diff --git a/benchmark/esm/esm-loader-defaultResolve.js b/benchmark/esm/esm-loader-defaultResolve.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..85409a122637d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/esm/esm-loader-defaultResolve.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Tests the impact on eager operations required for policies affecting
+// general startup, does not test lazy operations
+'use strict';
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const path = require('node:path');
+const common = require('../common.js');
+
+const tmpdir = require('../../test/common/tmpdir.js');
+const { pathToFileURL } = require('node:url');
+
+const benchmarkDirectory =
+  path.resolve(tmpdir.path, 'benchmark-import-meta-resolve');
+
+const parentURL = pathToFileURL(path.join(benchmarkDirectory, 'entry-point.js'));
+
+const configs = {
+  n: [1e3],
+  specifier: [
+    './relative-existing.js',
+    './relative-nonexistent.js',
+    'unprefixed-existing',
+    'unprefixed-nonexistent',
+    'node:prefixed-nonexistent',
+    'node:os',
+  ],
+};
+
+const options = {
+  flags: ['--expose-internals'],
+};
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, configs, options);
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const { defaultResolve } = require('internal/modules/esm/resolve');
+  tmpdir.refresh();
+
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(benchmarkDirectory, 'node_modules', 'unprefixed-existing'), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(benchmarkDirectory, 'node_modules', 'unprefixed-existing', 'index.js'), '\n');
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(benchmarkDirectory, 'relative-existing.js'), '\n');
+
+  bench.start();
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < conf.n; i++) {
+    try {
+      defaultResolve(conf.specifier, { parentURL });
+    } catch { /* empty */ }
+  }
+
+  bench.end(conf.n);
+}