diff --git a/benches/client_mock_tcp.rs b/benches/client_mock_tcp.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2fdc89c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/client_mock_tcp.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+#![feature(default_type_params)]
+extern crate curl;
+extern crate http;
+extern crate hyper;
+
+extern crate test;
+
+use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
+use std::from_str::from_str;
+use std::io::{IoResult, MemReader};
+use std::io::net::ip::SocketAddr;
+use std::os;
+use std::path::BytesContainer;
+
+use http::connecter::Connecter;
+
+use hyper::net;
+
+static README: &'static [u8] = include_bin!("../README.md");
+
+
+struct MockStream {
+    read: MemReader,
+}
+
+impl Clone for MockStream {
+    fn clone(&self) -> MockStream {
+        MockStream::new()
+    }
+}
+
+impl MockStream {
+    fn new() -> MockStream {
+        let head = b"HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nServer: Mock\r\n\r\n";
+        let mut res = Vec::from_slice(head);
+        res.push_all(README);
+        MockStream {
+            read: MemReader::new(res),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Reader for MockStream {
+    fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> IoResult<uint> {
+        self.read.read(buf)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Writer for MockStream {
+    fn write(&mut self, _msg: &[u8]) -> IoResult<()> {
+        // we're mocking, what do we care.
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_mock_curl(b: &mut test::Bencher) {
+    let mut cwd = os::getcwd();
+    cwd.push("README.md");
+    let s = format!("file://{}", cwd.container_as_str().unwrap());
+    let url = s.as_slice();
+    b.iter(|| {
+        curl::http::handle()
+            .get(url)
+            .header("X-Foo", "Bar")
+            .exec()
+            .unwrap()
+    });
+}
+
+struct Foo;
+
+impl hyper::header::Header for Foo {
+    fn header_name(_: Option<Foo>) -> &'static str {
+        "x-foo"
+    }
+    fn parse_header(_: &[Vec<u8>]) -> Option<Foo> {
+        None
+    }
+    fn fmt_header(&self, fmt: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        "Bar".fmt(fmt)
+    }
+}
+
+impl net::NetworkStream for MockStream {
+
+    fn connect(_host: &str, _port: u16) -> IoResult<MockStream> {
+        Ok(MockStream::new())
+    }
+
+    fn peer_name(&mut self) -> IoResult<SocketAddr> {
+        Ok(from_str("127.0.0.1:1337").unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_mock_hyper(b: &mut test::Bencher) {
+    let url = "http://127.0.0.1:1337/";
+    b.iter(|| {
+        let mut req = hyper::client::Request::with_stream::<MockStream>(
+            hyper::Get, hyper::Url::parse(url).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        req.headers_mut().set(Foo);
+
+        req
+            .start().unwrap()
+            .send().unwrap()
+            .read_to_string().unwrap()
+    });
+}
+
+impl Connecter for MockStream {
+    fn connect(_addr: SocketAddr, _host: &str, _use_ssl: bool) -> IoResult<MockStream> {
+        Ok(MockStream::new())
+    }
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_mock_http(b: &mut test::Bencher) {
+    let url = "http://127.0.0.1:1337/";
+    b.iter(|| {
+        let mut req: http::client::RequestWriter<MockStream> = http::client::RequestWriter::new(
+            http::method::Get,
+            hyper::Url::parse(url).unwrap()
+        ).unwrap();
+        req.headers.extensions.insert("x-foo".to_string(), "Bar".to_string());
+        // cant unwrap because Err contains RequestWriter, which does not implement Show
+        let mut res = match req.read_response() {
+            Ok(res) => res,
+            Err(..) => fail!("http response failed")
+        };
+        res.read_to_string().unwrap();
+    });
+}
+
diff --git a/src/client/request.rs b/src/client/request.rs
index 6d9548bd..05b764ae 100644
--- a/src/client/request.rs
+++ b/src/client/request.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ impl<W: WriteStatus> Request<W> {
 impl Request<Fresh> {
     /// Create a new client request.
     pub fn new(method: method::Method, url: Url) -> HttpResult<Request<Fresh>> {
+        Request::with_stream::<HttpStream>(method, url)
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new client request with a specific underlying NetworkStream.
+    pub fn with_stream<S: NetworkStream>(method: method::Method, url: Url) -> HttpResult<Request<Fresh>> {
         debug!("{} {}", method, url);
         let host = match url.serialize_host() {
             Some(host) => host,
@@ -50,7 +55,7 @@ impl Request<Fresh> {
         };
         debug!("port={}", port);
 
-        let stream: HttpStream = try_io!(NetworkStream::connect(host.as_slice(), port));
+        let stream: S = try_io!(NetworkStream::connect(host.as_slice(), port));
         let stream = BufferedWriter::new(stream.abstract());
         let mut headers = Headers::new();
         headers.set(Host(host));