diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index b08614c7..e3c2dbcf 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ In progress (unreleased)
 
 * :gh:issue:`1415` :mod:`mitogen`: Put fallbacks & polyfills into
   ``if sys.version_info`` blocks
+* :gh:issue:`1423` tests: Group and unify naming of connection benchmarks
+* :gh:issue:`1424` tests: Parameterize connection benchmarks
+* :gh:issue:`1424` tests: Standardise output of connection benchmarks
+* :gh:issue:`1424` tests: Parameterize throughput benchmark
+* :gh:issue:`1424` tests: Parameterize large message benchmark
+* :gh:issue:`1424` :mod:`mitogen`: Consolidate all ``range`` and ``xrange``
+  polyfills into :attr:`mitogen.core.range`
 
 
 v0.3.37 (2026-01-08)
diff --git a/mitogen/core.py b/mitogen/core.py
index 666905ca..3bd23b35 100644
--- a/mitogen/core.py
+++ b/mitogen/core.py
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
     BufferType = lambda buf, start: memoryview(buf)[start:]
     integer_types = (int,)
     iteritems, iterkeys, itervalues = dict.items, dict.keys, dict.values
+    range = range
 else:
     import cPickle as pickle
     import thread
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ else:
     UnicodeType = unicode
     integer_types = (int, long)
     iteritems, iterkeys, itervalues = dict.iteritems, dict.iterkeys, dict.itervalues
+    range = xrange
 
 AnyTextType = (BytesType, UnicodeType)
 
diff --git a/mitogen/minify.py b/mitogen/minify.py
index 09fdc4eb..8f78b2ab 100644
--- a/mitogen/minify.py
+++ b/mitogen/minify.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def strip_docstrings(tokens):
             elif typ == tokenize.NEWLINE:
                 stack.append(t)
                 start_line, end_line = stack[0][2][0], stack[-1][3][0]+1
-                for i in range(start_line, end_line):
+                for i in mitogen.core.range(start_line, end_line):
                     yield tokenize.NL, '\n', (i, 0), (i,1), '\n'
                 for t in stack:
                     if t[0] in (tokenize.DEDENT, tokenize.INDENT):
diff --git a/mitogen/parent.py b/mitogen/parent.py
index 721e3c0e..9d1a0ce3 100644
--- a/mitogen/parent.py
+++ b/mitogen/parent.py
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ except IOError:
 
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 0):
-    xrange = range
     closure_attr = '__closure__'
     IM_SELF_ATTR = '__self__'
 else:
@@ -1729,7 +1728,7 @@ class ChildIdAllocator(object):
     def __init__(self, router):
         self.router = router
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
-        self.it = iter(xrange(0))
+        self.it = iter(mitogen.core.range(0))
 
     def allocate(self):
         """
@@ -1753,7 +1752,7 @@ class ChildIdAllocator(object):
             start, end = master.send_await(
                 mitogen.core.Message(dst_id=0, handle=mitogen.core.ALLOCATE_ID)
             )
-            self.it = iter(xrange(start, end))
+            self.it = iter(mitogen.core.range(start, end))
         finally:
             self.lock.release()
 
diff --git a/mitogen/select.py b/mitogen/select.py
index 2d87574f..d719f78c 100644
--- a/mitogen/select.py
+++ b/mitogen/select.py
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class Select(object):
         # the underlying receivers. We handle the possibility of receivers
         # marked notified yet empty inside Select.get(), so this should be
         # robust.
-        for _ in range(recv.size()):
+        for _ in mitogen.core.range(recv.size()):
             self._put(recv)
 
     not_present_msg = 'Instance is not a member of this Select'
diff --git a/mitogen/service.py b/mitogen/service.py
index f82d18ad..b852f44d 100644
--- a/mitogen/service.py
+++ b/mitogen/service.py
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ class Pool(object):
             self.add(service)
         self._py_24_25_compat()
         self._threads = []
-        for x in range(size):
+        for x in mitogen.core.range(size):
             name = 'mitogen.Pool.%04x.%d' % (id(self) & 0xffff, x,)
             thread = threading.Thread(
                 name=name,
diff --git a/tests/bench/connection/fork_lifecycle.py b/tests/bench/connection/fork_lifecycle.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6491c69b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bench/connection/fork_lifecycle.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"""
+Measure latency of .fork() setup/teardown.
+"""
+
+import mitogen
+import mitogen.core
+
+
+@mitogen.main()
+def main(router):
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-i', '--iterations', type=int, metavar='N', default=200,
+        help='Number of iterations (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
+    for x in mitogen.core.range(opts.iterations):
+        t = mitogen.core.now()
+        ctx = router.fork(debug=opts.debug)
+        ctx.shutdown(wait=True)
+
+    t1 = mitogen.core.now()
+    mean = (t1 - t0) / opts.iterations
+    print('++ iterations %d, mean %.03f ms' % (opts.iterations, 1e3 * mean))
diff --git a/tests/bench/connection/fork_roundtrip.py b/tests/bench/connection/fork_roundtrip.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac5be2d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bench/connection/fork_roundtrip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""
+Measure latency of local RPC.
+"""
+
+import mitogen.core
+import mitogen.utils
+import ansible_mitogen.affinity
+
+mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
+ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
+
+
+def do_nothing():
+    pass
+
+@mitogen.main()
+def main(router):
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-i', '--iterations', type=int, metavar='N', default=20000,
+        help='Number of iterations (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    f = router.fork(debug=opts.debug)
+    f.call(do_nothing)
+    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
+    for x in mitogen.core.range(opts.iterations):
+        f.call(do_nothing)
+
+    t1 = mitogen.core.now()
+    mean = (t1 - t0) / opts.iterations
+    print('++ iterations %d, mean %.03f us' % (opts.iterations, 1e6 * mean))
diff --git a/tests/bench/connection/local_lifecycle.py b/tests/bench/connection/local_lifecycle.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c6bd07b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bench/connection/local_lifecycle.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+"""
+Measure latency of .local() setup.
+"""
+
+import mitogen
+import mitogen.core
+import mitogen.utils
+import ansible_mitogen.affinity
+
+
+mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
+#ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
+
+
+@mitogen.main()
+def main(router):
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-i', '--iterations', type=int, metavar='N', default=100,
+        help='Number of iterations (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
+    for x in mitogen.core.range(opts.iterations):
+        t = mitogen.core.now()
+        f = router.local(debug=opts.debug)
+        tt = mitogen.core.now()
+
+    t1 = mitogen.core.now()
+    mean = (t1 - t0) / opts.iterations
+    print('++ iterations %d, mean %.03f ms' % (opts.iterations, 1e3 * mean))
diff --git a/tests/bench/connection/ssh_roundtrip.py b/tests/bench/connection/ssh_roundtrip.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6afe7da5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bench/connection/ssh_roundtrip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""
+Measure latency of SSH RPC.
+"""
+
+import getpass
+
+import mitogen.core
+import mitogen.utils
+import ansible_mitogen.affinity
+
+mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
+ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
+
+
+def do_nothing():
+    pass
+
+@mitogen.main()
+def main(router):
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-p', '--python', metavar='CMD', default='python3',
+        help='Remote python path (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-u', '--user', metavar='S', default=getpass.getuser(),
+        help='Remote username (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    f = router.ssh(
+        hostname=args[0], python_path=opts.python, username=opts.user,
+        debug=opts.debug,
+    )
+    f.call(do_nothing)
+    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
+    end = mitogen.core.now() + 5.0
+    i = 0
+    while mitogen.core.now() < end:
+        f.call(do_nothing)
+        i += 1
+
+    t1 = mitogen.core.now()
+    iterations = i + 1
+    mean = (t1 - t0) / iterations
+    print('++ iterations %d, mean %.03f ms' % (iterations, 1e3 * mean))
diff --git a/tests/bench/fork.py b/tests/bench/fork.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d77f4437..00000000
--- a/tests/bench/fork.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Measure latency of .fork() setup/teardown.
-"""
-
-import mitogen
-import mitogen.core
-
-try:
-    xrange
-except NameError:
-    xrange = range
-
-
-@mitogen.main()
-def main(router):
-    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
-    for x in xrange(200):
-        t = mitogen.core.now()
-        ctx = router.fork()
-        ctx.shutdown(wait=True)
-    print('++ %d' % 1000 * ((mitogen.core.now() - t0) / (1.0+x)))
diff --git a/tests/bench/large_messages.py b/tests/bench/large_messages.py
index 8593a33a..823548d4 100644
--- a/tests/bench/large_messages.py
+++ b/tests/bench/large_messages.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Verify _receive_one() quadratic behaviour fixed.
+'Measure throughput of messages.'
 
 import mitogen
 import mitogen.core
@@ -6,20 +6,27 @@ import mitogen.core
 
 @mitogen.main()
 def main(router):
-    c = router.fork()
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option(
+        '-i', '--iterations', type=int, metavar='N', default=10,
+        help='Number of iterations (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    c = router.fork(debug=opts.debug)
 
     n = 1048576 * 127
     s = ' ' * n
-    print('bytes in %.2fMiB string...' % (n/1048576.0),)
 
     t0 = mitogen.core.now()
-    for x in range(10):
+    for x in mitogen.core.range(opts.iterations):
         tt0 = mitogen.core.now()
         assert n == c.call(len, s)
-        print('took %dms' % (1000 * (mitogen.core.now() - tt0),))
+
     t1 = mitogen.core.now()
-    print('total %dms / %dms avg / %.2fMiB/sec' % (
-        1000 * (t1 - t0),
-        (1000 * (t1 - t0)) / (x + 1),
-        ((n * (x + 1)) / (t1 - t0)) / 1048576.0,
-    ))
+    mean = (t1 - t0) / opts.iterations
+    transferred_size = n * opts.iterations
+    transfer_rate = transferred_size / (t1 - t0)
+    print('++ iterations %d, mean %.03f ms, rate %.03f MiB/s'
+          % (opts.iterations, 1e3 * mean, transfer_rate / 2**20))
diff --git a/tests/bench/latch_roundtrip.py b/tests/bench/latch_roundtrip.py
index cbc48374..b28fd523 100644
--- a/tests/bench/latch_roundtrip.py
+++ b/tests/bench/latch_roundtrip.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ X = 20000
 
 def flip_flop(ready, inp, out):
     ready.put(None)
-    for x in xrange(X):
+    for x in mitogen.core.range(X):
         inp.get()
         out.put(None)
 
diff --git a/tests/bench/local.py b/tests/bench/local.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0653a0de..00000000
--- a/tests/bench/local.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Measure latency of .local() setup.
-"""
-
-import mitogen
-import mitogen.core
-import mitogen.utils
-import ansible_mitogen.affinity
-
-
-mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
-#ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
-
-
-@mitogen.main()
-def main(router):
-    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
-    for x in range(100):
-        t = mitogen.core.now()
-        f = router.local()# debug=True)
-        tt = mitogen.core.now()
-        print(x, 1000 * (tt - t))
-    print('%.03f ms' % (1000 * (mitogen.core.now() - t0) / (1.0 + x)))
diff --git a/tests/bench/roundtrip.py b/tests/bench/roundtrip.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 774dfc5b..00000000
--- a/tests/bench/roundtrip.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Measure latency of local RPC.
-"""
-
-import mitogen.core
-import mitogen.utils
-import ansible_mitogen.affinity
-
-mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
-ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
-
-try:
-    xrange
-except NameError:
-    xrange = range
-
-def do_nothing():
-    pass
-
-@mitogen.main()
-def main(router):
-    f = router.fork()
-    f.call(do_nothing)
-    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
-    for x in xrange(20000):
-        f.call(do_nothing)
-    print('++', int(1e6 * ((mitogen.core.now() - t0) / (1.0+x))), 'usec')
diff --git a/tests/bench/ssh-roundtrip.py b/tests/bench/ssh-roundtrip.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c5f14574..00000000
--- a/tests/bench/ssh-roundtrip.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Measure latency of SSH RPC.
-"""
-
-import sys
-
-import mitogen.core
-import mitogen.utils
-import ansible_mitogen.affinity
-
-mitogen.utils.setup_gil()
-ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_worker()
-
-try:
-    xrange
-except NameError:
-    xrange = range
-
-def do_nothing():
-    pass
-
-@mitogen.main()
-def main(router):
-    f = router.ssh(hostname=sys.argv[1])
-    f.call(do_nothing)
-    t0 = mitogen.core.now()
-    end = mitogen.core.now() + 5.0
-    i = 0
-    while mitogen.core.now() < end:
-        f.call(do_nothing)
-        i += 1
-        t1 = mitogen.core.now()
-
-    print('++', float(1e3 * (t1 - t0) / (1.0+i)), 'ms')
diff --git a/tests/bench/throughput.py b/tests/bench/throughput.py
index 7d67d158..d5019c95 100644
--- a/tests/bench/throughput.py
+++ b/tests/bench/throughput.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-# Verify throughput over sudo and SSH at various compression levels.
+'''
+Measure file service throughput over local, sudo, and (un)compressed SSH.
+'''
 
+import getpass
 import os
 import tempfile
 
@@ -43,6 +46,23 @@ def run_test(router, fp, s, context):
 
 @mitogen.main()
 def main(router):
+    import optparse
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--ssh-python', metavar='CMD', default='python3',
+        help='Remote python path (default %default)')
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--ssh-user', metavar='S', default=getpass.getuser(),
+        help='Remote username (default %default)')
+
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--sudo-user', metavar='S', default='root',
+        help='Sudo username (default %default)')
+
+    parser.add_option('--debug', action='store_true')
+    opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+
     ansible_mitogen.affinity.policy.assign_muxprocess()
 
     bigfile = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
@@ -53,19 +73,29 @@ def main(router):
     file_service.register(bigfile.name)
     pool.add(file_service)
     try:
-        context = router.local()
+        context = router.local(debug=opts.debug)
         run_test(router, bigfile, 'local()', context)
         context.shutdown(wait=True)
 
-        context = router.sudo()
+        context = router.sudo(username=opts.sudo_user, debug=opts.debug)
         run_test(router, bigfile, 'sudo()', context)
         context.shutdown(wait=True)
 
-        context = router.ssh(hostname='localhost', compression=False)
+        context = router.ssh(
+            hostname=args[0],
+            python_path=opts.ssh_python,
+            username=opts.ssh_user,
+            compression=False, debug=opts.debug,
+        )
         run_test(router, bigfile, 'ssh(compression=False)', context)
         context.shutdown(wait=True)
 
-        context = router.ssh(hostname='localhost', compression=True)
+        context = router.ssh(
+            hostname=args[0],
+            python_path=opts.ssh_python,
+            username=opts.ssh_user,
+            compression=True, debug=opts.debug,
+        )
         run_test(router, bigfile, 'ssh(compression=True)', context)
         context.shutdown(wait=True)
     finally:
diff --git a/tests/soak/cpu_load.py b/tests/soak/cpu_load.py
index cfc65896..f97bf867 100644
--- a/tests/soak/cpu_load.py
+++ b/tests/soak/cpu_load.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import ctypes
 import multiprocessing
 import os
 
+import mitogen.core
+
 LIBC = ctypes.CDLL('libc.so.6')
 sched_yield = LIBC.sched_yield
 
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ def burn():
                  (ord(b) << 8) |
                  (ord(c) << 0)) / 1.6)
         print(n)
-        for x in xrange(n): pass
+        for x in mitogen.core.range(n): pass
         sched_yield()
 
 mul = 1.5