diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_scale_bench_test.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_scale_bench_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70daaac3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher_scale_bench_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,945 @@
+package mapper
+
+// Scale benchmarks for the batcher system.
+//
+// These benchmarks systematically increase node counts to find scaling limits
+// and identify bottlenecks. Organized into tiers:
+//
+// Tier 1 - O(1) operations: should stay flat regardless of node count
+// Tier 2 - O(N) lightweight: batch queuing and processing (no MapResponse generation)
+// Tier 3 - O(N) heavier: map building, peer diff, peer tracking
+// Tier 4 - Concurrent contention: multi-goroutine access under load
+//
+// Node count progression: 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+)
+
+// scaleCounts defines the node counts used across all scaling benchmarks.
+// Tier 1 (O(1)) tests up to 50k; Tier 2-4 test up to 10k-20k.
+var (
+	scaleCountsO1     = []int{100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000}
+	scaleCountsLinear = []int{100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000}
+	scaleCountsHeavy  = []int{100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000}
+	scaleCountsConc   = []int{100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000}
+)
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Tier 1: O(1) Operations — should scale flat
+// ============================================================================
+
+// BenchmarkScale_IsConnected tests single-node lookup at increasing map sizes.
+func BenchmarkScale_IsConnected(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsO1 {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				id := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+				_ = batcher.IsConnected(id)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_Targeted tests single-node targeted change at
+// increasing map sizes. The map size should not affect per-operation cost.
+func BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_Targeted(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsO1 {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				targetID := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+				ch := change.Change{
+					Reason:     "scale-targeted",
+					TargetNode: targetID,
+					PeerPatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
+						{NodeID: tailcfg.NodeID(targetID)}, //nolint:gosec
+					},
+				}
+				batcher.addToBatch(ch)
+				// Drain every 100 ops to avoid unbounded growth
+				if i%100 == 99 {
+					batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, nc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+						nc.drainPending()
+						return true
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ConnectionChurn tests add/remove connection cycle.
+// The map size should not affect per-operation cost for a single node.
+func BenchmarkScale_ConnectionChurn(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsO1 {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, channels := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				id := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+
+				mc, ok := batcher.nodes.Load(id)
+				if !ok {
+					continue
+				}
+
+				oldCh := channels[id]
+				mc.removeConnectionByChannel(oldCh)
+
+				newCh := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 10)
+				entry := &connectionEntry{
+					id:      fmt.Sprintf("sc-%d", i),
+					c:       newCh,
+					version: tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100),
+					created: time.Now(),
+				}
+				entry.lastUsed.Store(time.Now().Unix())
+				mc.addConnection(entry)
+
+				channels[id] = newCh
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Tier 2: O(N) Lightweight — batch mechanics without MapResponse generation
+// ============================================================================
+
+// BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_Broadcast tests broadcasting a change to ALL nodes.
+// Cost should scale linearly with node count.
+func BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_Broadcast(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsLinear {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			ch := change.DERPMap()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.addToBatch(ch)
+				// Drain to avoid unbounded growth
+				batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, nc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+					nc.drainPending()
+					return true
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_FullUpdate tests FullUpdate broadcast cost.
+func BenchmarkScale_AddToBatch_FullUpdate(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsLinear {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.addToBatch(change.FullUpdate())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ProcessBatchedChanges tests draining pending changes into work queue.
+func BenchmarkScale_ProcessBatchedChanges(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsLinear {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+			batcher.workCh = make(chan work, n*b.N+1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				b.StopTimer()
+
+				for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+					if nc, ok := batcher.nodes.Load(types.NodeID(i)); ok { //nolint:gosec
+						nc.appendPending(change.DERPMap())
+					}
+				}
+
+				b.StartTimer()
+				batcher.processBatchedChanges()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_BroadcastToN tests end-to-end: addToBatch + processBatchedChanges.
+func BenchmarkScale_BroadcastToN(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsLinear {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+			batcher.workCh = make(chan work, n*b.N+1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			ch := change.DERPMap()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.addToBatch(ch)
+				batcher.processBatchedChanges()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_SendToAll tests raw channel send cost to N nodes (no batching).
+// This isolates the multiChannelNodeConn.send() cost.
+// Uses large buffered channels to avoid goroutine drain overhead.
+func BenchmarkScale_SendToAll(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsLinear {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			// b.N+1 buffer so sends never block
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, b.N+1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			data := testMapResponse()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, mc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+					_ = mc.send(data)
+					return true
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Tier 3: O(N) Heavier — map building, peer diff, peer tracking
+// ============================================================================
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ConnectedMap tests building the full connected/disconnected map.
+func BenchmarkScale_ConnectedMap(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsHeavy {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			// 10% disconnected for realism
+			for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+				if i%10 == 0 {
+					now := time.Now()
+					batcher.connected.Store(types.NodeID(i), &now) //nolint:gosec
+				}
+			}
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				_ = batcher.ConnectedMap()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ComputePeerDiff tests peer diff computation at scale.
+// Each node tracks N-1 peers, with 10% removed.
+func BenchmarkScale_ComputePeerDiff(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsHeavy {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			mc := newMultiChannelNodeConn(1, nil)
+
+			// Track N peers
+			for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+				mc.lastSentPeers.Store(tailcfg.NodeID(i), struct{}{})
+			}
+
+			// Current: 90% present (every 10th missing)
+			current := make([]tailcfg.NodeID, 0, n)
+			for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+				if i%10 != 0 {
+					current = append(current, tailcfg.NodeID(i))
+				}
+			}
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				_ = mc.computePeerDiff(current)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_UpdateSentPeers_Full tests full peer list update.
+func BenchmarkScale_UpdateSentPeers_Full(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsHeavy {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			mc := newMultiChannelNodeConn(1, nil)
+
+			peerIDs := make([]tailcfg.NodeID, n)
+			for i := range peerIDs {
+				peerIDs[i] = tailcfg.NodeID(i + 1)
+			}
+
+			resp := testMapResponseWithPeers(peerIDs...)
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				mc.updateSentPeers(resp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_UpdateSentPeers_Incremental tests incremental peer updates (10% new).
+func BenchmarkScale_UpdateSentPeers_Incremental(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsHeavy {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			mc := newMultiChannelNodeConn(1, nil)
+
+			// Pre-populate
+			for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+				mc.lastSentPeers.Store(tailcfg.NodeID(i), struct{}{})
+			}
+
+			addCount := n / 10
+			if addCount == 0 {
+				addCount = 1
+			}
+
+			resp := testMapResponse()
+
+			resp.PeersChanged = make([]*tailcfg.Node, addCount)
+			for i := range addCount {
+				resp.PeersChanged[i] = &tailcfg.Node{ID: tailcfg.NodeID(n + i + 1)}
+			}
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				mc.updateSentPeers(resp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_MultiChannelBroadcast tests sending to N nodes, each with
+// ~1.6 connections on average (every 3rd node has 3 connections).
+// Uses large buffered channels to avoid goroutine drain overhead.
+func BenchmarkScale_MultiChannelBroadcast(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsHeavy {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			// Use b.N+1 buffer so sends never block
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, b.N+1)
+
+			defer func() {
+				close(batcher.done)
+				batcher.tick.Stop()
+			}()
+
+			// Add extra connections to every 3rd node (also buffered)
+			for i := 1; i <= n; i++ {
+				if i%3 == 0 {
+					if mc, ok := batcher.nodes.Load(types.NodeID(i)); ok { //nolint:gosec
+						for j := range 2 {
+							ch := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, b.N+1)
+							entry := &connectionEntry{
+								id:      fmt.Sprintf("extra-%d-%d", i, j),
+								c:       ch,
+								version: tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100),
+								created: time.Now(),
+							}
+							entry.lastUsed.Store(time.Now().Unix())
+							mc.addConnection(entry)
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			data := testMapResponse()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, mc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+					_ = mc.send(data)
+					return true
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Tier 4: Concurrent Contention — multi-goroutine access
+// ============================================================================
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ConcurrentAddToBatch tests parallel addToBatch throughput.
+func BenchmarkScale_ConcurrentAddToBatch(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsConc {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, _ := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+
+			drainDone := make(chan struct{})
+
+			go func() {
+				defer close(drainDone)
+
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-batcher.done:
+						return
+					default:
+						batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, nc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+							nc.drainPending()
+							return true
+						})
+						time.Sleep(time.Millisecond) //nolint:forbidigo
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+
+			ch := change.DERPMap()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+			b.RunParallel(func(pb *testing.PB) {
+				for pb.Next() {
+					batcher.addToBatch(ch)
+				}
+			})
+			b.StopTimer()
+
+			close(batcher.done)
+			<-drainDone
+
+			batcher.done = make(chan struct{})
+			batcher.tick.Stop()
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_ConcurrentSendAndChurn tests the production hot path:
+// sending to all nodes while 10% of connections are churning concurrently.
+// Uses large buffered channels to avoid goroutine drain overhead.
+func BenchmarkScale_ConcurrentSendAndChurn(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsConc {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, channels := benchBatcher(n, b.N+1)
+
+			var mu sync.Mutex
+
+			stopChurn := make(chan struct{})
+
+			go func() {
+				i := 0
+
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-stopChurn:
+						return
+					default:
+						id := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+						if i%10 == 0 {
+							mc, ok := batcher.nodes.Load(id)
+							if ok {
+								mu.Lock()
+								oldCh := channels[id]
+								mu.Unlock()
+								mc.removeConnectionByChannel(oldCh)
+
+								newCh := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, b.N+1)
+								entry := &connectionEntry{
+									id:      fmt.Sprintf("sc-churn-%d", i),
+									c:       newCh,
+									version: tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100),
+									created: time.Now(),
+								}
+								entry.lastUsed.Store(time.Now().Unix())
+								mc.addConnection(entry)
+								mu.Lock()
+								channels[id] = newCh
+								mu.Unlock()
+							}
+						}
+
+						i++
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+
+			data := testMapResponse()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				batcher.nodes.Range(func(_ types.NodeID, mc *multiChannelNodeConn) bool {
+					_ = mc.send(data)
+					return true
+				})
+			}
+
+			b.StopTimer()
+			close(stopChurn)
+			close(batcher.done)
+			batcher.tick.Stop()
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_MixedWorkload simulates a realistic production workload:
+// - 70% targeted changes (single node updates)
+// - 20% DERP map changes (broadcast)
+// - 10% full updates (broadcast with full map)
+// All while 10% of connections are churning.
+func BenchmarkScale_MixedWorkload(b *testing.B) {
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, n := range scaleCountsConc {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(n), func(b *testing.B) {
+			batcher, channels := benchBatcher(n, 10)
+			batcher.workCh = make(chan work, n*100+1)
+
+			var mu sync.Mutex
+
+			stopChurn := make(chan struct{})
+
+			// Background churn on 10% of nodes
+			go func() {
+				i := 0
+
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-stopChurn:
+						return
+					default:
+						id := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+						if i%10 == 0 {
+							mc, ok := batcher.nodes.Load(id)
+							if ok {
+								mu.Lock()
+								oldCh := channels[id]
+								mu.Unlock()
+								mc.removeConnectionByChannel(oldCh)
+
+								newCh := make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 10)
+								entry := &connectionEntry{
+									id:      fmt.Sprintf("mix-churn-%d", i),
+									c:       newCh,
+									version: tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100),
+									created: time.Now(),
+								}
+								entry.lastUsed.Store(time.Now().Unix())
+								mc.addConnection(entry)
+								mu.Lock()
+								channels[id] = newCh
+								mu.Unlock()
+							}
+						}
+
+						i++
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+
+			// Background batch processor
+			stopProc := make(chan struct{})
+
+			go func() {
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-stopProc:
+						return
+					default:
+						batcher.processBatchedChanges()
+						time.Sleep(time.Millisecond) //nolint:forbidigo
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+
+			// Background work channel consumer (simulates workers)
+			stopWorkers := make(chan struct{})
+
+			go func() {
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-batcher.workCh:
+					case <-stopWorkers:
+						return
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				switch {
+				case i%10 < 7: // 70% targeted
+					targetID := types.NodeID(1 + (i % n)) //nolint:gosec
+					batcher.addToBatch(change.Change{
+						Reason:     "mixed-targeted",
+						TargetNode: targetID,
+						PeerPatches: []*tailcfg.PeerChange{
+							{NodeID: tailcfg.NodeID(targetID)}, //nolint:gosec
+						},
+					})
+				case i%10 < 9: // 20% DERP map broadcast
+					batcher.addToBatch(change.DERPMap())
+				default: // 10% full update
+					batcher.addToBatch(change.FullUpdate())
+				}
+			}
+
+			b.StopTimer()
+			close(stopChurn)
+			close(stopProc)
+			close(stopWorkers)
+			close(batcher.done)
+			batcher.tick.Stop()
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Tier 5: DB-dependent — AddNode with real MapResponse generation
+// ============================================================================
+
+// BenchmarkScale_AddAllNodes measures the cost of connecting ALL N nodes
+// to a batcher backed by a real database. Each AddNode generates an initial
+// MapResponse containing all peer data, so cost is O(N) per node, O(N²) total.
+func BenchmarkScale_AddAllNodes(b *testing.B) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		b.Skip("skipping full pipeline benchmark in short mode")
+	}
+
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, nodeCount := range []int{10, 50, 100, 200, 500} {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(nodeCount), func(b *testing.B) {
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(b, NewBatcherAndMapper, 1, nodeCount, LARGE_BUFFER_SIZE)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				allNodes[i].start()
+			}
+
+			defer func() {
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					allNodes[i].cleanup()
+				}
+			}()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					node := &allNodes[i]
+					_ = batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100), nil)
+				}
+
+				b.StopTimer()
+
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					node := &allNodes[i]
+					batcher.RemoveNode(node.n.ID, node.ch)
+				}
+
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					for {
+						select {
+						case <-allNodes[i].ch:
+						default:
+							goto drained
+						}
+					}
+
+				drained:
+				}
+
+				b.StartTimer()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_SingleAddNode measures the cost of adding ONE node to an
+// already-populated batcher. This is the real production scenario: a new node
+// joins an existing network. The cost should scale with the number of existing
+// peers since the initial MapResponse includes all peer data.
+func BenchmarkScale_SingleAddNode(b *testing.B) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		b.Skip("skipping full pipeline benchmark in short mode")
+	}
+
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, nodeCount := range []int{10, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000} {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(nodeCount), func(b *testing.B) {
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(b, NewBatcherAndMapper, 1, nodeCount, LARGE_BUFFER_SIZE)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				allNodes[i].start()
+			}
+
+			defer func() {
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					allNodes[i].cleanup()
+				}
+			}()
+
+			// Connect all nodes except the last one
+			for i := range len(allNodes) - 1 {
+				node := &allNodes[i]
+
+				err := batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100), nil)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatalf("failed to add node %d: %v", i, err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) //nolint:forbidigo
+
+			// Benchmark: repeatedly add and remove the last node
+			lastNode := &allNodes[len(allNodes)-1]
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for range b.N {
+				_ = batcher.AddNode(lastNode.n.ID, lastNode.ch, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100), nil)
+
+				b.StopTimer()
+				batcher.RemoveNode(lastNode.n.ID, lastNode.ch)
+
+				for {
+					select {
+					case <-lastNode.ch:
+					default:
+						goto drainDone
+					}
+				}
+
+			drainDone:
+				b.StartTimer()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_MapResponse_DERPMap measures MapResponse generation for a
+// DERPMap change. This is a lightweight change that doesn't touch peers.
+func BenchmarkScale_MapResponse_DERPMap(b *testing.B) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		b.Skip("skipping full pipeline benchmark in short mode")
+	}
+
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, nodeCount := range []int{10, 50, 100, 200, 500} {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(nodeCount), func(b *testing.B) {
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(b, NewBatcherAndMapper, 1, nodeCount, LARGE_BUFFER_SIZE)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				allNodes[i].start()
+			}
+
+			defer func() {
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					allNodes[i].cleanup()
+				}
+			}()
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				node := &allNodes[i]
+
+				err := batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100), nil)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatalf("failed to add node %d: %v", i, err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) //nolint:forbidigo
+
+			ch := change.DERPMap()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				nodeIdx := i % len(allNodes)
+				_, _ = batcher.MapResponseFromChange(allNodes[nodeIdx].n.ID, ch)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// BenchmarkScale_MapResponse_FullUpdate measures MapResponse generation for a
+// FullUpdate change. This forces full peer serialization — the primary bottleneck
+// for large networks.
+func BenchmarkScale_MapResponse_FullUpdate(b *testing.B) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		b.Skip("skipping full pipeline benchmark in short mode")
+	}
+
+	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.Disabled)
+	defer zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.DebugLevel)
+
+	for _, nodeCount := range []int{10, 50, 100, 200, 500} {
+		b.Run(strconv.Itoa(nodeCount), func(b *testing.B) {
+			testData, cleanup := setupBatcherWithTestData(b, NewBatcherAndMapper, 1, nodeCount, LARGE_BUFFER_SIZE)
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			batcher := testData.Batcher
+			allNodes := testData.Nodes
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				allNodes[i].start()
+			}
+
+			defer func() {
+				for i := range allNodes {
+					allNodes[i].cleanup()
+				}
+			}()
+
+			for i := range allNodes {
+				node := &allNodes[i]
+
+				err := batcher.AddNode(node.n.ID, node.ch, tailcfg.CapabilityVersion(100), nil)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatalf("failed to add node %d: %v", i, err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) //nolint:forbidigo
+
+			ch := change.FullUpdate()
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+
+			for i := range b.N {
+				nodeIdx := i % len(allNodes)
+				_, _ = batcher.MapResponseFromChange(allNodes[nodeIdx].n.ID, ch)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}