diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index edf9083..1fb81ec 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     "request-promise": "4.0.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "benchmark": "2.1.1",
     "coveralls": "2.11.11",
     "eslint": "3.0.1",
     "ghooks": "1.2.4",
diff --git a/proxy-benchmark.js b/proxy-benchmark.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec8708d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxy-benchmark.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const benchmark = require('benchmark')
+const list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
+
+const sum = () => {
+  let total = 0
+  for (let i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+    total += list[i]
+  }
+  return total
+}
+
+// simple object
+const obj = {sum}
+
+// proxy that wraps an empty object
+const emptyProxy = new Proxy({}, {
+  get(target, key) {
+    if (key === 'sum') {
+      return obj.sum
+    }
+    return undefined  // eslint-disable-line no-undefined
+  }
+})
+
+// no-op proxy around
+const noopProxy = new Proxy(obj, {})
+
+// one-time proxy
+const handler = {
+  get(target, key) {
+    target.sum = sum
+    delete handler.get
+    return target[key]
+  }
+}
+const oneTimeProxy = new Proxy({}, handler)
+
+new benchmark.Suite().add('normal method', () =>
+  obj.sum()
+).add('proxy', () =>
+  emptyProxy.sum()
+).add('no-op proxy', () =>
+  noopProxy.sum()
+).add('one time proxy', () =>
+  oneTimeProxy.sum()
+).on('cycle', ({target}) =>
+  console.log(target.toString()) // eslint-disable-line no-console
+).run()
diff --git a/test/client.js b/test/client.js
index ca09e2d..a2013d3 100644
--- a/test/client.js
+++ b/test/client.js
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ const Lab = require('lab')
 const assert = require('power-assert')
 const moment = require('moment')
 const bunyan = require('bunyan')
+const request = require('request-promise')
 const {getClient, startServer} = require('../')
 const {version} = require('../package.json')
-const utils = require('./utils')
+const utils = require('./test-utils')
 
 const lab = exports.lab = Lab.script()
 const {describe, it, before, beforeEach, after} = lab
@@ -125,6 +126,62 @@ describe('service\'s client', () => {
     after(() => server.stop())
 
     declareTests(context)
+
+    it('should not add too much overhead', {timeout: 15e3}, () => {
+
+      const benchmark = {
+        client: () => context.client.greeting('Jane'),
+        direct: () => request({
+          method: 'POST',
+          uri: `${server.info.uri}/api/sample/greeting`,
+          body: {name: 'Jane'},
+          json: true
+        })
+      }
+      const run = (name, results, start, duration) => {
+        const end = () => {
+          if (Date.now() - start >= duration) {
+            return Promise.resolve()
+          }
+          return run(name, results, start, duration)
+        }
+
+        return benchmark[name]()
+          .then(() => {
+            results.count++
+            return end()
+          })
+          .catch(err => {
+            results.errored++
+            results.errors.push(err)
+            return end()
+          })
+      }
+
+      const runBench = (names, results = {}) => {
+        if (names.length === 0) {
+          return Promise.resolve(results)
+        }
+        const name = names.shift()
+        results[name] = {count: 0, errored: 0, errors: []}
+        // heating run
+        return run(name, {count: 0, errored: 0, errors: []}, Date.now(), 1e3)
+          // test run
+          .then(() => run(name, results[name], Date.now(), 5e3))
+          // next bench
+          .then(() => runBench(names, results))
+      }
+
+      return runBench(Object.keys(benchmark))
+        .then(results => {
+          const percentage = results.client.count * 100 / results.direct.count
+          assert(results.direct.count > 1000)
+          assert(results.client.count > 1000)
+          assert.equal(results.direct.errored, 0)
+          assert.equal(results.client.errored, 0)
+          assert(percentage >= 80)
+        })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('a remote client without server', () => {
diff --git a/test/server.js b/test/server.js
index 437e22a..7cd04da 100644
--- a/test/server.js
+++ b/test/server.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const bunyan = require('bunyan')
 const assert = require('power-assert')
 const request = require('request-promise')
 const {startServer} = require('../')
-const utils = require('./utils')
+const utils = require('./test-utils')
 
 const lab = exports.lab = Lab.script()
 const {describe, it, before, beforeEach, after, afterEach} = lab
diff --git a/test/utils.js b/test/test-utils.js
similarity index 100%
rename from test/utils.js
rename to test/test-utils.js