diff --git a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
index b41fe5e95f..0e7d8ffb73 100644
--- a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 @load ./main
 @load ./readers/ascii
 @load ./readers/raw
+@load ./readers/benchmark
 
diff --git a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/benchmark.bro b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/benchmark.bro
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3293201cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/benchmark.bro
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+##! Interface for the ascii input reader.
+
+module InputBenchmark;
+
+export {
+	## multiplication factor for each second
+	const factor = 1 &redef;
+}
diff --git a/src/input.bif b/src/input.bif
index 1157b7b62b..e4ecf4d020 100644
--- a/src/input.bif
+++ b/src/input.bif
@@ -45,3 +45,6 @@ const unset_field: string;
 
 module InputRaw;
 const record_separator: string;
+
+module InputBenchmark;
+const factor: count;
diff --git a/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc b/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
index ce79ecfd39..f0b4f8e7e9 100644
--- a/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
+++ b/src/input/ReaderBackend.cc
@@ -58,7 +58,12 @@ public:
 		name(name), num_vals(num_vals), val(val) {}
 
 	virtual bool Process() {
-		return input_mgr->SendEvent(name, num_vals, val);
+		bool success = input_mgr->SendEvent(name, num_vals, val);
+
+		if ( !success ) 
+			reporter->Error("SendEvent for event %s failed", name.c_str());
+
+		return true; // we do not want to die if sendEvent fails because the event did not return.
 	}
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
index 07ee7eb9bc..de77ba1afa 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ using threading::Field;
 
 Benchmark::Benchmark(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend)
 {
+	multiplication_factor = int(BifConst::InputBenchmark::factor);	
 }
 
 Benchmark::~Benchmark()
@@ -198,13 +199,25 @@ threading::Value* Benchmark::EntryToVal(TypeTag type, TypeTag subtype) {
 bool Benchmark::DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time)
 {
 	ReaderBackend::DoHeartbeat(network_time, current_time);
-	
+	num_lines = num_lines*multiplication_factor;
+
 	switch ( mode ) {
 		case MANUAL:
 			// yay, we do nothing :)
 			break;
 		case REREAD:
 		case STREAM:
+			if ( multiplication_factor != 1 ) {
+				// we have to document at what time we changed the factor to what value.
+				Value** v = new Value*[2];
+				v[0] = new Value(TYPE_COUNT, true);
+				v[0]->val.uint_val = num_lines;
+				v[1] = new Value(TYPE_TIME, true);
+				v[1]->val.double_val = CurrTime();
+
+				SendEvent("lines_changed", 2, v);
+			}
+	
 			Update(); // call update and not DoUpdate, because update actually checks disabled.
 			break;
 		default:
diff --git a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
index e8de4ac773..e0d3f124af 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ private:
 	int mode;
 	int num_lines;
 
+	int multiplication_factor;
+
 	string RandomString(const int len);
 
 };