diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 43378d090d..a70d306a8a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ lib-cov
 *.dat
 *.out
 *.pid
+benchmarks/*.png
 node_modules
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 79817058c3..34c1d21b76 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -19,4 +19,9 @@ test-cov:
 test-leaks:
 	@ls test/leaks/* | xargs node --expose_debug_as=debug --expose_gc
 
-.PHONY: test
+bench:
+	@node benchmarks/encode \
+		&& node benchmarks/decode \
+		&& open benchmarks/{encode,decode}.png
+
+.PHONY: test bench
diff --git a/benchmarks/decode.js b/benchmarks/decode.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1bf3e7bdc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/decode.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+
+/**
+ * Module dependencies.
+ */
+
+var vbench = require('vbench')
+  , io = require('../')
+  , parser = io.parser;
+
+console.log('  decode:');
+
+var suite = vbench.createSuite({
+    path: __dirname + '/decode.png'
+  , min: 500
+});
+
+suite.bench('string', function(next){
+  parser.decodePacket('4:::"2"');
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('event', function(next){
+  parser.decodePacket('5:::{"name":"woot"}');
+  next()
+});
+
+suite.bench('event+ack', function(next){
+  parser.decodePacket('5:1+::{"name":"tobi"}');
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('event+data', function(next){
+  parser.decodePacket('5:::{"name":"edwald","args":[{"a": "b"},2,"3"]}');
+  next();
+});
+
+var payload = parser.encodePayload([
+    parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: '5', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: '53d', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobar', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbazfoobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+  , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobar', endpoint: '' })
+]);
+
+suite.bench('payload', function(next){
+  parser.decodePayload(payload);
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.run();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/benchmarks/encode.js b/benchmarks/encode.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20547cff4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/encode.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+
+/**
+ * Module dependencies.
+ */
+
+var vbench = require('vbench')
+  , io = require('../')
+  , parser = io.parser;
+
+console.log('\n  encode:');
+
+var suite = vbench.createSuite({
+    path: __dirname + '/encode.png'
+  , min: 500
+});
+
+suite.bench('string', function(next){
+  parser.encodePacket({
+      type: 'json'
+    , endpoint: ''
+    , data: '2'
+  })
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('event', function(next){
+  parser.encodePacket({
+      type: 'event'
+    , name: 'woot'
+    , endpoint: ''
+    , args: []
+  });
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('event+ack', function(next){
+  parser.encodePacket({
+      type: 'json'
+    , id: 1
+    , ack: 'data'
+    , endpoint: ''
+    , data: { a: 'b' }
+  });
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('event+data', function(next){
+  parser.encodePacket({
+      type: 'event'
+    , name: 'edwald'
+    , endpoint: ''
+    , args: [{a: 'b'}, 2, '3']
+  });
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.bench('payload', function(next){
+  parser.encodePayload([
+      parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: '5', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: '53d', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobar', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbazfoobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobarbaz', endpoint: '' })
+    , parser.encodePacket({ type: 'message', data: 'foobar', endpoint: '' })
+  ]);
+  next();
+});
+
+suite.run();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d685162c56..3a7238ffe9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
         "expresso": "0.7.7"
       , "should": "0.0.4"
       , "assertvanish": "0.0.3-1"
+      , "vbench": "0.0.2"
     }
   , "main": "index"
   , "engines": { "node": ">= 0.4.0" }