diff --git a/src/Makefile.bench.include b/src/Makefile.bench.include
index 480aa5c8d92c..e55e80646146 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.bench.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.bench.include
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@ bin_PROGRAMS += bench/bench_pivx
 BENCH_SRCDIR = bench
 BENCH_BINARY = bench/bench_pivx$(EXEEXT)
 
+RAW_TEST_FILES = \
+  bench/data/block2680960.raw
+
+GENERATED_TEST_FILES = $(RAW_TEST_FILES:.raw=.raw.h)
 
 bench_bench_pivx_SOURCES = \
   bench/bench_pivx.cpp \
   bench/bench.cpp \
   bench/bench.h \
+  bench/checkblock.cpp \
   bench/Examples.cpp \
   bench/base58.cpp \
   bench/checkqueue.cpp \
@@ -15,10 +20,13 @@ bench_bench_pivx_SOURCES = \
   bench/perf.h \
   bench/prevector.cpp
 
+nodist_bench_bench_pivx_SOURCES = $(GENERATED_TEST_FILES)
+
 bench_bench_pivx_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES) $(EVENT_CFLAGS) $(EVENT_PTHREADS_CFLAGS) -I$(builddir)/bench/
 bench_bench_pivx_CXXFLAGS = $(AM_CXXFLAGS) $(PIE_FLAGS)
 bench_bench_pivx_LDADD = \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_SERVER) \
+  $(LIBBITCOIN_WALLET) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_COMMON) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_UNIVALUE) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_UTIL) \
@@ -26,7 +34,9 @@ bench_bench_pivx_LDADD = \
   $(LIBLEVELDB) \
   $(LIBMEMENV) \
   $(LIBSECP256K1) \
+  $(LIBUNIVALUE) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_ZEROCOIN) \
+  $(LIBSAPLING) \
   $(LIBRUSTZCASH) \
   $(LIBZCASH_LIBS)
 
@@ -34,22 +44,29 @@ if ENABLE_ZMQ
 bench_bench_pivx_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_ZMQ) $(ZMQ_LIBS)
 endif
 
-if ENABLE_WALLET
-bench_bench_pivx_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_WALLET)
-endif
-
 bench_bench_pivx_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_CONSENSUS) $(BOOST_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS) $(EVENT_LIBS)
 bench_bench_pivx_LDFLAGS = $(RELDFLAGS) $(AM_LDFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_APP_LDFLAGS)
 
-
-CLEAN_BITCOIN_BENCH = bench/*.gcda bench/*.gcno
+# !TODO: .raw.h generated test files are not removed with make clean
+CLEAN_BITCOIN_BENCH = bench/*.gcda bench/*.gcno $(GENERATED_TEST_FILES)
 
 CLEANFILES += $(CLEAN_BITCOIN_BENCH)
 
+bench/checkblock.cpp: bench/data/block2680960.raw.h
+
 bitcoin_bench: $(BENCH_BINARY)
 
 bench: $(BENCH_BINARY) FORCE
 	$(BENCH_BINARY)
 
 bitcoin_bench_clean : FORCE
-	rm -f $(CLEAN_BITCOIN_BENCH) $(bench_bench_pivx_OBJECTS) $(BENCH_BINARY)
\ No newline at end of file
+	rm -f $(CLEAN_BITCOIN_BENCH) $(bench_bench_pivx_OBJECTS) $(BENCH_BINARY)
+
+%.raw.h: %.raw
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(@D)
+	@{ \
+	 echo "static unsigned const char $(*F)[] = {" && \
+	 $(HEXDUMP) -v -e '8/1 "0x%02x, "' -e '"\n"' $< | $(SED) -e 's/0x  ,//g' && \
+	 echo "};"; \
+	} > "$@.new" && mv -f "$@.new" "$@"
+	@echo "Generated $@"
diff --git a/src/Makefile.test.include b/src/Makefile.test.include
index 152f6250fc78..8f17441f55dc 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.test.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.test.include
@@ -187,11 +187,3 @@ check-local: check-sapling check-standard
 	 echo "};};"; \
 	} > "$@.new" && mv -f "$@.new" "$@"
 	@echo "Generated $@"
-
-%.raw.h: %.raw
-	@$(MKDIR_P) $(@D)
-	@echo "namespace alert_tests{" > $@
-	@echo "static unsigned const char $(*F)[] = {" >> $@
-	@$(HEXDUMP) -v -e '8/1 "0x%02x, "' -e '"\n"' $< | $(SED) -e 's/0x  ,//g' >> $@
-	@echo "};};" >> $@
-	@echo "Generated $@"
diff --git a/src/bench/checkblock.cpp b/src/bench/checkblock.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..13f672bd21e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bench/checkblock.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2016 The Bitcoin Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#include "bench.h"
+
+#include "validation.h"
+
+namespace block_bench {
+#include "bench/data/block2680960.raw.h"
+}
+
+// These are the two major time-sinks which happen after we have fully received
+// a block off the wire, but before we can relay the block on to peers using
+// compact block relay.
+
+static void DeserializeBlockTest(benchmark::State& state)
+{
+    CDataStream stream((const char*)block_bench::block2680960,
+            (const char*)&block_bench::block2680960[sizeof(block_bench::block2680960)],
+            SER_NETWORK, PROTOCOL_VERSION);
+    char a;
+    stream.write(&a, 1); // Prevent compaction
+
+    while (state.KeepRunning()) {
+        CBlock block;
+        stream >> block;
+        assert(stream.Rewind(sizeof(block_bench::block2680960)));
+    }
+}
+
+static void DeserializeAndCheckBlockTest(benchmark::State& state)
+{
+    CDataStream stream((const char*)block_bench::block2680960,
+            (const char*)&block_bench::block2680960[sizeof(block_bench::block2680960)],
+            SER_NETWORK, PROTOCOL_VERSION);
+    char a;
+    stream.write(&a, 1); // Prevent compaction
+
+    SelectParams(CBaseChainParams::MAIN);
+
+    while (state.KeepRunning()) {
+        CBlock block; // Note that CBlock caches its checked state, so we need to recreate it here
+        stream >> block;
+        assert(stream.Rewind(sizeof(block_bench::block2680960)));
+
+        CValidationState state;
+        assert(CheckBlock(block, state));
+    }
+}
+
+BENCHMARK(DeserializeBlockTest);
+BENCHMARK(DeserializeAndCheckBlockTest);
diff --git a/src/bench/data/block2680960.raw b/src/bench/data/block2680960.raw
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fce0f1f2b453
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/bench/data/block2680960.raw differ