diff --git a/kdevplatform/project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h b/kdevplatform/project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h
--- a/kdevplatform/project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h
+++ b/kdevplatform/project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 namespace KDevelop {
 
 class AbstractFileManagerPluginPrivate;
+class AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark;
 
 /**
  * This class can be used as a common base for file managers.
@@ -118,6 +119,8 @@
 private:
     const QScopedPointer<class AbstractFileManagerPluginPrivate> d;
     friend class AbstractFileManagerPluginPrivate;
+public:
+    friend class AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/kdevplatform/project/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/kdevplatform/project/tests/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kdevplatform/project/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kdevplatform/project/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,3 +21,12 @@
     KDev::Tests
     Qt5::QuickWidgets
 )
+
+add_executable(abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark
+    abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
+)
+ecm_mark_nongui_executable(abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark)
+target_link_libraries(abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark
+    KDev::Project
+    KDev::Tests
+)
diff --git a/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp b/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+/* This file is part of KDevelop
+    Copyright 2017 René J.V. Bertin <rjvbertin@gmail.com>
+
+    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+    modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
+    License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+    version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+    Library General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public License
+    along with this library; see the file COPYING.LIB.  If not, write to
+    the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+    Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+*/
+
+#include <project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h>
+#include <project/projectmodel.h>
+
+#include <tests/autotestshell.h>
+#include <tests/testcore.h>
+#include <tests/testproject.h>
+
+#include <util/path.h>
+
+#include <KJob>
+#include <KDirWatch>
+
+#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QList>
+#include <QFileInfo>
+#include <QElapsedTimer>
+#include <QMap>
+#include <QDebug>
+#include <QTextStream>
+
+using namespace KDevelop;
+
+namespace KDevelop {
+
+class AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark(AbstractFileManagerPlugin* manager, const QString& path,
+        QObject* parent)
+        : QObject(parent)
+        , m_out(stdout)
+    {
+        m_manager = manager;
+        m_project = new TestProject(Path(path));
+    }
+
+    void start()
+    {
+        m_projectNumber = s_numBenchmarksRunning++;
+        m_out << "Starting import of project " << m_project->path().toLocalFile() << endl;
+        m_timer.start();
+        auto root = m_manager->import(m_project);
+        int elapsed = m_timer.elapsed();
+        m_out << "\tcreating dirwatcher took "
+            << elapsed / 1000.0 << " seconds" << endl;
+        auto import = m_manager->createImportJob(root);
+        connect(import, &KJob::finished,
+            this, &AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::projectImportDone);
+        m_timer.restart();
+        import->start();
+    }
+
+    AbstractFileManagerPlugin* m_manager;
+    TestProject* m_project;
+    QElapsedTimer m_timer;
+    int m_projectNumber;
+    QTextStream m_out;
+
+    static int s_numBenchmarksRunning;
+
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void finished();
+
+private Q_SLOTS:
+    void projectImportDone(KJob* job)
+    {
+        Q_UNUSED(job);
+        int elapsed = m_timer.elapsed();
+        m_out << "importing project " << m_projectNumber << " took "
+            << elapsed / 1000.0 << " seconds" << endl;
+
+        s_numBenchmarksRunning -= 1;
+        if (s_numBenchmarksRunning <= 0) {
+            emit finished();
+        }
+    }
+
+};
+
+int AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::s_numBenchmarksRunning = 0;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        qWarning() << "Usage:" << argv[0] << "projectDir1 [...projectDirN]";
+        return 1;
+    }
+    QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
+    QTextStream qout(stdout);
+    // measure the total test time, this provides an indication
+    // of overhead and how well multiple projects are imported in parallel
+    // (= how different is the total time from the import time of the largest
+    // project). When testing a single project the difference between this
+    // value and total runtime will provide an estimate of the time required
+    // to destroy the dirwatcher.
+    QElapsedTimer runTimer;
+
+    AutoTestShell::init({"no plugins"});
+    auto core = TestCore::initialize(Core::NoUi);
+    auto manager = new AbstractFileManagerPlugin({}, core);
+
+    const char *kdwMethod[] = {"FAM", "Inotify", "Stat", "QFSWatch"};
+    qout << "KDirWatch backend: " << kdwMethod[KDirWatch().internalMethod()] << endl;
+
+    QList<AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark*> benchmarks;
+
+    for (int i = 1 ; i < argc ; ++i) {
+        const QString path = QString::fromUtf8(argv[i]);
+        if (QFileInfo(path).isDir()) {
+            const auto benchmark = new AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark(manager, path, core);
+            benchmarks << benchmark;
+            QObject::connect(benchmark, &AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::finished,
+                             &app, [&runTimer, &qout] {
+                                qout << "Done in " << runTimer.elapsed() / 1000.0
+                                    << " seconds total\n";
+                                QCoreApplication::instance()->quit();
+                             });
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (benchmarks.isEmpty()) {
+        qWarning() << "no projects to import (arguments must be directories)";
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    runTimer.start();
+    for (auto benchmark : benchmarks) {
+        benchmark->start();
+    }
+
+    return app.exec();
+}
+
+#include "abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.moc"