params/smt_params_helper.pyg
+++ b/src/smt/params/smt_params_helper.pyg
@@ -71,5 +71,6 @@ def_module_params(module_name='smt',
                           ('str.string_constant_cache', BOOL, True, 'cache all generated string constants generated from anywhere in theory_str'),
                           ('str.use_binary_search', BOOL, False, 'use a binary search heuristic for finding concrete length values for free variables in theory_str (set to False to use linear search)'),
                           ('str.binary_search_start', UINT, 64, 'initial upper bound for theory_str binary search'),
-                          ('theory_case_split', BOOL, False, 'Allow the context to use heuristics involving theory case splits, which are a set of literals of which exactly one can be assigned True. If this option is false, the context will generate extra axioms to enforce this instead.')
+                          ('theory_case_split', BOOL, False, 'Allow the context to use heuristics involving theory case splits, which are a set of literals of which exactly one can be assigned True. If this option is false, the context will generate extra axioms to enforce this instead.'),
+                          ('theory_aware_branching', BOOL, False, 'Allow the context to use extra information from theory solvers regarding literal branching prioritization.')
                           ))
diff --git a/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.cpp b/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.cpp
index 06004e3b8..8b02dd6a9 100644
--- a/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.cpp
+++ b/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,13 @@ Revision History:
 #include"stopwatch.h"
 #include"for_each_expr.h"
 #include"ast_pp.h"
+#include"map.h"
+#include"hashtable.h"
 
 namespace smt {
 
+    typedef map<bool_var, double, int_hash, default_eq<bool_var> > theory_var_priority_map;
+
     struct bool_var_act_lt {
         svector<double> const & m_activity;
         bool_var_act_lt(svector<double> const & a):m_activity(a) {}
@@ -35,6 +39,25 @@ namespace smt {
 
     typedef heap<bool_var_act_lt> bool_var_act_queue;
 
+    struct theory_aware_act_lt {
+        // only take into account theory var priority for now
+        theory_var_priority_map const & m_theory_var_priority;
+        theory_aware_act_lt(theory_var_priority_map const & a):m_theory_var_priority(a) {}
+        bool operator()(bool_var v1, bool_var v2) const {
+            double p_v1, p_v2;
+            // safety -- use a large negative number if some var isn't in the map
+            if (!m_theory_var_priority.find(v1, p_v1)) {
+                p_v1 = -1000.0;
+            }
+            if (!m_theory_var_priority.find(v2, p_v2)) {
+                p_v2 = -1000.0;
+            }
+            return p_v1 > p_v2;
+        }
+    };
+
+    typedef heap<theory_aware_act_lt> theory_aware_act_queue;
+
     /**
        \brief Case split queue based on activity and random splits.
     */
@@ -1087,6 +1110,118 @@ namespace smt {
         }
     };
    
+    class theory_aware_branching_queue : public case_split_queue {
+    protected:
+        context & m_context;
+        smt_params & m_params;
+
+        theory_var_priority_map m_theory_var_priority;
+        theory_aware_act_queue m_theory_queue;
+        case_split_queue * m_base_queue;
+        int_hashtable<int_hash, default_eq<bool_var> > m_theory_vars;
+        map<bool_var, lbool, int_hash, default_eq<bool_var> > m_theory_var_phase;
+    public:
+        theory_aware_branching_queue(context & ctx, smt_params & p, case_split_queue * base_queue) :
+            m_context(ctx),
+            m_params(p),
+            m_theory_var_priority(),
+            m_theory_queue(1024, theory_aware_act_lt(m_theory_var_priority)),
+            m_base_queue(base_queue) {
+        }
+
+        virtual void activity_increased_eh(bool_var v) {
+            if (m_theory_queue.contains(v)) {
+                m_theory_queue.decreased(v);
+            }
+            m_base_queue->activity_increased_eh(v);
+        }
+
+        virtual void mk_var_eh(bool_var v) {
+            // do nothing. we only "react" if/when we learn this is an important theory literal
+            m_base_queue->mk_var_eh(v);
+        }
+
+        virtual void del_var_eh(bool_var v) {
+            if (m_theory_queue.contains(v)) {
+                m_theory_queue.erase(v);
+            }
+            m_base_queue->del_var_eh(v);
+        }
+
+        virtual void assign_lit_eh(literal l) {
+            m_base_queue->assign_lit_eh(l);
+        }
+
+        virtual void unassign_var_eh(bool_var v) {
+            if (m_theory_vars.contains(v) && !m_theory_queue.contains(v)) {
+                m_theory_queue.insert(v);
+            }
+            m_base_queue->unassign_var_eh(v);
+        }
+
+        virtual void relevant_eh(expr * n) {
+            m_base_queue->relevant_eh(n);
+        }
+
+        virtual void init_search_eh() {
+            m_base_queue->init_search_eh();
+        }
+
+        virtual void end_search_eh() {
+            m_base_queue->end_search_eh();
+        }
+
+        virtual void internalize_instance_eh(expr * e, unsigned gen) {
+            m_base_queue->internalize_instance_eh(e, gen);
+        }
+
+        virtual void reset() {
+            m_theory_queue.reset();
+            m_theory_vars.reset();
+            m_theory_var_phase.reset();
+            m_theory_var_priority.reset();
+            m_base_queue->reset();
+        }
+
+        virtual void push_scope() {
+            m_base_queue->push_scope();
+        }
+
+        virtual void pop_scope(unsigned num_scopes) {
+            m_base_queue->pop_scope(num_scopes);
+        }
+
+        virtual void next_case_split(bool_var & next, lbool & phase) {
+            while (!m_theory_queue.empty()) {
+                next = m_theory_queue.erase_min();
+                // if this literal is unassigned, it is the theory literal with the highest priority,
+                // so case split on this
+                if (m_context.get_assignment(next) == l_undef) {
+                    TRACE("theory_aware_branching", tout << "Theory-aware branch on l#" << next << std::endl;);
+                    if (!m_theory_var_phase.find(next, phase)) {
+                        phase = l_undef;
+                    }
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            // if we reach this point, the theory literal queue is empty,
+            // so fall back to the base queue
+            m_base_queue->next_case_split(next, phase);
+        }
+
+        virtual void add_theory_aware_branching_info(bool_var v, double priority, lbool phase) {
+            TRACE("theory_aware_branching", tout << "Add theory-aware branching information for l#" << v << ": priority=" << priority << std::endl;);
+            m_theory_vars.insert(v);
+            m_theory_var_phase.insert(v, phase);
+            m_theory_var_priority.insert(v, priority);
+            m_theory_queue.insert(v);
+        }
+
+        virtual void display(std::ostream & out) {
+            // TODO
+            m_base_queue->display(out);
+        }
+    };
 
     case_split_queue * mk_case_split_queue(context & ctx, smt_params & p) {
         if (p.m_relevancy_lvl < 2 && (p.m_case_split_strategy == CS_RELEVANCY || p.m_case_split_strategy == CS_RELEVANCY_ACTIVITY || 
@@ -1099,19 +1234,36 @@ namespace smt {
             warning_msg("auto configuration (option AUTO_CONFIG) must be disabled to use option CASE_SPLIT=3, 4 or 5");
             p.m_case_split_strategy = CS_ACTIVITY;
         }
+
+        case_split_queue * baseQueue;
+
         switch (p.m_case_split_strategy) {
         case CS_ACTIVITY_DELAY_NEW:
-            return alloc(dact_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(dact_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
         case CS_ACTIVITY_WITH_CACHE:
-            return alloc(cact_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(cact_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
         case CS_RELEVANCY:
-            return alloc(rel_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(rel_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
         case CS_RELEVANCY_ACTIVITY:
-            return alloc(rel_act_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(rel_act_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
         case CS_RELEVANCY_GOAL:
-            return alloc(rel_goal_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(rel_goal_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
         default:
-            return alloc(act_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            baseQueue = alloc(act_case_split_queue, ctx, p);
+            break;
+        }
+
+        if (p.m_theory_aware_branching) {
+            TRACE("theory_aware_branching", tout << "Allocating and returning theory-aware branching queue." << std::endl;);
+            case_split_queue * theory_aware_queue = alloc(theory_aware_branching_queue, ctx, p, baseQueue);
+            return theory_aware_queue;
+        } else {
+            return baseQueue;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.h b/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.h
index e6b217a22..9a3a93cc6 100644
--- a/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.h
+++ b/src/smt/smt_case_split_queue.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ namespace smt {
         virtual void next_case_split(bool_var & next, lbool & phase) = 0;
         virtual void display(std::ostream & out) = 0;
         virtual ~case_split_queue() {}
+
+        // theory-aware branching hint
+        virtual void add_theory_aware_branching_info(bool_var v, double priority, lbool phase) {}
     };
 
     case_split_queue * mk_case_split_queue(context & ctx, smt_params & p);