diff --git a/deltachat-repl/src/cmdline.rs b/deltachat-repl/src/cmdline.rs
index 079486fb2..b8db71e41 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/src/cmdline.rs
+++ b/deltachat-repl/src/cmdline.rs
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ pub async fn cmdline(context: Context, line: &str, chat_id: &mut ChatId) -> Resu
                  dellocations\n\
                  getlocations [<contact-id>]\n\
                  send <text>\n\
+                 send-sync <text>\n\
                  sendempty\n\
                  sendimage <file> [<text>]\n\
                  sendsticker <file> [<text>]\n\
@@ -908,6 +909,23 @@ pub async fn cmdline(context: Context, line: &str, chat_id: &mut ChatId) -> Resu
 
             chat::send_text_msg(&context, sel_chat.as_ref().unwrap().get_id(), msg).await?;
         }
+        "send-sync" => {
+            ensure!(sel_chat.is_some(), "No chat selected.");
+            ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "No message text given.");
+
+            // Send message over a dedicated SMTP connection
+            // and measure time.
+            //
+            // This can be used to benchmark SMTP connection establishment.
+            let time_start = std::time::Instant::now();
+
+            let msg = format!("{arg1} {arg2}");
+            let mut msg = Message::new_text(msg);
+            chat::send_msg_sync(&context, sel_chat.as_ref().unwrap().get_id(), &mut msg).await?;
+
+            let time_needed = time_start.elapsed();
+            println!("Sent message in {time_needed:?}.");
+        }
         "sendempty" => {
             ensure!(sel_chat.is_some(), "No chat selected.");
             chat::send_text_msg(&context, sel_chat.as_ref().unwrap().get_id(), "".into()).await?;
diff --git a/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs b/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
index bea6bac99..3b63667fe 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
+++ b/deltachat-repl/src/main.rs
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ const DB_COMMANDS: [&str; 11] = [
     "housekeeping",
 ];
 
-const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 38] = [
+const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 39] = [
     "listchats",
     "listarchived",
     "start-realtime",
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ const CHAT_COMMANDS: [&str; 38] = [
     "dellocations",
     "getlocations",
     "send",
+    "send-sync",
     "sendempty",
     "sendimage",
     "sendsticker",