diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 1484cf824e..cc0d4be999 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ matrix:
 
     - name: "Cypress frontend tests"
       os: linux
-      dist: xenial
+      dist: bionic
       addons:
         chrome: stable
       services:
diff --git a/frontend/cypress/package.json b/frontend/cypress/package.json
index 3b33b604e7..a98edc8e4a 100644
--- a/frontend/cypress/package.json
+++ b/frontend/cypress/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@
     "debug": "cypress open"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "cypress": "^3.1.5"
+    "cypress": "^3.4.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/cypress/tests/codeView_load_benchmark.js b/frontend/cypress/tests/codeView_load_benchmark.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..651560bffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/cypress/tests/codeView_load_benchmark.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+describe('load code view benchmark', function() {
+  const NUM_TRIALS = 5;
+  const THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME = 8000;
+  const THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME_SECONDS = THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME / 1000;
+
+  const BUFFER_PERCENTAGE = 0.1;
+  const BUFFER_SUGGESTED_TIME = 3000;
+  const ALLOWED_BUFFER_TIME = BUFFER_PERCENTAGE * THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME >= BUFFER_SUGGESTED_TIME
+                              ? BUFFER_PERCENTAGE * THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME : BUFFER_SUGGESTED_TIME;
+  const ALLOWED_BUFFER_TIME_SECONDS = ALLOWED_BUFFER_TIME / 1000;
+
+  const MAXIMUM_LOADING_TIME = THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME + ALLOWED_BUFFER_TIME;
+
+  let isATrialWithinMaxTime = false;
+
+  const timeTrial = function(i) {
+      let startTime;
+
+      // ensure that icons are loaded
+      Cypress.wait();
+
+      cy.get('#summary-wrapper .sort-within-group select')
+        .select('totalCommits dsc');
+
+      cy.get('.summary-chart__title--button.fa-code')
+        .should('be.visible')
+        .first()
+        .click()
+        .then(() => {
+          startTime = performance.now();
+        });
+
+      cy.get('#tab-authorship .files', { timeout: 90000 })
+        .should('be.visible')
+        .then(() => {
+          const endTime = performance.now();
+          const loadingTime = endTime - startTime;
+          const loadingTimeSeconds = loadingTime / 1000;
+
+          cy.log(`trial ${i+1} loading time: ${loadingTimeSeconds.toFixed(3)}s`);
+
+          if (loadingTime <= MAXIMUM_LOADING_TIME) {
+            isATrialWithinMaxTime = true;
+          }
+        });
+  };
+
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < NUM_TRIALS; i++) {
+    it(`time taken to load code view (trial ${i+1})`, function() {
+      if (isATrialWithinMaxTime) {
+        this.skip();
+      }
+      timeTrial(i);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it(`at least one trial is within ${THRESHOLD_LOADING_TIME_SECONDS}(+${ALLOWED_BUFFER_TIME_SECONDS})s`, function() {
+    assert.isTrue(isATrialWithinMaxTime);
+  });
+});