diff --git a/benchmarks/README.md b/benchmarks/README.md
index b02525c..18a7c93 100644
--- a/benchmarks/README.md
+++ b/benchmarks/README.md
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ Benchmarks for both pull-mplex and libp2p-mplex
 This test will send a ping message from the dialer to the listener, which is echo'd back to the dialer.
 A new stream will be created for each echo.
 
-**pull-mplex**: `node bench.js --lib=pull-mplex`
-**libp2p-mplex**: `node bench.js --lib=libp2p-mplex`
+**pull-mplex**: `node bench.js --lib=pull-mplex --msgs=100 --runs=3`
+**libp2p-mplex**: `node bench.js --lib=libp2p-mplex --msgs=100 --runs=3`
 
 You should see results like:
 ```sh
diff --git a/benchmarks/bench.js b/benchmarks/bench.js
index a4baec0..9f67d13 100644
--- a/benchmarks/bench.js
+++ b/benchmarks/bench.js
@@ -11,13 +11,18 @@ const parallel = require('fastparallel')({
 const pull = require('pull-stream')
 const toPull = require('stream-to-pull-stream')
 
+let msgs
+let runs
+
 const argv = minimist(process.argv.slice(2), {
   boolean: 'child',
   default: {
     child: true,
     port: 3000,
     host: 'localhost',
-    lib: 'pull-mplex'
+    lib: 'pull-mplex',
+    msgs: 100,
+    runs: 3
   }
 })
 
@@ -25,6 +30,8 @@ function buildPingPong (cb) {
   let child
   let dialer
   const mplex = require(argv.lib || 'pull-mplex')
+  msgs = argv.msgs
+  runs = argv.runs
 
   if (argv.child) {
     child = childProcess.fork(path.join(__dirname, 'mplex-echo.js'), {
@@ -85,10 +92,11 @@ function times (num, run, cb) {
 buildPingPong(function (err, benchPingPong) {
   if (err) throw err
 
-  var run = bench([benchPingPong], 100)
+  // ping pong `msgs` many messages
+  const run = bench([benchPingPong], msgs)
 
-  // Do it 5 times
-  times(5, run, function () {
+  // Do it `runs` many times
+  times(runs, run, function () {
     // close the sockets the bad way
     process.exit(0)
   })