diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f2faa7cea..edcbe7a1a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@
 src/.DS_Store
 
 .DS_Store
+
+benchmark/auctions.json
+benchmark/citylots.json
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 158413ca6..edbf60307 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-noinst_PROGRAMS = json json98
+noinst_PROGRAMS = json json98 json98benchmark
 TESTS = ./json ./json98
 
 json_SOURCES = src/JSON.cc src/JSON.h test/JSON_test.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ json98_SOURCES = src/JSON.cc src/JSON.h test/JSON_test.cc
 json98_CXXFLAGS = -std=c++98
 json98_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/src
 
+json98benchmark_SOURCES = src/JSON.cc src/JSON.h benchmark/JSON_benchmark.cc
+json98benchmark_CXXFLAGS = -std=c++98 -O3
+json98benchmark_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/src -DNDEBUG
+
 svn-clean: maintainer-clean
 	rm -fr configure INSTALL aclocal.m4 build-aux depcomp install-sh missing test-driver cover_html *.gcda *.gcno coverage*.info
 	for DIR in $(DIST_SUBDIRS) .; do rm -f $$DIR/Makefile.in; done
diff --git a/benchmark/JSON_benchmark.cc b/benchmark/JSON_benchmark.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86b57bad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/JSON_benchmark.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <JSON.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+    JSON json;
+    std::ifstream infile(argv[1]);
+
+    json << infile;
+
+    std::cout << json.size() << "\n";
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/benchmark/download.sh b/benchmark/download.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..377da3b6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/download.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+git clone https://github.com/zeMirco/sf-city-lots-json.git
+mv sf-city-lots-json/citylots.json .
+rm -fr sf-city-lots-json
+
+wget http://eu.battle.net/auction-data/258993a3c6b974ef3e6f22ea6f822720/auctions.json