diff --git a/scripts/benchmark_cortex.py b/scripts/benchmark_cortex.py
index c59e61ea5f..05f5d5a24f 100644
--- a/scripts/benchmark_cortex.py
+++ b/scripts/benchmark_cortex.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 Benchmark cortex operations
 
 TODO:  separate client process, multiple clients
-TODO:  tagprops, regex, control flow, node data, multiple layers, spawn option, remote layer
+TODO:  tagprops, regex, control flow, node data, multiple layers, spawn option
 '''
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ def printreport(self, configname: str):
 
     def reportdata(self):
         retn = []
+        if self.num_iters < 3:
+            print('--niters must be > 2 for effective statistics')
+            return retn
+
         for name, measurements in self.measurements.items():
             # ms = ', '.join(f'{m[0]:0.3}' for m in measurements)
             tottimes = [m[0] for m in measurements[1:]]
@@ -229,6 +233,14 @@ async def do00EmptyQuery(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) ->
         assert count == 0
         return self.workfactor // 10
 
+    @benchmark()
+    async def do00NewQuery(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
+        for i in range(self.workfactor):
+            count = await acount(prox.eval(f'$x={i}'))
+
+        assert count == 0
+        return self.workfactor
+
     @benchmark({'official'})
     async def do01SimpleCount(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
         count = await acount(prox.eval('inet:ipv4 | count | spin'))
@@ -295,6 +307,36 @@ async def do07AAddNodes(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) ->
         assert count == self.workfactor
         return count
 
+    @benchmark({'addnodes', })
+    async def do07AAddNodesCallStorm(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
+        tags_to_add = '+#test'
+        count = 0
+
+        for node in self.testdata.asns2prop:
+            props_to_add = f":name = {node[1]['props']['name']}"
+            form, valu = node[0]
+
+            opts = {'vars': {'valu': valu}}
+            await prox.callStorm(f'[ {form}=$valu {props_to_add} {tags_to_add}] return($node.pack(dorepr=1))',
+                                 opts=opts)
+            count += 1
+        assert count == self.workfactor
+        return count
+
+    @benchmark({'addnodes', })
+    async def do07AAddNodesStorm(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
+        tags_to_add = '+#test'
+        count = 0
+
+        for node in self.testdata.asns2prop:
+            props_to_add = f":name = {node[1]['props']['name']}"
+            form, valu = node[0]
+
+            opts = {'vars': {'valu': valu}}
+            count += await acount(prox.storm(f'[ {form}=$valu {props_to_add} {tags_to_add}]', opts=opts))
+        assert count == self.workfactor
+        return count
+
     @benchmark({'addnodes'})
     async def do07AAddNodesSync(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
         count = await acount(prox.addNodes(self.testdata.asns2))
@@ -354,6 +396,13 @@ async def do10AutoAdds(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> i
         assert count == self.workfactor
         return self.workfactor
 
+    @benchmark()
+    async def do10SlashAdds(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
+        q = '[ inet:ipv4=1.2.0.0/16 ] | spin'
+        count = await acount(prox.eval(q))
+        assert count == 0
+        return 2 ** 16
+
     @benchmark()
     async def do10Formatting(self, core: s_cortex.Cortex, prox: s_telepath.Proxy) -> int:
         '''
@@ -505,8 +554,8 @@ def getParser():
                         help='Prefix to append to the autogenerated filename for json output.')
     parser.add_argument('--bench', '-b', nargs='*', default=None,
                         help='Prefixes of which benchmarks to run (defaults to run all)')
-    parser.add_argument('--tag', '-t', default='official',
-                        help='Tag of which suite to run (defaults to "official")')
+    parser.add_argument('--tag', '-t', default=None,
+                        help='Tag of which suite to run (defaults to "official" if bench not set)')
     parser.add_argument('--do-profiling', action='store_true')
     return parser
 
@@ -519,6 +568,9 @@ def getParser():
         print('Error: module "yappi" must be installed to use --do-profiling')
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    if opts.bench is None and opts.tag is None:
+        opts.tag = 'official'
+
     asyncio.run(benchmarkAll(opts.config, 1, opts.workfactor, opts.tmpdir,
                              jsondir=opts.jsondir, jsonprefix=opts.jsonprefix,
                              niters=opts.niters, bench=opts.bench, do_profiling=opts.do_profiling, tag=opts.tag))