diff --git a/.github/workflows/README.md b/.github/workflows/README.md
index 4eb03077223..bfab0167149 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/README.md
+++ b/.github/workflows/README.md
@@ -19,6 +19,22 @@ Triggered on every commit on `main`, twice daily on week days, and manually, but
 
 Tests are run on two different testbeds for comparison: gha-vmss-d16av6-ci (d16av6 VMs) and gha-c-aci-ci (C-ACI with 16 cores and 32Gb RAM).
 
+Both jobs use the `bencher` configure and build presets in [`CMakePresets.json`](../../CMakePresets.json). With the build dependencies installed, run these commands from the repository root to use the same build settings locally:
+
+```bash
+cmake --preset bencher
+cmake --build --preset bencher
+cd build
+./tests.sh -VV -L benchmark
+./tests.sh -VV -L perf -C perf
+```
+
+On SNP, add `-E task_bench` to the microbenchmark command to match the workflow.
+
+The configure preset selects Ninja, `RelWithDebInfo`, and two worker threads, using the existing `build/` directory. Additional configure options can still be supplied, for example `cmake --preset bencher -DWORKER_THREADS=4`. Local presets can be defined in the ignored `CMakeUserPresets.json` file.
+
+The build preset selects the `ccf_bencher` aggregate target rather than building every target. `add_picobench()` automatically registers its executable with this target. Each perf `add_e2e_test()` must declare its dependencies with `BUILD_TARGETS`, using CMake target names such as `logging`, not executable paths such as `samples/apps/logging/logging`. Declare these dependencies alongside each perf test so the build follows the registered tests without parsing CTest output. Normal builds without presets remain unchanged.
+
 File: `bencher.yml`
 3rd party dependencies: None
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bencher.yml b/.github/workflows/bencher.yml
index ddaf14f6756..9ce64904ff1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bencher.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bencher.yml
@@ -88,11 +88,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build and run virtual perf tests
         run: |
+          set -eo pipefail
           git config --global --add safe.directory /__w/CCF/CCF
-          mkdir build
+          cmake --preset bencher
+          cmake --build --preset bencher
           cd build
-          cmake -GNinja -DWORKER_THREADS=2 ..
-          ninja
           # Microbenchmarks
           ./tests.sh -VV -L benchmark
           # End to end performance tests
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build and run SNP perf tests
         run: |
+          set -eo pipefail
           git config --global --add safe.directory /__w/CCF/CCF
-          mkdir build
+          cmake --preset bencher
+          cmake --build --preset bencher
           cd build
-          cmake -GNinja -DWORKER_THREADS=2 ..
-          ninja
           # Microbenchmarks
           ./tests.sh -VV -L benchmark -E task_bench
           # End to end performance tests
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c7f06416c16..482f3c5a73b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ build*/
 Debug*/
 Release*/
 CMakeFiles/
+/CMakeUserPresets.json
 .vscode/
 .vs/
 libuv/
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dee27f1f816..dc0fc58d67d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -573,6 +573,8 @@ install(TARGETS verify_attestation DESTINATION bin)
 if(BUILD_TESTS)
   enable_testing()
 
+  add_custom_target(ccf_bencher)
+
   # Unit tests
   if(BUILD_UNIT_TESTS)
     add_test(
@@ -1208,6 +1210,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/commit_latency.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS logging
   )
 
   add_e2e_test(
@@ -1465,6 +1468,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/logging_cert_locust.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS logging
     ADDITIONAL_ARGS
       --package
       "samples/apps/logging/logging"
@@ -1491,6 +1495,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/basicperf_locust.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS js_generic
     ADDITIONAL_ARGS
       --js-app-bundle
       ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/samples/apps/basic/js
@@ -1520,6 +1525,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/basicperf_locust.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS basic
     ADDITIONAL_ARGS
       --package
       "samples/apps/basic/basic"
@@ -1551,6 +1557,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/logging_jwt_locust.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS logging
     ADDITIONAL_ARGS
       --package
       "samples/apps/logging/logging"
@@ -1576,6 +1583,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS)
     PYTHON_SCRIPT ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/historical_query_locust.py
     LABEL perf
     CONFIGURATIONS perf
+    BUILD_TARGETS logging
     ADDITIONAL_ARGS
       --package
       "samples/apps/logging/logging"
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b3a7352d366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakePresets.json
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "version": 3,
+  "cmakeMinimumRequired": {
+    "major": 3,
+    "minor": 21,
+    "patch": 0
+  },
+  "configurePresets": [
+    {
+      "name": "bencher",
+      "displayName": "Bencher",
+      "description": "Configure the microbenchmark and end-to-end performance test build.",
+      "generator": "Ninja",
+      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build",
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithDebInfo",
+        "WORKER_THREADS": "2"
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "buildPresets": [
+    {
+      "name": "bencher",
+      "configurePreset": "bencher",
+      "targets": ["ccf_bencher"]
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/cmake/common.cmake b/cmake/common.cmake
index 138cddc4687..fb4279487ab 100644
--- a/cmake/common.cmake
+++ b/cmake/common.cmake
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ function(add_e2e_test)
     PARSED_ARGS
     "DETECT_DEADLOCKS"
     "NAME;PYTHON_SCRIPT;LABEL;CURL_CLIENT;BUCKET;TSAN_SUPPRESSIONS"
-    "CONSTITUTION;ADDITIONAL_ARGS;CONFIGURATIONS"
+    "CONSTITUTION;ADDITIONAL_ARGS;CONFIGURATIONS;BUILD_TARGETS"
   )
 
   if(NOT PARSED_ARGS_CONSTITUTION)
@@ -149,6 +149,16 @@ function(add_e2e_test)
   endif()
 
   if(BUILD_END_TO_END_TESTS)
+    if("${PARSED_ARGS_LABEL}" STREQUAL "perf")
+      if(NOT PARSED_ARGS_BUILD_TARGETS)
+        message(
+          FATAL_ERROR
+          "Perf test ${PARSED_ARGS_NAME} must specify BUILD_TARGETS"
+        )
+      endif()
+      add_dependencies(ccf_bencher ${PARSED_ARGS_BUILD_TARGETS})
+    endif()
+
     set(PYTHON_WRAPPER ${PYTHON})
 
     # For fast e2e runs, tick node faster than default value (except for
@@ -262,6 +272,7 @@ function(add_picobench name)
   )
 
   add_executable(${name} ${PARSED_ARGS_SRCS})
+  add_dependencies(ccf_bencher ${name})
 
   target_include_directories(${name} PRIVATE src ${PARSED_ARGS_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
diff --git a/cmake/gersemi_definitions.cmake b/cmake/gersemi_definitions.cmake
index 471cf7395e1..848a667e67b 100644
--- a/cmake/gersemi_definitions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/gersemi_definitions.cmake
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ function(add_e2e_test)
     PARSED_ARGS
     "DETECT_DEADLOCKS"
     "NAME;PYTHON_SCRIPT;LABEL;CURL_CLIENT;BUCKET;TSAN_SUPPRESSIONS"
-    "CONSTITUTION;ADDITIONAL_ARGS;CONFIGURATIONS"
+    "CONSTITUTION;ADDITIONAL_ARGS;CONFIGURATIONS;BUILD_TARGETS"
   )
 endfunction()