diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bf20eb7a..87cdcb4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ scripts/
     init.sh  # create venv/other perequires
     deploy.sh  # run pyinfra based deploy of everything
     test.sh # run all local and online tests 
+    bench.sh # run performance benchmark tests
 
 ```
 
diff --git a/online-tests/benchmark.py b/online-tests/benchmark.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a23ab1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/online-tests/benchmark.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+def test_tls_serialized_connect(benchmark, imap_or_smtp):
+    def connect():
+        imap_or_smtp.connect()
+
+    benchmark(connect)
+
+
+def test_login(benchmark, imap_or_smtp, gencreds):
+    cls = imap_or_smtp.__class__
+    conns = []
+    for i in range(20):
+        conn = cls(imap_or_smtp.host)
+        conn.connect()
+        conns.append(conn)
+
+    def login():
+        conn = conns.pop()
+        conn.login(*gencreds())
+
+    benchmark(login)
+
+
+def test_send_and_receive_10(benchmark, cmfactory, lp):
+    """send many messages between two accounts"""
+    ac1, ac2 = cmfactory.get_online_accounts(2)
+    chat = cmfactory.get_accepted_chat(ac1, ac2)
+
+    def send_10_receive_all():
+        for i in range(10):
+            chat.send_text(f"hello {i}")
+        for i in range(10):
+            ac2.wait_next_incoming_message()
+
+    benchmark(send_10_receive_all)
diff --git a/scripts/bench.sh b/scripts/bench.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..2d95cd6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bench.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+online-tests/venv/bin/pytest online-tests/benchmark.py -vrx 
diff --git a/scripts/init.sh b/scripts/init.sh
index d0553f5e..07c776c0 100755
--- a/scripts/init.sh
+++ b/scripts/init.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ chatmaild/venv/bin/pip install pytest
 chatmaild/venv/bin/pip install -e chatmaild
 
 python3 -m venv online-tests/venv
-online-tests/venv/bin/pip install pytest pytest-timeout pdbpp deltachat
+online-tests/venv/bin/pip install pytest pytest-timeout pdbpp deltachat pytest-benchmark
 
 python3 -m venv venv
 venv/bin/pip install build