diff --git a/Framework/Core/CMakeLists.txt b/Framework/Core/CMakeLists.txt
index f24ac6387649e..936d8874179a5 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Framework/Core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ o2_add_executable(dpl-run
 foreach(b
         DataDescriptorMatcher
         DataRelayer
+        Stack
         DeviceMetricsInfo
         InputRecord
         TableBuilder
diff --git a/Framework/Core/test/benchmark_Stack.cxx b/Framework/Core/test/benchmark_Stack.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ff45b8724ce73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Framework/Core/test/benchmark_Stack.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright 2019-2020 CERN and copyright holders of ALICE O2.
+// See https://alice-o2.web.cern.ch/copyright for details of the copyright holders.
+// All rights not expressly granted are reserved.
+//
+// This software is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public
+// License v3 (GPL Version 3), copied verbatim in the file "COPYING".
+//
+// In applying this license CERN does not waive the privileges and immunities
+// granted to it by virtue of its status as an Intergovernmental Organization
+// or submit itself to any jurisdiction.
+#include <benchmark/benchmark.h>
+
+#include "Framework/DataProcessingHeader.h"
+#include "Headers/DataHeader.h"
+#include "Headers/Stack.h"
+#include <iostream>
+
+// a simple benchmark of the contribution of the pure message creation
+// this was important when the benchmarks below included the message
+// creation inside the benchmark loop, its somewhat obsolete now but
+// we keep it for reference
+static void BM_RelayStackLifecycle(benchmark::State& state)
+{
+  using namespace o2::framework;
+  using namespace o2::header;
+  DataProcessingHeader dph{0, 1};
+
+  for (auto _ : state) {
+    DataHeader dh;
+    dh.dataDescription = "CLUSTERS";
+    dh.dataOrigin = "TPC";
+    dh.subSpecification = 0;
+
+    DataProcessingHeader dph{0, 1};
+    Stack stack{dh, dph};
+  }
+}
+
+BENCHMARK(BM_RelayStackLifecycle);
+
+BENCHMARK_MAIN();