diff --git a/src/test/bench/shootout-mandelbrot.rs b/src/test/bench/shootout-mandelbrot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2fab8685c2cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/bench/shootout-mandelbrot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+//  based on:
+//  http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/u64q/program.php?test=mandelbrot&lang=python3&id=2
+//
+//  takes 2 optional numeric args: square image size and yield frequency
+//  in the shootout, they use 16000 as image size
+//  yield frequency doesn't seem to have much effect
+//
+//  writes pbm image to stdout
+
+use std;
+import std::io::writer_util;
+
+type cmplx = {re: f64, im: f64};
+type line = {i: uint, b: [u8]};
+
+impl arith for cmplx {
+	fn *(x: cmplx) -> cmplx {
+		{re: self.re*x.re - self.im*x.im, im: self.re*x.im + self.im*x.re}
+	}
+
+	fn +(x: cmplx) -> cmplx {
+		{re: self.re + x.re, im: self.im + x.im}
+	}
+}
+
+pure fn cabs(x: cmplx) -> f64
+{
+	x.re*x.re + x.im*x.im
+}
+
+fn mb(x: cmplx) -> bool
+{
+	let z = {re: 0., im: 0.};
+	let i = 0;
+	let in = true;
+	while i < 50 {
+		z = z*z + x;
+		if cabs(z) >= 4. {
+			in = false;
+			break;
+		}
+		i += 1;
+	}
+	in
+}
+
+fn fillbyte(x: cmplx, incr: f64) -> u8 {
+	let rv = 0_u8;
+	let i = 0_u8;
+	while i < 8_u8 {
+		let z = {re: x.re + (i as f64)*incr, im: x.im};
+		if mb(z) {
+			rv += 1_u8 << (7_u8 - i);
+		}
+		i += 1_u8;
+	}
+	rv
+}
+
+fn chanmb(i: uint, size: uint, ch: comm::chan<line>) -> ()
+{
+	let crv = [];
+	let incr = 2./(size as f64);
+	let y = incr*(i as f64) - 1.;
+	let xincr = 8.*incr;
+	uint::range(0_u, size/8_u) {
+		|j|
+		let x = {re: xincr*(j as f64) - 1.5, im: y};
+		crv += [fillbyte(x, incr)];
+	};
+	comm::send(ch, {i:i, b:crv});
+}
+
+fn writer(writech: comm::chan<comm::chan<line>>, size: uint)
+{
+	let p: comm::port<line> = comm::port();
+	let ch = comm::chan(p);
+	comm::send(writech, ch);
+	let cout = std::io::stdout();
+	cout.write_line("P4");
+	cout.write_line(#fmt("%u %u", size, size));
+	let lines = std::map::new_uint_hash();
+	let done = 0_u;
+	let i = 0_u;
+	while i < size {
+		let aline = comm::recv(p);
+		if aline.i == done {
+			#debug("W %u", aline.i);
+			cout.write(aline.b);
+			done += 1_u;
+			let prev = done;
+			while prev <= i {
+				if lines.contains_key(prev) {
+					#debug("WS %u", prev);
+					cout.write(lines.get(prev));
+					done += 1_u;
+					lines.remove(prev);
+					prev += 1_u;
+				}
+				else {
+					break
+				}
+			};
+			
+		}
+		else {
+			#debug("S %u", aline.i);
+			lines.insert(aline.i, aline.b);
+		};
+		i += 1_u;
+	}
+}
+
+fn main(argv: [str])
+{
+	let size = if vec::len(argv) < 2_u {
+		80u
+	}
+	else {
+		uint::from_str(argv[1])
+	};
+	let yieldevery = if vec::len(argv) < 3_u {
+		10_u
+	}
+	else {
+		uint::from_str(argv[2])
+	};
+	let writep = comm::port();
+	let writech = comm::chan(writep);
+	task::spawn {
+		|| writer(writech, size);
+	};
+	let ch = comm::recv(writep);
+	uint::range(0_u, size) {
+		|j| task::spawn {
+			|| chanmb(j, size, ch);
+		};
+		if j % yieldevery == 0_u {
+			#debug("Y %u", j);
+			task::yield();
+		};
+	};
+}