diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index f5bca330f..d5fdcf28b 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ jobs:
             - libwasmvm/target/release/deps
           key: cargocache-v3-build_shared_library-rust:1.70.0-{{ checksum "libwasmvm/Cargo.lock" }}
 
-  # Test the Go project
+  # Test the Go project and run benchmarks
   wasmvm_test:
     docker:
       - image: cimg/go:1.21.4
@@ -290,13 +290,18 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Copy .so build
           command: cp /tmp/builds/libwasmvm.x86_64.so ./internal/api
+      - run:
+          name: Build Go project
+          command: make build-go
       - run:
           name: Go integration tests
           command: make test
       - run:
           name: Go tests with cgo and race condition safety checks
           command: make test-safety
-      - run: make build-go
+      - run:
+          name: Go benchmarks
+          command: make bench
 
   test_alpine_build:
     machine:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 20f368836..302ae9247 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ test-safety:
 	# Use package list mode to include all subdirectores. The -count=1 turns off caching.
 	GOEXPERIMENT=cgocheck2 go test -race -v -count=1 ./...
 
+# Run all Go benchmarks
+.PHONY: bench
+bench:
+	go test -bench . -benchtime=2s -run=^Benchmark ./...
+
 # Creates a release build in a containerized build environment of the static library for Alpine Linux (.a)
 release-build-alpine:
 	# Builders should not write their target folder into the host file system (https://github.com/CosmWasm/wasmvm/issues/437)
diff --git a/internal/api/lib_test.go b/internal/api/lib_test.go
index 311213279..5fe32790f 100644
--- a/internal/api/lib_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/lib_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ func TestInitCacheEmptyCapabilities(t *testing.T) {
 	ReleaseCache(cache)
 }
 
-func withCache(t *testing.T) (Cache, func()) {
+func withCache(t testing.TB) (Cache, func()) {
 	tmpdir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "wasmvm-testing")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	cache, err := InitCache(tmpdir, TESTING_CAPABILITIES, TESTING_CACHE_SIZE, TESTING_MEMORY_LIMIT)
@@ -576,26 +577,25 @@ func TestExecuteCpuLoop(t *testing.T) {
 func TestExecuteStorageLoop(t *testing.T) {
 	cache, cleanup := withCache(t)
 	defer cleanup()
-	checksum := createHackatomContract(t, cache)
+	checksum := createCyberpunkContract(t, cache)
 
-	maxGas := TESTING_GAS_LIMIT
-	gasMeter1 := NewMockGasMeter(maxGas)
+	gasMeter1 := NewMockGasMeter(TESTING_GAS_LIMIT)
 	igasMeter1 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter1)
 	// instantiate it with this store
 	store := NewLookup(gasMeter1)
 	api := NewMockAPI()
-	balance := types.Coins{types.NewCoin(250, "ATOM")}
-	querier := DefaultQuerier(MOCK_CONTRACT_ADDR, balance)
+	querier := DefaultQuerier(MOCK_CONTRACT_ADDR, nil)
 	env := MockEnvBin(t)
 	info := MockInfoBin(t, "creator")
 
-	msg := []byte(`{"verifier": "fred", "beneficiary": "bob"}`)
+	msg := []byte(`{}`)
 
-	res, _, err := Instantiate(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter1, store, api, &querier, maxGas, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
+	res, _, err := Instantiate(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter1, store, api, &querier, TESTING_GAS_LIMIT, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	requireOkResponse(t, res, 0)
 
 	// execute a storage loop
+	maxGas := uint64(40_000_000)
 	gasMeter2 := NewMockGasMeter(maxGas)
 	igasMeter2 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter2)
 	store.SetGasMeter(gasMeter2)
@@ -613,6 +613,85 @@ func TestExecuteStorageLoop(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, int64(maxGas), int64(totalCost))
 }
 
+func BenchmarkContractCall(b *testing.B) {
+	cache, cleanup := withCache(b)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	checksum := createCyberpunkContract(b, cache)
+
+	gasMeter1 := NewMockGasMeter(TESTING_GAS_LIMIT)
+	igasMeter1 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter1)
+	// instantiate it with this store
+	store := NewLookup(gasMeter1)
+	api := NewMockAPI()
+	querier := DefaultQuerier(MOCK_CONTRACT_ADDR, nil)
+	env := MockEnvBin(b)
+	info := MockInfoBin(b, "creator")
+
+	msg := []byte(`{}`)
+
+	res, _, err := Instantiate(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter1, store, api, &querier, TESTING_GAS_LIMIT, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
+	require.NoError(b, err)
+	requireOkResponse(b, res, 0)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		gasMeter2 := NewMockGasMeter(TESTING_GAS_LIMIT)
+		igasMeter2 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter2)
+		store.SetGasMeter(gasMeter2)
+		info = MockInfoBin(b, "fred")
+		msg := []byte(`{"allocate_large_memory":{"pages":0}}`) // replace with noop once we have it
+		res, _, err = Execute(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter2, store, api, &querier, TESTING_GAS_LIMIT, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
+		require.NoError(b, err)
+		requireOkResponse(b, res, 0)
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark100ConcurrentContractCalls(b *testing.B) {
+	cache, cleanup := withCache(b)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	checksum := createCyberpunkContract(b, cache)
+
+	gasMeter1 := NewMockGasMeter(TESTING_GAS_LIMIT)
+	igasMeter1 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter1)
+	// instantiate it with this store
+	store := NewLookup(gasMeter1)
+	api := NewMockAPI()
+	querier := DefaultQuerier(MOCK_CONTRACT_ADDR, nil)
+	env := MockEnvBin(b)
+	info := MockInfoBin(b, "creator")
+
+	msg := []byte(`{}`)
+
+	res, _, err := Instantiate(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter1, store, api, &querier, TESTING_GAS_LIMIT, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
+	require.NoError(b, err)
+	requireOkResponse(b, res, 0)
+
+	const callCount = 100 // Calls per benchmark iteration
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(callCount)
+		for i := 0; i < callCount; i++ {
+			go func() {
+				gasMeter2 := NewMockGasMeter(TESTING_GAS_LIMIT)
+				igasMeter2 := types.GasMeter(gasMeter2)
+				store.SetGasMeter(gasMeter2)
+				info = MockInfoBin(b, "fred")
+				msg := []byte(`{"allocate_large_memory":{"pages":0}}`) // replace with noop once we have it
+				res, _, err = Execute(cache, checksum, env, info, msg, &igasMeter2, store, api, &querier, TESTING_GAS_LIMIT, TESTING_PRINT_DEBUG)
+				require.NoError(b, err)
+				requireOkResponse(b, res, 0)
+
+				wg.Done()
+			}()
+		}
+		wg.Wait()
+	}
+}
+
 func TestExecuteUserErrorsInApiCalls(t *testing.T) {
 	cache, cleanup := withCache(t)
 	defer cleanup()
@@ -909,7 +988,7 @@ func TestReplyAndQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, events, val.Events)
 }
 
-func requireOkResponse(t *testing.T, res []byte, expectedMsgs int) {
+func requireOkResponse(t testing.TB, res []byte, expectedMsgs int) {
 	var result types.ContractResult
 	err := json.Unmarshal(res, &result)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -934,27 +1013,27 @@ func requireQueryOk(t *testing.T, res []byte) []byte {
 	return result.Ok
 }
 
-func createHackatomContract(t *testing.T, cache Cache) []byte {
+func createHackatomContract(t testing.TB, cache Cache) []byte {
 	return createContract(t, cache, "../../testdata/hackatom.wasm")
 }
 
-func createCyberpunkContract(t *testing.T, cache Cache) []byte {
+func createCyberpunkContract(t testing.TB, cache Cache) []byte {
 	return createContract(t, cache, "../../testdata/cyberpunk.wasm")
 }
 
-func createQueueContract(t *testing.T, cache Cache) []byte {
+func createQueueContract(t testing.TB, cache Cache) []byte {
 	return createContract(t, cache, "../../testdata/queue.wasm")
 }
 
-func createReflectContract(t *testing.T, cache Cache) []byte {
+func createReflectContract(t testing.TB, cache Cache) []byte {
 	return createContract(t, cache, "../../testdata/reflect.wasm")
 }
 
-func createFloaty2(t *testing.T, cache Cache) []byte {
+func createFloaty2(t testing.TB, cache Cache) []byte {
 	return createContract(t, cache, "../../testdata/floaty_2.0.wasm")
 }
 
-func createContract(t *testing.T, cache Cache, wasmFile string) []byte {
+func createContract(t testing.TB, cache Cache, wasmFile string) []byte {
 	wasm, err := os.ReadFile(wasmFile)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	checksum, err := StoreCode(cache, wasm)
diff --git a/internal/api/mocks.go b/internal/api/mocks.go
index 4b518b252..ee7f20111 100644
--- a/internal/api/mocks.go
+++ b/internal/api/mocks.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func MockEnv() types.Env {
 	}
 }
 
-func MockEnvBin(t *testing.T) []byte {
+func MockEnvBin(t testing.TB) []byte {
 	bin, err := json.Marshal(MockEnv())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return bin
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func MockInfoWithFunds(sender types.HumanAddress) types.MessageInfo {
 	}})
 }
 
-func MockInfoBin(t *testing.T, sender types.HumanAddress) []byte {
+func MockInfoBin(t testing.TB, sender types.HumanAddress) []byte {
 	bin, err := json.Marshal(MockInfoWithFunds(sender))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return bin