diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/GeneralInfo.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/GeneralInfo.cs
index 8d55eb5c38..e351a7be66 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/GeneralInfo.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/GeneralInfo.cs
@@ -121,5 +121,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 		/* OpenRA-specific */
 		public readonly float OreChance;	/* chance of spreading to a
 											 * particular eligible cell */
+		public readonly int LowPowerSlowdown;	/* build time multiplier */
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
index 53d6ced39c..ff981178a4 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ using OpenRa.Game.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game
 {
+	enum PowerState { Normal, Low, Critical };
+
 	class Player
 	{
 		public int Palette;
@@ -65,6 +67,13 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			return (float)Ore / GetOreCapacity();
 		}
 
+		public PowerState GetPowerState()
+		{
+			if (powerProvided >= powerDrained) return PowerState.Normal;
+			if (powerProvided > powerDrained / 2) return PowerState.Low;
+			return PowerState.Critical;
+		}
+
 		public int GetOreCapacity()
 		{
 			return Game.world.Actors
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/ProductionItem.cs b/OpenRa.Game/ProductionItem.cs
index 58695503e9..cc2ad552ea 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/ProductionItem.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/ProductionItem.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		public bool Paused = false, Done = false;
 		public Action OnComplete;
 
+		int slowdown = 0;
+
 		public ProductionItem(string item, int time, int cost, Action onComplete)
 		{
 			Item = item;
@@ -32,6 +34,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 			if (Paused) return;
 
+			if (player.GetPowerState() != PowerState.Normal)
+			{
+				if (--slowdown <= 0)
+					slowdown = Rules.General.LowPowerSlowdown;
+				else
+					return;
+			}
+			
 			var costThisFrame = RemainingCost / RemainingTime;
 			if (costThisFrame != 0 && !player.TakeCash(costThisFrame)) return;
 
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs b/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
index bc1c05b7a3..cf82d039c8 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 					string group = Rules.UnitCategory[ order.TargetString ];
 					var ui = Rules.UnitInfo[ order.TargetString ];
 					var time = ui.Cost
-						* .8f /* Game.BuildSpeed */						/* todo: country-specific build speed bonus */
-						* ( 25 * 60 ) /* frames per min */				/* todo: build acceleration, if we do that */
-						/ 1000;
+						* Rules.General.BuildSpeed						/* todo: country-specific build speed bonus */
+						 * (25 * 60) /* frames per min */				/* todo: build acceleration, if we do that */
+						 / 1000;
 
 					time = .08f * time;						/* temporary hax so we can build stuff fast for test */
 
diff --git a/units.ini b/units.ini
index f4b26a067e..c9a405dd94 100755
--- a/units.ini
+++ b/units.ini
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ WaterImpactSound=splash9
 
 [General]
 OreChance=.02
+LowPowerSlowdown=3
 
 [VoiceTypes]
 GenericVoice