diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 7535d132a96..d9e30e08156 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "2c99f64d1e06488f620f932677e24bc6e2897582980441ae90a671415bd7ec2f"
 dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
+ "getrandom",
  "once_cell",
  "version_check",
 ]
@@ -152,6 +153,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "anes"
+version = "0.1.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4b46cbb362ab8752921c97e041f5e366ee6297bd428a31275b9fcf1e380f7299"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "anstream"
 version = "0.3.2"
@@ -325,6 +332,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand 0.8.5",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "arrayvec"
+version = "0.7.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "96d30a06541fbafbc7f82ed10c06164cfbd2c401138f6addd8404629c4b16711"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "assert_cmd"
 version = "2.0.12"
@@ -593,6 +606,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 1.0.109",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bytemuck"
+version = "1.13.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "17febce684fd15d89027105661fec94afb475cb995fbc59d2865198446ba2eea"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bytes"
 version = "1.4.0"
@@ -605,6 +624,12 @@ version = "1.2.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "38fcc2979eff34a4b84e1cf9a1e3da42a7d44b3b690a40cdcb23e3d556cfb2e5"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "cast"
+version = "0.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "37b2a672a2cb129a2e41c10b1224bb368f9f37a2b16b612598138befd7b37eb5"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cc"
 version = "1.0.79"
@@ -650,6 +675,33 @@ dependencies = [
  "stacker",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ciborium"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "effd91f6c78e5a4ace8a5d3c0b6bfaec9e2baaef55f3efc00e45fb2e477ee926"
+dependencies = [
+ "ciborium-io",
+ "ciborium-ll",
+ "serde",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ciborium-io"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cdf919175532b369853f5d5e20b26b43112613fd6fe7aee757e35f7a44642656"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ciborium-ll"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "defaa24ecc093c77630e6c15e17c51f5e187bf35ee514f4e2d67baaa96dae22b"
+dependencies = [
+ "ciborium-io",
+ "half",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "clang-sys"
 version = "1.6.1"
@@ -822,6 +874,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.33.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "cpp_demangle"
+version = "0.4.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ee34052ee3d93d6d8f3e6f81d85c47921f6653a19a7b70e939e3e602d893a674"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cpufeatures"
 version = "0.2.9"
@@ -899,6 +960,42 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "criterion"
+version = "0.5.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f2b12d017a929603d80db1831cd3a24082f8137ce19c69e6447f54f5fc8d692f"
+dependencies = [
+ "anes",
+ "cast",
+ "ciborium",
+ "clap",
+ "criterion-plot",
+ "is-terminal",
+ "itertools",
+ "num-traits",
+ "once_cell",
+ "oorandom",
+ "plotters",
+ "rayon",
+ "regex",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_derive",
+ "serde_json",
+ "tinytemplate",
+ "walkdir",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "criterion-plot"
+version = "0.5.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6b50826342786a51a89e2da3a28f1c32b06e387201bc2d19791f622c673706b1"
+dependencies = [
+ "cast",
+ "itertools",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "crossbeam-channel"
 version = "0.5.8"
@@ -998,6 +1095,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 2.0.26",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "debugid"
+version = "0.8.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "bef552e6f588e446098f6ba40d89ac146c8c7b64aade83c051ee00bb5d2bc18d"
+dependencies = [
+ "uuid",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "der"
 version = "0.6.1"
@@ -1212,6 +1318,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "subtle",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "findshlibs"
+version = "0.10.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "40b9e59cd0f7e0806cca4be089683ecb6434e602038df21fe6bf6711b2f07f64"
+dependencies = [
+ "cc",
+ "lazy_static",
+ "libc",
+ "winapi",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "flate2"
 version = "1.0.26"
@@ -1470,6 +1588,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "tracing",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "half"
+version = "1.8.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "eabb4a44450da02c90444cf74558da904edde8fb4e9035a9a6a4e15445af0bd7"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
 version = "0.11.2"
@@ -1602,6 +1726,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio-rustls",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "iai"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "71a816c97c42258aa5834d07590b718b4c9a598944cd39a52dc25b351185d678"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "iana-time-zone"
 version = "0.1.57"
@@ -1699,6 +1829,24 @@ dependencies = [
  "hashbrown 0.14.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "inferno"
+version = "0.11.15"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2fb7c1b80a1dfa604bb4a649a5c5aeef3d913f7c520cb42b40e534e8a61bcdfc"
+dependencies = [
+ "ahash 0.8.3",
+ "indexmap 1.9.3",
+ "is-terminal",
+ "itoa",
+ "log",
+ "num-format",
+ "once_cell",
+ "quick-xml",
+ "rgb",
+ "str_stack",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "instant"
 version = "0.1.12"
@@ -1840,6 +1988,16 @@ version = "0.4.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "09fc20d2ca12cb9f044c93e3bd6d32d523e6e2ec3db4f7b2939cd99026ecd3f0"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "lock_api"
+version = "0.4.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c1cc9717a20b1bb222f333e6a92fd32f7d8a18ddc5a3191a11af45dcbf4dcd16"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg",
+ "scopeguard",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "log"
 version = "0.4.19"
@@ -2005,9 +2163,11 @@ dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "color-eyre",
  "const_format",
+ "criterion",
  "dirs",
  "fm",
  "hex",
+ "iai",
  "iter-extended",
  "nargo",
  "nargo_toml",
@@ -2016,6 +2176,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "noirc_driver",
  "noirc_errors",
  "noirc_frontend",
+ "paste",
+ "pprof",
  "predicates 2.1.5",
  "rustc_version",
  "serde",
@@ -2043,6 +2205,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "url",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nix"
+version = "0.26.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "bfdda3d196821d6af13126e40375cdf7da646a96114af134d5f417a9a1dc8e1a"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 1.3.2",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+ "static_assertions",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "noir_lsp"
 version = "0.9.0"
@@ -2185,6 +2359,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "num-traits",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num-format"
+version = "0.4.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a652d9771a63711fd3c3deb670acfbe5c30a4072e664d7a3bf5a9e1056ac72c3"
+dependencies = [
+ "arrayvec",
+ "itoa",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "num-integer"
 version = "0.1.45"
@@ -2241,6 +2425,12 @@ version = "1.18.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "dd8b5dd2ae5ed71462c540258bedcb51965123ad7e7ccf4b9a8cafaa4a63576d"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "oorandom"
+version = "11.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0ab1bc2a289d34bd04a330323ac98a1b4bc82c9d9fcb1e66b63caa84da26b575"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "owo-colors"
 version = "3.5.0"
@@ -2258,6 +2448,29 @@ dependencies = [
  "sha2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot"
+version = "0.12.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3742b2c103b9f06bc9fff0a37ff4912935851bee6d36f3c02bcc755bcfec228f"
+dependencies = [
+ "lock_api",
+ "parking_lot_core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "parking_lot_core"
+version = "0.9.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "93f00c865fe7cabf650081affecd3871070f26767e7b2070a3ffae14c654b447"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+ "redox_syscall 0.3.5",
+ "smallvec",
+ "windows-targets",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "paste"
 version = "1.0.14"
@@ -2304,6 +2517,56 @@ version = "0.3.27"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "26072860ba924cbfa98ea39c8c19b4dd6a4a25423dbdf219c1eca91aa0cf6964"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "plotters"
+version = "0.3.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d2c224ba00d7cadd4d5c660deaf2098e5e80e07846537c51f9cfa4be50c1fd45"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-traits",
+ "plotters-backend",
+ "plotters-svg",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "web-sys",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "plotters-backend"
+version = "0.3.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9e76628b4d3a7581389a35d5b6e2139607ad7c75b17aed325f210aa91f4a9609"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "plotters-svg"
+version = "0.3.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "38f6d39893cca0701371e3c27294f09797214b86f1fb951b89ade8ec04e2abab"
+dependencies = [
+ "plotters-backend",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pprof"
+version = "0.12.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "978385d59daf9269189d052ca8a84c1acfd0715c0599a5d5188d4acc078ca46a"
+dependencies = [
+ "backtrace",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "criterion",
+ "findshlibs",
+ "inferno",
+ "libc",
+ "log",
+ "nix",
+ "once_cell",
+ "parking_lot",
+ "smallvec",
+ "symbolic-demangle",
+ "tempfile",
+ "thiserror",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ppv-lite86"
 version = "0.2.17"
@@ -2414,6 +2677,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 1.0.109",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "quick-xml"
+version = "0.26.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7f50b1c63b38611e7d4d7f68b82d3ad0cc71a2ad2e7f61fc10f1328d917c93cd"
+dependencies = [
+ "memchr",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "quote"
 version = "1.0.31"
@@ -2675,6 +2947,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "zeroize",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rgb"
+version = "0.8.36"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "20ec2d3e3fc7a92ced357df9cebd5a10b6fb2aa1ee797bf7e9ce2f17dffc8f59"
+dependencies = [
+ "bytemuck",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ring"
 version = "0.16.20"
@@ -3179,6 +3460,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "static_assertions"
+version = "1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a2eb9349b6444b326872e140eb1cf5e7c522154d69e7a0ffb0fb81c06b37543f"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "str_stack"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9091b6114800a5f2141aee1d1b9d6ca3592ac062dc5decb3764ec5895a47b4eb"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "strsim"
 version = "0.10.0"
@@ -3210,6 +3503,29 @@ version = "2.5.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "81cdd64d312baedb58e21336b31bc043b77e01cc99033ce76ef539f78e965ebc"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "symbolic-common"
+version = "12.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "167a4ffd7c35c143fd1030aa3c2caf76ba42220bd5a6b5f4781896434723b8c3"
+dependencies = [
+ "debugid",
+ "memmap2",
+ "stable_deref_trait",
+ "uuid",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "symbolic-demangle"
+version = "12.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e378c50e80686c1c5c205674e1f86a2858bec3d2a7dfdd690331a8a19330f293"
+dependencies = [
+ "cpp_demangle",
+ "rustc-demangle",
+ "symbolic-common",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "syn"
 version = "1.0.109"
@@ -3324,6 +3640,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tinytemplate"
+version = "1.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "be4d6b5f19ff7664e8c98d03e2139cb510db9b0a60b55f8e8709b689d939b6bc"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tinyvec"
 version = "1.6.0"
diff --git a/crates/nargo_cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/nargo_cli/Cargo.toml
index fd052e9dc95..96d218d1593 100644
--- a/crates/nargo_cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/nargo_cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -56,10 +56,25 @@ assert_cmd = "2.0.8"
 assert_fs = "1.0.10"
 predicates = "2.1.5"
 fm.workspace = true
+criterion = "0.5.0"
+paste = "1.0.14"
+pprof = { version = "0.12", features = [
+    "flamegraph",
+    "frame-pointer",
+    "criterion",
+] }
+iai = "0.1.1"
+
+[[bench]]
+name = "criterion"
+harness = false
+
+[[bench]]
+name = "iai"
+harness = false
 
 [features]
 default = ["plonk_bn254"]
 # The plonk backend can only use bn254, so we do not specify the field
 plonk_bn254 = ["acvm-backend-barretenberg/native"]
 plonk_bn254_wasm = ["acvm-backend-barretenberg/wasm"]
-
diff --git a/crates/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a7b094fd7aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+//! Select representative tests to bench with criterion
+use assert_cmd::prelude::{CommandCargoExt, OutputAssertExt};
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use paste::paste;
+use pprof::criterion::{Output, PProfProfiler};
+use std::process::Command;
+include!("./utils.rs");
+
+macro_rules! criterion_command {
+    ($command_name:tt, $command_string:expr) => {
+        paste! {
+            fn [<criterion_selected_tests_ $command_name>](c: &mut Criterion) {
+                let test_program_dirs = get_selected_tests();
+                for test_program_dir in test_program_dirs {
+                    let mut cmd = Command::cargo_bin("nargo").unwrap();
+                    cmd.arg("--program-dir").arg(&test_program_dir);
+                    cmd.arg($command_string);
+
+                    c.bench_function(&format!("{}_{}", test_program_dir.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap(), $command_string), |b| {
+                        b.iter(|| cmd.assert())
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}
+criterion_command!(execution, "execute");
+criterion_group! {
+    name = benches;
+    config = Criterion::default().sample_size(20).with_profiler(PProfProfiler::new(100, Output::Flamegraph(None)));
+    targets =  criterion_selected_tests_execution
+}
+criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/crates/nargo_cli/benches/iai.rs b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/iai.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bcd60111ccf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/iai.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+//! Select representative tests to bench with iai
+use assert_cmd::prelude::{CommandCargoExt, OutputAssertExt};
+use iai::black_box;
+use paste::paste;
+use std::process::Command;
+include!("./utils.rs");
+
+macro_rules! iai_command {
+    ($command_name:tt, $command_string:expr) => {
+        paste! {
+            fn [<iai_selected_tests_ $command_name>]() {
+                let test_program_dirs = get_selected_tests();
+                for test_program_dir in test_program_dirs {
+                    let mut cmd = Command::cargo_bin("nargo").unwrap();
+                    cmd.arg("--program-dir").arg(&test_program_dir);
+                    cmd.arg($command_string);
+
+                    black_box(cmd.assert());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}
+iai_command!(execution, "execute");
+iai::main!(iai_selected_tests_execution);
diff --git a/crates/nargo_cli/benches/utils.rs b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..52a6b718c44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nargo_cli/benches/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+#[allow(unused)]
+fn get_selected_tests() -> Vec<PathBuf> {
+    let manifest_dir = match std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR") {
+        Ok(dir) => PathBuf::from(dir),
+        Err(_) => std::env::current_dir().unwrap().join("crates").join("nargo_cli"),
+    };
+    let test_dir = manifest_dir.join("tests").join("execution_success");
+
+    let selected_tests =
+        vec!["8_integration", "sha256_blocks", "struct", "eddsa", "regression", "regression_2099"];
+    selected_tests.into_iter().map(|t| test_dir.join(t)).collect()
+}
diff --git a/cspell.json b/cspell.json
index 8da1d65fb56..5629742faee 100644
--- a/cspell.json
+++ b/cspell.json
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
         "defunctionalized",
         "defunctionalization",
         "desugared",
+        "eddsa",
         "endianness",
+        "Flamegraph",
         "forall",
         "foralls",
         "Guillaume",
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@
         "nand",
         "pedersen",
         "peekable",
+        "pprof",
         "preprocess",
         "pseudocode",
         "schnorr",