diff --git a/tests/infra/basicperf.py b/tests/infra/basicperf.py
index ddb3bd82bb05..e3cba70952c5 100644
--- a/tests/infra/basicperf.py
+++ b/tests/infra/basicperf.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 import random
 import string
 import json
+import shutil
+import datetime
 
 
 def configure_remote_client(args, client_id, client_host, common_dir):
@@ -177,6 +179,35 @@ def create_and_fill_key_space(size: int, primary: infra.node.Node) -> List[str]:
     return space
 
 
+def create_and_add_node(
+    network, host, old_primary, new_primary, snapshots_dir, statistics
+):
+    LOG.info(f"Retiring old primary {old_primary.local_node_id}")
+    statistics[
+        "initial_primary_retirement_start_time"
+    ] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
+    network.retire_node(new_primary, old_primary)
+    statistics[
+        "initial_primary_retirement_complete_time"
+    ] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
+    LOG.info("Old primary is retired")
+
+    LOG.info(f"Adding new node: {host}")
+    node = network.create_node(host)
+    statistics["new_node_join_start_time"] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
+    network.join_node(
+        node,
+        args.package,
+        args,
+        timeout=10,
+        copy_ledger=False,
+        snapshots_dir=snapshots_dir,
+    )
+    network.trust_node(node, args)
+    statistics["new_node_join_complete_time"] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
+    LOG.info(f"Done adding new node: {host}")
+
+
 def run(args):
     hosts = args.nodes or ["local://localhost"]
 
@@ -212,7 +243,11 @@ def run(args):
         requests_file_paths = []
         for client_def in args.client_def:
             count, gen, iterations, target = client_def.split(",")
-            rr_idx = 0
+            # The round robin index deliberately starts at 1, so that backups/any are
+            # loaded uniformly but the first instance slightly less so where possible. This
+            # is useful when running a failover test, to avoid the new primary being targeted
+            # by reads.
+            rr_idx = 1
             for _ in range(int(count)):
                 LOG.info(f"Generating {iterations} requests for client_{client_idx}")
                 msgs = generator.Messages()
@@ -262,7 +297,7 @@ def run(args):
                 # All clients talking to the primary are configured to fail over to the first backup,
                 # which is the only node whose election timeout has not been raised, to guarantee its
                 # election as the old primary becomes unavailable.
-                if args.stop_primary_after_s:
+                if args.stop_primary_after_s and target == "primary":
                     cmd.append(
                         f"--failover-server-address={backups[0].get_public_rpc_host()}:{backups[0].get_public_rpc_port()}"
                     )
@@ -283,7 +318,9 @@ def run(args):
             format_width = len(str(args.client_timeout_s)) + 3
 
             try:
+                statistics = {}
                 start_time = time.time()
+                primary_has_stopped = False
                 while True:
                     stop_waiting = True
                     for i, remote_client in enumerate(clients):
@@ -302,12 +339,46 @@ def run(args):
                     if (
                         args.stop_primary_after_s
                         and time.time() > start_time + args.stop_primary_after_s
-                        and not primary.is_stopped()
+                        and not primary_has_stopped
                     ):
+                        committed_snapshots_dir = network.get_committed_snapshots(
+                            primary, force_txs=False
+                        )
+                        snapshots = os.listdir(committed_snapshots_dir)
+                        sorted_snapshots = sorted(
+                            snapshots, key=lambda x: int(x.split("_")[1])
+                        )
+                        latest_snapshot = sorted_snapshots[-1]
+                        latest_snapshot_dir = os.path.join(
+                            network.common_dir, "snapshots_to_copy"
+                        )
+                        os.mkdir(latest_snapshot_dir)
+                        shutil.copy(
+                            os.path.join(committed_snapshots_dir, latest_snapshot),
+                            latest_snapshot_dir,
+                        )
                         LOG.info(
                             f"Stopping primary after {args.stop_primary_after_s} seconds"
                         )
+                        statistics[
+                            "initial_primary_shutdown_time"
+                        ] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
                         primary.stop()
+                        primary_has_stopped = True
+                        old_primary = primary
+                        primary, _ = network.wait_for_new_primary(primary)
+                        statistics[
+                            "new_primary_election_time"
+                        ] = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
+                        if args.add_new_node_after_primary_stops:
+                            create_and_add_node(
+                                network,
+                                args.add_new_node_after_primary_stops,
+                                old_primary,
+                                primary,
+                                latest_snapshot_dir,
+                                statistics,
+                            )
 
                     time.sleep(1)
 
@@ -335,7 +406,6 @@ def run(args):
 
                 network.stop_all_nodes()
 
-                statistics = {}
                 agg = []
 
                 for client_id, remote_client in enumerate(clients):
@@ -526,6 +596,7 @@ def cli_args():
     parser.add_argument(
         "--stop-primary-after-s", help="Stop primary after this many seconds", type=int
     )
+    parser.add_argument("--add-new-node-after-primary-stops", type=str)
     return infra.e2e_args.cli_args(
         parser=parser, accept_unknown=False, ledger_chunk_bytes_override="5MB"
     )