diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b6b5f45611c..696e93bb9a2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ SWARM_HOSTS = $(shell docker node ls --format="{{.Hostname}}" 2>$(if $(IS_WIN),N
 define _docker_compose_build
 export BUILD_TARGET=$(if $(findstring -devel,$@),development,$(if $(findstring -cache,$@),cache,production));\
 $(if $(findstring -x,$@),\
-	pushd services; docker buildx bake --file docker-compose-build.yml; popd;,\
+	pushd services; docker buildx bake --file docker-compose-build.yml $(if $(target),$(target),); popd;,\
 	docker-compose --file services/docker-compose-build.yml build $(if $(findstring -nc,$@),--no-cache,) $(if $(target),,--parallel)\
 )
 endef
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ ifeq ($(findstring webserver,$(target)),webserver)
 endif
 	# Building service $(target)
 	$(if $(findstring -kit,$@),export DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1;export COMPOSE_DOCKER_CLI_BUILD=1;,) \
-	$(_docker_compose_build) $(target)
+	$(_docker_compose_build)
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/tests/performance/Dockerfile b/tests/performance/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eee75266b21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/performance/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+FROM locustio/locust:1.4.4
+
+RUN pip3 --version && \
+  pip3 install \
+  faker \
+  python-dotenv
diff --git a/tests/performance/Makefile b/tests/performance/Makefile
index a0ae96d5158..3ad7ed13fe9 100644
--- a/tests/performance/Makefile
+++ b/tests/performance/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@
 #
 include ../../scripts/common.Makefile
 
+# Check that given variables are set and all have non-empty values,
+# die with an error otherwise.
+#
+# Params:
+#   1. Variable name(s) to test.
+#   2. (optional) Error message to print.
+check_defined = \
+    $(strip $(foreach 1,$1, \
+        $(call __check_defined,$1,$(strip $(value 2)))))
+__check_defined = \
+    $(if $(value $1),, \
+      $(error Undefined $1$(if $2, ($2))))
+
 .PHONY: requirements
 requirements: ## compiles pip requirements (.in -> .txt)
 	@$(MAKE_C) requirements reqs
@@ -13,17 +26,30 @@ requirements: ## compiles pip requirements (.in -> .txt)
 	@echo "WARNING #####  $< is newer than $@ ####"; diff -uN $@ $<; false;,\
 	@echo "WARNING ##### $@ does not exist, cloning $< as $@ ############"; cp $< $@)
 
+.PHONY: build
+build:
+	docker buildx build --tag local/locust:latest .
+
+.PHONY: up
+up:
+	@$(call check_defined, target, please define target file when calling $@ - e.g. ```make $@ target=MY_LOCUST_FILE.py```)
+	@export TARGET=$(target); \
+	docker-compose --file docker-compose.yml up
+
+down:
+	docker-compose --file docker-compose.yml down
 
 .PHONY: install
 install-dev: _check_venv_active  ## installs dependencies
 	# installing requirements
 	pip-sync requirements/dev.txt
 
+locusfile=$(if $(target),$(target),locusfile.py)
 
 .PHONY: start
 start: _check_venv_active .env  ## starts locust, a scriptable and scalable performance testing tool
 	# Open http://localhost:8089/
-	locust --locustfile locustfile.py --host http://127.0.0.1:9081  --users 3 --spawn-rate 1
+	locust --locustfile $(locusfile) --host http://127.0.0.1:9081  --users 3 --spawn-rate 1
 
 
 .PHONY: list
diff --git a/tests/performance/catalog_services.py b/tests/performance/catalog_services.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a44dc63748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/performance/catalog_services.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#
+# SEE https://docs.locust.io/en/stable/quickstart.html
+#
+
+import logging
+import os
+
+import faker
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+from locust import task
+from locust.contrib.fasthttp import FastHttpUser
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
+
+fake = faker.Faker()
+
+load_dotenv()  # take environment variables from .env
+
+
+class WebApiUser(FastHttpUser):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        self.email = fake.email()
+
+    # @task
+    # def health_check(self):
+    #     self.client.get("/v0/health")
+
+    @task(weight=5)
+    def get_services(self):
+        self.client.get(
+            f"/v0/catalog/services",
+        )
+
+    def on_start(self):
+        print("Created User ", self.email)
+        self.client.post(
+            "/v0/auth/register",
+            json={
+                "email": self.email,
+                "password": "my secret",
+                "confirm": "my secret",
+            },
+        )
+        self.client.post(
+            "/v0/auth/login", json={"email": self.email, "password": "my secret"}
+        )
+
+    def on_stop(self):
+        self.client.post("/v0/auth/logout")
+        print("Stopping", self.email)
diff --git a/tests/performance/director_services.py b/tests/performance/director_services.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..765f017ce99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/performance/director_services.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#
+# SEE https://docs.locust.io/en/stable/quickstart.html
+#
+
+import logging
+
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+from locust import task
+from locust.contrib.fasthttp import FastHttpUser
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
+
+
+load_dotenv()  # take environment variables from .env
+
+
+class WebApiUser(FastHttpUser):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    @task()
+    def get_services(self):
+        self.client.get(
+            f"/v0/services",
+        )
+
+    def on_start(self):
+        print("Created User ")
+
+    def on_stop(self):
+        print("Stopping")
diff --git a/tests/performance/docker-compose.yml b/tests/performance/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..565eb6159a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/performance/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+version: '3.8'
+
+services:
+  master:
+    image: local/locust:latest
+    ports:
+     - "8089:8089"
+    volumes:
+      - ./:/mnt/locust
+    command: -f /mnt/locust/${TARGET} --master -H http://master:8089
+
+  worker:
+    image: local/locust:latest
+    volumes:
+      - ./:/mnt/locust
+    command: -f /mnt/locust/${TARGET} --worker --master-host master