diff --git a/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.cpp b/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.cpp
index 97638e48d3..0a85af77a9 100644
--- a/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ void ModelTests::modelTreeTests(bool verbose) {
     ModelTree tree;
     uint32_t id = 1;
     ModelItemID modelID(id);
+    modelID.isKnownID = false; // this is a temporary workaround to allow local tree models to be added with known IDs
     ModelItemProperties properties;
     float oneMeter = 1.0f;
     float halfMeter = oneMeter / 2.0f;
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ void ModelTests::modelTreeTests(bool verbose) {
         }
     }
 
+    modelID.isKnownID = true; // this is a temporary workaround to allow local tree models to be added with known IDs
+
     {
         testsTaken++;
         QString testName = "change position of model in tree";
@@ -170,6 +173,69 @@ void ModelTests::modelTreeTests(bool verbose) {
         }
     }
 
+    {
+        testsTaken++;
+        QString testName = "Performance - findClosestModel() 1,000,000 times";
+        if (verbose) {
+            qDebug() << "Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName);
+        }
+
+        float targetRadius = oneMeter * 2.0 / (float)TREE_SCALE; // in tree units
+        const int TEST_ITERATIONS = 1000000;
+        quint64 start = usecTimestampNow();
+        const ModelItem* foundModelByRadius = NULL;
+        for (int i = 0; i < TEST_ITERATIONS; i++) {        
+            foundModelByRadius = tree.findClosestModel(positionAtCenterInTreeUnits, targetRadius);
+        }
+        quint64 end = usecTimestampNow();
+        
+        if (verbose) {
+            qDebug() << "foundModelByRadius=" << foundModelByRadius;
+        }
+
+        bool passed = foundModelByRadius;
+        if (passed) {
+            testsPassed++;
+        } else {
+            testsFailed++;
+            qDebug() << "FAILED - Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName);
+        }
+        float USECS_PER_MSECS = 1000.0f;
+        float elapsedInMSecs = (float)(end - start) / USECS_PER_MSECS;
+        qDebug() << "TIME - Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName) << "elapsed=" << elapsedInMSecs << "msecs";
+    }
+
+    {
+        testsTaken++;
+        QString testName = "Performance - findModelByID() 1,000,000 times";
+        if (verbose) {
+            qDebug() << "Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName);
+        }
+
+        const int TEST_ITERATIONS = 1000000;
+        quint64 start = usecTimestampNow();
+        const ModelItem* foundModelByID = NULL;
+        for (int i = 0; i < TEST_ITERATIONS; i++) {        
+            foundModelByID = tree.findModelByID(id);
+        }
+        quint64 end = usecTimestampNow();
+        
+        if (verbose) {
+            qDebug() << "foundModelByID=" << foundModelByID;
+        }
+
+        bool passed = foundModelByID;
+        if (passed) {
+            testsPassed++;
+        } else {
+            testsFailed++;
+            qDebug() << "FAILED - Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName);
+        }
+        float USECS_PER_MSECS = 1000.0f;
+        float elapsedInMSecs = (float)(end - start) / USECS_PER_MSECS;
+        qDebug() << "TIME - Test" << testsTaken <<":" << qPrintable(testName) << "elapsed=" << elapsedInMSecs << "msecs";
+    }
+
     qDebug() << "   tests passed:" << testsPassed << "out of" << testsTaken;
     if (verbose) {
         qDebug() << "******************************************************************************************";
diff --git a/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.h b/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.h
index f494092d17..dd764edf9d 100644
--- a/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.h
+++ b/tests/octree/src/ModelTests.h
@@ -13,10 +13,8 @@
 #define hifi_ModelTests_h
 
 namespace ModelTests {
-
-    void modelTreeTests(bool verbose);
-
-    void runAllTests(bool verbose); 
+    void modelTreeTests(bool verbose = false);
+    void runAllTests(bool verbose = false);
 }
 
 #endif // hifi_ModelTests_h