diff --git a/test/rb/benchmarks/protocol_benchmark.rb b/test/rb/benchmarks/protocol_benchmark.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99f0760
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rb/benchmarks/protocol_benchmark.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+$LOAD_PATH.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), *%w[.. .. .. lib rb lib])
+$LOAD_PATH.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), *%w[.. .. .. lib rb ext])
+
+require 'thrift'
+require 'thrift/transport'
+require 'thrift/protocol/binaryprotocol'
+require 'thrift/protocol/binaryprotocolaccelerated'
+
+require 'benchmark'
+require 'rubygems'
+require 'set'
+require 'pp'
+
+# require 'ruby-debug'
+# require 'ruby-prof'
+
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../fixtures/structs')
+
+transport1 = Thrift::MemoryBuffer.new
+ruby_binary_protocol = Thrift::BinaryProtocol.new(transport1)
+
+transport2 = Thrift::MemoryBuffer.new
+c_fast_binary_protocol = Thrift::BinaryProtocolAccelerated.new(transport2)
+
+
+ooe = Fixtures::Structs::OneOfEach.new
+ooe.im_true   = true
+ooe.im_false  = false
+ooe.a_bite    = -42
+ooe.integer16 = 27000
+ooe.integer32 = 1<<24
+ooe.integer64 = 6000 * 1000 * 1000
+ooe.double_precision = Math::PI
+ooe.some_characters  = "Debug THIS!"
+ooe.zomg_unicode     = "\xd7\n\a\t"
+
+n1 = Fixtures::Structs::Nested1.new
+n1.a_list = []
+n1.a_list << ooe << ooe << ooe << ooe
+n1.i32_map = {}
+n1.i32_map[1234] = ooe
+n1.i32_map[46345] = ooe
+n1.i32_map[-34264] = ooe
+n1.i64_map = {}
+n1.i64_map[43534986783945] = ooe
+n1.i64_map[-32434639875122] = ooe
+n1.dbl_map = {}
+n1.dbl_map[324.65469834] = ooe
+n1.dbl_map[-9458672340.4986798345112] = ooe
+n1.str_map = {}
+n1.str_map['sdoperuix'] = ooe
+n1.str_map['pwoerxclmn'] = ooe
+
+n2 = Fixtures::Structs::Nested2.new
+n2.a_list = []
+n2.a_list << n1 << n1 << n1 << n1 << n1
+n2.i32_map = {}
+n2.i32_map[398345] = n1
+n2.i32_map[-2345] = n1
+n2.i32_map[12312] = n1
+n2.i64_map = {}
+n2.i64_map[2349843765934] = n1
+n2.i64_map[-123234985495] = n1
+n2.i64_map[0] = n1
+n2.dbl_map = {}
+n2.dbl_map[23345345.38927834] = n1
+n2.dbl_map[-1232349.5489345] = n1
+n2.dbl_map[-234984574.23498725] = n1
+n2.str_map = {}
+n2.str_map[''] = n1
+n2.str_map['sdflkertpioux'] = n1
+n2.str_map['sdfwepwdcjpoi'] = n1
+
+n3 = Fixtures::Structs::Nested3.new
+n3.a_list = []
+n3.a_list << n2 << n2 << n2 << n2 << n2
+n3.i32_map = {}
+n3.i32_map[398345] = n2
+n3.i32_map[-2345] = n2
+n3.i32_map[12312] = n2
+n3.i64_map = {}
+n3.i64_map[2349843765934] = n2
+n3.i64_map[-123234985495] = n2
+n3.i64_map[0] = n2
+n3.dbl_map = {}
+n3.dbl_map[23345345.38927834] = n2
+n3.dbl_map[-1232349.5489345] = n2
+n3.dbl_map[-234984574.23498725] = n2
+n3.str_map = {}
+n3.str_map[''] = n2
+n3.str_map['sdflkertpioux'] = n2
+n3.str_map['sdfwepwdcjpoi'] = n2
+
+n4 = Fixtures::Structs::Nested4.new
+n4.a_list = []
+n4.a_list << n3
+n4.i32_map = {}
+n4.i32_map[-2345] = n3
+n4.i64_map = {}
+n4.i64_map[2349843765934] = n3
+n4.dbl_map = {}
+n4.dbl_map[-1232349.5489345] = n3
+n4.str_map = {}
+n4.str_map[''] = n3
+
+
+# prof = RubyProf.profile do
+#   n4.write(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+#   Fixtures::Structs::Nested4.new.read(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+# end
+# 
+# printer = RubyProf::GraphHtmlPrinter.new(prof)
+# printer.print(STDOUT, :min_percent=>0)
+
+Benchmark.bmbm do |x|
+  x.report("ruby write large (1MB) structure once") do
+    n4.write(ruby_binary_protocol)
+  end
+  
+  x.report("ruby read large (1MB) structure once") do
+    Fixtures::Structs::Nested4.new.read(ruby_binary_protocol)
+  end
+  
+  x.report("c write large (1MB) structure once") do    
+    n4.write(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+  end
+  
+  x.report("c read large (1MB) structure once") do
+    Fixtures::Structs::Nested4.new.read(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+  end
+  
+  
+  
+  x.report("ruby write 10_000 small structures") do
+    10_000.times do
+      ooe.write(ruby_binary_protocol)
+    end
+  end
+  
+  x.report("ruby read 10_000 small structures") do
+    10_000.times do
+      Fixtures::Structs::OneOfEach.new.read(ruby_binary_protocol)
+    end
+  end
+  
+  x.report("c write 10_000 small structures") do
+    10_000.times do
+      ooe.write(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+    end
+  end
+  
+  x.report("c read 10_000 small structures") do
+    10_000.times do
+      Fixtures::Structs::OneOfEach.new.read(c_fast_binary_protocol)
+    end
+  end
+  
+end