diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9e48dfc1..b2ed9afc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ retrieving other objects.
 ## Benchmarks
 
 We provide scripts for benchmarking zend-servicemanager using the
-[Athletic](https://github.com/polyfractal/athletic) framework; these can be
+[PHPBench](https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench) framework; these can be
 found in the `benchmarks/` directory.
 
 To execute the benchmarks you can run the following command:
 
 ```bash
-$ vendor/bin/athletic -p benchmarks
+$ vendor/bin/phpbench run --report=aggregate
 ```
diff --git a/benchmarks/FetchCachedServicesBench.php b/benchmarks/FetchCachedServicesBench.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c10f2929
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/FetchCachedServicesBench.php
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace ZendBench\ServiceManager;
+
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Iterations;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Revs;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Warmup;
+use Zend\ServiceManager\ServiceManager;
+
+/**
+ * @Revs(1000)
+ * @Iterations(20)
+ * @Warmup(2)
+ */
+class FetchCachedServicesBench
+{
+    /**
+     * @var ServiceManager
+     */
+    private $sm;
+
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->sm = new ServiceManager([
+            'factories' => [
+                'factory1' => BenchAsset\FactoryFoo::class,
+            ],
+            'invokables' => [
+                'invokable1' => BenchAsset\Foo::class,
+            ],
+            'services' => [
+                'service1' => new \stdClass(),
+            ],
+            'aliases' => [
+                'alias1'          => 'service1',
+                'recursiveAlias1' => 'alias1',
+                'recursiveAlias2' => 'recursiveAlias1',
+            ],
+            'abstract_factories' => [
+                BenchAsset\AbstractFactoryFoo::class
+            ]
+        ]);
+
+        // forcing initialization of all the services
+        $this->sm->get('factory1');
+        $this->sm->get('invokable1');
+        $this->sm->get('service1');
+        $this->sm->get('alias1');
+        $this->sm->get('recursiveAlias1');
+        $this->sm->get('recursiveAlias2');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchFactory1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('factory1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchInvokable1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('invokable1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchService1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('service1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('alias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchRecursiveAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('recursiveAlias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchRecursiveAlias2()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('recursiveAlias2');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchAbstractFactoryService()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('foo');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/benchmarks/FetchNewServiceManagerBench.php b/benchmarks/FetchNewServiceManagerBench.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ffa63db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/FetchNewServiceManagerBench.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace ZendBench\ServiceManager;
+
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Iterations;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Revs;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Warmup;
+use Zend\ServiceManager\ServiceManager;
+
+/**
+ * @Revs(100)
+ * @Iterations(20)
+ * @Warmup(2)
+ */
+class FetchNewServiceManagerBench
+{
+    const NUM_SERVICES = 1000;
+
+    /**
+     * @var array
+     */
+    private $config = [];
+
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $config = [
+            'factories'          => [],
+            'invokables'         => [],
+            'services'           => [],
+            'aliases'            => [],
+            'abstract_factories' => [
+                BenchAsset\AbstractFactoryFoo::class,
+            ],
+        ];
+
+        $service = new \stdClass();
+
+        for ($i = 0; $i <= self::NUM_SERVICES; $i++) {
+            $config['factories']["factory_$i"]    = BenchAsset\FactoryFoo::class;
+            $config['invokables']["invokable_$i"] = BenchAsset\Foo::class;
+            $config['services']["service_$i"]     = $service;
+            $config['aliases']["alias_$i"]        = "service_$i";
+        }
+        $this->config = $config;
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchServiceManagerCreation()
+    {
+        new ServiceManager($this->config);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/benchmarks/FetchNewServicesBench.php b/benchmarks/FetchNewServicesBench.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..caf1b3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/FetchNewServicesBench.php
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace ZendBench\ServiceManager;
+
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Iterations;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Revs;
+use PhpBench\Benchmark\Metadata\Annotations\Warmup;
+use Zend\ServiceManager\ServiceManager;
+
+/**
+ * @Revs(1000)
+ * @Iterations(10)
+ * @Warmup(2)
+ */
+class FetchNewServicesBench
+{
+    /**
+     * @var ServiceManager
+     */
+    private $sm;
+
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->sm = new ServiceManager([
+            'factories' => [
+                'factory1' => BenchAsset\FactoryFoo::class,
+            ],
+            'invokables' => [
+                'invokable1' => BenchAsset\Foo::class,
+            ],
+            'services' => [
+                'service1' => new \stdClass(),
+            ],
+            'aliases' => [
+                'factoryAlias1'          => 'factory1',
+                'recursiveFactoryAlias1' => 'factoryAlias1',
+                'recursiveFactoryAlias2' => 'recursiveFactoryAlias1',
+            ],
+            'abstract_factories' => [
+                BenchAsset\AbstractFactoryFoo::class
+            ],
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchFactory1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('factory1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildFactory1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('factory1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchInvokable1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('invokable1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildInvokable1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('invokable1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchService1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('service1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchFactoryAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('factoryAlias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildFactoryAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('factoryAlias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchRecursiveFactoryAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('recursiveFactoryAlias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildRecursiveFactoryAlias1()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('recursiveFactoryAlias1');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchRecursiveFactoryAlias2()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('recursiveFactoryAlias2');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildRecursiveFactoryAlias2()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('recursiveFactoryAlias2');
+    }
+
+    public function benchFetchAbstractFactoryFoo()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->get('foo');
+    }
+
+    public function benchBuildAbstractFactoryFoo()
+    {
+        // @todo @link https://github.com/phpbench/phpbench/issues/304
+        $sm = clone $this->sm;
+
+        $sm->build('foo');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/benchmarks/FetchServiceManager.php b/benchmarks/FetchServiceManager.php
deleted file mode 100644
index bf53cb3a..00000000
--- a/benchmarks/FetchServiceManager.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace ZendBench\ServiceManager;
-
-use Athletic\AthleticEvent;
-use Zend\ServiceManager\ServiceManager;
-
-class FetchServiceManager extends AthleticEvent
-{
-    const NUM_SERVICES = 1000;
-
-    protected $config;
-
-    protected function getConfig()
-    {
-        $config = [];
-        for ($i = 0; $i <= self::NUM_SERVICES; $i++) {
-            $config['factories']["factory_$i"]    = BenchAsset\FactoryFoo::class;
-            $config['invokables']["invokable_$i"] = BenchAsset\Foo::class;
-            $config['services']["service_$i"]     = $this;
-            $config['aliases']["alias_$i"]        = "service_$i";
-        }
-        $config['abstract_factories'] = [ BenchAsset\AbstractFactoryFoo::class ];
-        return $config;
-    }
-
-    public function classSetUp()
-    {
-        $this->config = $this->getConfig();
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * @iterations 500
-     */
-    public function fetchServiceManagerCreation()
-    {
-        $retult = new ServiceManager($this->config);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/benchmarks/FetchServices.php b/benchmarks/FetchServices.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f86289e..00000000
--- a/benchmarks/FetchServices.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace ZendBench\ServiceManager;
-
-use Athletic\AthleticEvent;
-use Zend\ServiceManager\ServiceManager;
-
-class FetchServices extends AthleticEvent
-{
-    const NUM_SERVICES = 1000;
-
-    /**
-     * @var ServiceManager
-     */
-    protected $sm;
-
-    protected function getConfig()
-    {
-        $config = [];
-        for ($i = 0; $i <= self::NUM_SERVICES; $i++) {
-            $config['factories']["factory_$i"]    = BenchAsset\FactoryFoo::class;
-            $config['invokables']["invokable_$i"] = BenchAsset\Foo::class;
-            $config['services']["service_$i"]     = $this;
-            $config['aliases']["alias_$i"]        = "service_$i";
-        }
-        $config['abstract_factories'] = [ BenchAsset\AbstractFactoryFoo::class ];
-        return $config;
-    }
-
-    public function classSetUp()
-    {
-        $this->sm = new ServiceManager($this->getConfig());
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Fetch the factory services
-     *
-     * @iterations 5000
-     */
-    public function fetchFactoryService()
-    {
-        $result = $this->sm->get('factory_' . rand(0, self::NUM_SERVICES));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Fetch the invokable services
-     *
-     * @iterations 5000
-     */
-    public function fetchInvokableService()
-    {
-        $result = $this->sm->get('invokable_' . rand(0, self::NUM_SERVICES));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Fetch the services
-     *
-     * @iterations 5000
-     */
-    public function fetchService()
-    {
-        $result = $this->sm->get('service_' . rand(0, self::NUM_SERVICES));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Fetch the alias services
-     *
-     * @iterations 5000
-     */
-    public function fetchAliasService()
-    {
-        $result = $this->sm->get('alias_' . rand(0, self::NUM_SERVICES));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Fetch the abstract factory services
-     *
-     * @iterations 5000
-     */
-    public function fetchAbstractFactoryService()
-    {
-       $result = $this->sm->get('foo');
-    }
-}
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 1261f5e9..65e7a7d8 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         "phpunit/phpunit": "~4.6",
         "ocramius/proxy-manager": "~1.0",
         "squizlabs/php_codesniffer": "^2.0@dev",
-        "athletic/athletic": "dev-master"
+        "phpbench/phpbench": "^0.10.0"
     },
     "suggest": {
         "ocramius/proxy-manager": "ProxyManager 1.* to handle lazy initialization of services",
diff --git a/phpbench.json b/phpbench.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f782945a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpbench.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "bootstrap":       "vendor/autoload.php",
+    "path":            "benchmarks",
+    "retry_threshold": 5
+}
diff --git a/src/ServiceManager.php b/src/ServiceManager.php
index 0fef5d82..f6d4d97d 100644
--- a/src/ServiceManager.php
+++ b/src/ServiceManager.php
@@ -563,31 +563,19 @@ private function resolveInitializers(array $initializers)
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Recursively resolve an alias name to a service name
-     *
-     * @param  string $alias
-     * @return string
-     */
-    private function resolveAlias($alias)
-    {
-        $name = $alias;
-
-        do {
-            $canBeResolved = isset($this->aliases[$name]);
-            $name          = $canBeResolved ? $this->aliases[$name] : $name;
-        } while ($canBeResolved);
-
-        return $name;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Resolve all aliases to their canonical service names.
      */
     private function resolveAliases(array $aliases)
     {
         foreach ($aliases as $alias => $service) {
-            $this->resolvedAliases[$alias] = $this->resolveAlias($alias);
+            $name = $alias;
+
+            while (isset($this->aliases[$name])) {
+                $name = $this->aliases[$name];
+            }
+
+            $this->resolvedAliases[$alias] = $name;
         }
     }