diff --git a/performance-test/00-new b/performance-test/00-new
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6f0b50c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/performance-test/00-new
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+test_description='notmuch new'
+
+. ./perf-test-lib.sh
+
+uncache_database
+
+time_start
+
+time_run 'initial notmuch new' 'notmuch new'
+
+cache_database
+
+for i in $(seq 2 6); do
+    time_run "notmuch new #$i" 'notmuch new'
+done
+
+time_done
diff --git a/performance-test/01-dump-restore b/performance-test/01-dump-restore
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0ee3a282
--- /dev/null
+++ b/performance-test/01-dump-restore
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+test_description='dump and restore'
+
+. ./perf-test-lib.sh
+
+time_start
+
+time_run 'dump *' 'notmuch dump > tags.out'
+time_run 'restore *' 'notmuch restore < tags.out'
+
+time_done
diff --git a/performance-test/02-tag b/performance-test/02-tag
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..78cecccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/performance-test/02-tag
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+test_description='tagging'
+
+. ./perf-test-lib.sh
+
+time_start
+
+time_run 'tag * +new_tag' "notmuch tag +new_tag '*'"
+time_run 'tag * +existing_tag' "notmuch tag +new_tag '*'"
+time_run 'tag * -existing_tag' "notmuch tag -new_tag '*'"
+time_run 'tag * -missing_tag' "notmuch tag -new_tag '*'"
+
+time_done
diff --git a/performance-test/README b/performance-test/README
index d36612d7..14816602 100644
--- a/performance-test/README
+++ b/performance-test/README
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ Each test script supports the following arguments
 Writing tests
 -------------
 
-Have a look at "basic" for an example. Sourcing "perf-test-lib.sh" is
-mandatory.  Utility functions include
+Have a look at "01-dump-restore" for an example. Sourcing
+"perf-test-lib.sh" is mandatory.  Utility functions include
 
 - 'add_email_corpus' unpacks a set of messages and adds them to the database.
 - 'cache_database': makes a snapshot of the current database
@@ -62,3 +62,7 @@ mandatory.  Utility functions include
    cannot find a cache of the appropriate corpus.
 - 'time_done' does the cleanup; comment it out or pass --debug to the
   script to leave the temporary files around.
+
+Scripts are run in the order specified in notmuch-perf-test. In the
+future this order might be chosen automatically so please follow the
+convention of starting the name with two digits to specify the order.
diff --git a/performance-test/basic b/performance-test/basic
deleted file mode 100755
index 41a7ff1a..00000000
--- a/performance-test/basic
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-. ./perf-test-lib.sh
-
-uncache_database
-
-add_email_corpus
-
-print_header
-
-time_run 'initial notmuch new' 'notmuch new'
-
-cache_database
-
-time_run 'second notmuch new' 'notmuch new'
-time_run 'dump *' 'notmuch dump > tags.out'
-time_run 'restore *' 'notmuch restore < tags.out'
-time_run 'tag * +new_tag' "notmuch tag +new_tag '*'"
-
-time_done
diff --git a/performance-test/notmuch-perf-test b/performance-test/notmuch-perf-test
index 1bea3452..fc39d8a9 100755
--- a/performance-test/notmuch-perf-test
+++ b/performance-test/notmuch-perf-test
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ fi
 cd $(dirname "$0")
 
 TESTS="
-  basic
+  00-new
+  01-dump-restore
+  02-tag
 "
 
 for test in $TESTS; do