diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 0855b1635..9e5f9ae9e 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ target_link_libraries(all_tests PRIVATE test_main)
 set_test_target_parameters(all_tests "")
 
 # Unit benchmark executable
-add_executable(benchmarks benchmarks.cc benchmark_reporters.cc)
+add_executable(benchmarks benchmarks.cc system_benchmarks.cc benchmark_reporters.cc)
 target_link_libraries(benchmarks PRIVATE test_main)
-set_test_target_parameters(benchmarks benchmarks.cc)
+set_test_target_parameters(benchmarks benchmarks.cc system_benchmarks.cc)
 
 add_subdirectory(system)
 if(CELERITY_DETAIL_INTEGRATION_TESTING)
diff --git a/test/system_benchmarks.cc b/test/system_benchmarks.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f9a74603
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/system_benchmarks.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#include <catch2/benchmark/catch_benchmark.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch_template_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <catch2/generators/catch_generators.hpp>
+
+#include <celerity.h>
+
+#include "test_utils.h"
+
+using namespace celerity;
+
+template <int Dims>
+class bench_runtime_fixture : public test_utils::runtime_fixture {};
+
+TEMPLATE_TEST_CASE_METHOD_SIG(
+    bench_runtime_fixture, "benchmark independent task pattern with N tasks", "[benchmark][system-benchmarks][indep-tasks]", ((int N), N), 100, 1000, 5000) {
+	constexpr size_t num_tasks = N;
+	constexpr size_t num_repeats = 2;
+	constexpr size_t items_per_task = 256;
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+	if(N > 100) { SKIP("Skipping larger-scale benchmark in debug build to save CI time"); }
+#endif
+
+	celerity::distr_queue queue;
+	celerity::buffer<size_t, 2> buffer(celerity::range<2>(items_per_task, num_tasks));
+
+	// initialize buffer
+	queue.submit([&](celerity::handler& cgh) {
+		celerity::accessor w{buffer, cgh, celerity::access::one_to_one{}, celerity::write_only, celerity::no_init};
+		cgh.parallel_for(buffer.get_range(), [=](celerity::item<2> item) { w[item] = item.get_linear_id(); });
+	});
+	queue.slow_full_sync();
+
+	size_t bench_repeats = 0;
+	BENCHMARK("task generation") {
+		for(size_t r = 0; r < num_repeats; ++r) {
+			for(size_t i = 0; i < num_tasks; ++i) {
+				queue.submit([&](celerity::handler& cgh) {
+					celerity::accessor acc{buffer, cgh,
+					    [=](celerity::chunk<1> c) { return celerity::subrange<2>(celerity::id<2>(c.offset.get(0), i), celerity::range<2>(c.range.get(0), 1)); },
+					    celerity::read_write};
+					cgh.parallel_for(celerity::range<1>(items_per_task), [=](celerity::item<1> item) { //
+						acc[item[0]][i] += 1;
+					});
+				});
+			}
+		}
+		queue.slow_full_sync();
+		bench_repeats++;
+	};
+
+	// check result
+	celerity::buffer<bool, 0> success_buffer = true;
+	queue.submit([&](celerity::handler& cgh) {
+		celerity::accessor r{buffer, cgh, celerity::access::all{}, celerity::read_only_host_task};
+		celerity::accessor succ{success_buffer, cgh, celerity::access::all{}, celerity::write_only_host_task};
+		cgh.host_task(celerity::on_master_node_tag{}, [=]() {
+			celerity::for_each_item(buffer.get_range(), [=](celerity::item<2> item) {
+				size_t expected = item.get_linear_id() + (num_repeats * bench_repeats);
+				if(r[item] != expected) {
+					fmt::print("Mismatch at {}: {} != {}\n", item.get_linear_id(), r[item], expected);
+					succ = false;
+				}
+			});
+		});
+	});
+	CHECK(*experimental::fence(queue, success_buffer).get() == true);
+}