diff --git a/benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py b/benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py
index cb4fe4f38..92c162683 100755
--- a/benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py
+++ b/benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('--output', action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction, help='whether to write query output back to Kafka (default: --no-output)')
     parser.add_argument('--merge', action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction, help='whether to merge all the queries into one program (default: --no-merge)')
     parser.add_argument('--storage', action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction, help='whether to enable storage (default: --no-storage)')
+    parser.add_argument("--poller-threads", required=False, type=int, help="Override number of poller threads to use")
     parser.add_argument('--min-storage-bytes', type=int, help='If storage is enabled, the minimum number of bytes to write a batch to storage.')
     parser.add_argument('--query', action='append', help='queries to run (by default, all queries), specify one or more of: ' + ','.join(sort_queries(QUERY_SQL.keys())))
     parser.add_argument('--input-topic-suffix', help='suffix to apply to input topic names (by default, "")')
@@ -313,6 +314,9 @@ def main():
     queries = sort_queries(parse_queries(parser.parse_args().query))
     cores = int(parser.parse_args().cores)
     storage = parser.parse_args().storage
+    poller_threads = parser.parse_args().poller_threads
+    if poller_threads is not None:
+        kafka_options["poller_threads"] = poller_threads
     min_storage_bytes = parser.parse_args().min_storage_bytes
     if min_storage_bytes is not None:
         min_storage_bytes = int(min_storage_bytes)
diff --git a/benchmark/run-nexmark.sh b/benchmark/run-nexmark.sh
index 536b95d52..6f6795121 100755
--- a/benchmark/run-nexmark.sh
+++ b/benchmark/run-nexmark.sh
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ case $runner:$language in
 	    --api-url="$api_url" \
 	    -O bootstrap.servers="${kafka_from_feldera:-${kafka_broker}}" \
 	    --cores $cores \
+	    --poller-threads 10 \
 	    --input-topic-suffix="-$partitions-$events" \
 	    --csv results.csv \
 	    --query $(if test $query = all; then echo all; else echo q$query; fi)
diff --git a/scripts/bench.bash b/scripts/bench.bash
index a942e4927..ea682c5bc 100644
--- a/scripts/bench.bash
+++ b/scripts/bench.bash
@@ -47,13 +47,21 @@ fi
 KAFKA_BROKER=localhost:9092
 rpk topic -X brokers=$KAFKA_BROKER delete bid auction person
 cargo run  -p dbsp_nexmark --example generate --features with-kafka -- --max-events ${MAX_EVENTS} -O bootstrap.servers=$KAFKA_BROKER
-FELDERA_API=http://localhost:8080
-python3 benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py --api-url $FELDERA_API -O bootstrap.servers=$KAFKA_BROKER --csv crates/nexmark/${NEXMARK_SQL_CSV_FILE} --csv-metrics crates/nexmark/${NEXMARK_SQL_METRICS_CSV_FILE} --metrics-interval 1
 
-rpk topic -X brokers=$KAFKA_BROKER delete bid auction person
-cargo run  -p dbsp_nexmark --example generate --features with-kafka -- --max-events ${MAX_EVENTS} -O bootstrap.servers=$KAFKA_BROKER
 FELDERA_API=http://localhost:8080
-python3 benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py --storage --api-url $FELDERA_API -O bootstrap.servers=$KAFKA_BROKER --csv crates/nexmark/${NEXMARK_SQL_STORAGE_CSV_FILE} --csv-metrics crates/nexmark/${NEXMARK_SQL_STORAGE_METRICS_CSV_FILE} --metrics-interval 1
+nexmark_sql_benchmark() {
+    local csv=$1 metrics=$2; shift; shift
+    python3 benchmark/feldera-sql/run.py \
+	    --api-url $FELDERA_API \
+	    -O bootstrap.servers=$KAFKA_BROKER \
+	    --csv "crates/nexmark/$csv" \
+	    --csv-metrics "crates/nexmark/$metrics" \
+	    --metrics-interval 1 \
+	    --poller-threads 10 \
+	    "$@"
+}
+nexmark_sql_benchmark "${NEXMARK_SQL_CSV_FILE}" "${NEXMARK_SQL_METRICS_CSV_FILE}"
+nexmark_sql_benchmark "${NEXMARK_SQL_STORAGE_CSV_FILE}" "${NEXMARK_SQL_STORAGE_METRICS_CSV_FILE}" --storage
 
 # Run galen benchmark
 cargo bench --bench galen -- --workers 10 --csv ${GALEN_CSV_FILE}