diff --git a/refs/bench_test.go b/refs/bench_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc5b3938
--- /dev/null
+++ b/refs/bench_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package refs
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func BenchmarkObjectIDSlice(b *testing.B) {
+	for _, size := range []int{0, 1, 50} {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(size)+" elements", func(b *testing.B) {
+			benchmarkObjectIDSlice(b, size)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func benchmarkObjectIDSlice(b *testing.B, size int) {
+	ids := make([]*ObjectID, size)
+	for i := range ids {
+		ids[i] = new(ObjectID)
+		ids[i].val = make([]byte, 32)
+		rand.Read(ids[i].val)
+	}
+	raw := ObjectIDListToGRPCMessage(ids)
+
+	b.Run("to grpc message", func(b *testing.B) {
+		b.ReportAllocs()
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			raw := ObjectIDListToGRPCMessage(ids)
+			if len(raw) != len(ids) {
+				b.FailNow()
+			}
+		}
+	})
+	b.Run("from grpc message", func(b *testing.B) {
+		b.ReportAllocs()
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			ids, err := ObjectIDListFromGRPCMessage(raw)
+			if err != nil || len(raw) != len(ids) {
+				b.FailNow()
+			}
+		}
+	})
+	b.Run("marshal", func(b *testing.B) {
+		b.ReportAllocs()
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			buf := make([]byte, ObjectIDNestedListSize(1, ids))
+			_, err := ObjectIDNestedListMarshal(1, buf, ids)
+			if err != nil {
+				b.FailNow()
+			}
+		}
+	})
+}