diff --git a/linera-client/src/client_context.rs b/linera-client/src/client_context.rs
index e14f6ef6c73..aadbfeee5d1 100644
--- a/linera-client/src/client_context.rs
+++ b/linera-client/src/client_context.rs
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ use thiserror_context::Context;
 use tracing::{debug, info};
 #[cfg(feature = "benchmark")]
 use {
-    crate::benchmark::Benchmark,
+    crate::benchmark::{Benchmark, BenchmarkError},
+    futures::{stream, StreamExt, TryStreamExt},
     linera_base::{data_types::Amount, identifiers::ApplicationId},
+    linera_core::client::ChainClientError,
     linera_execution::{
         committee::{Committee, Epoch},
         system::{OpenChainConfig, SystemOperation, OPEN_CHAIN_MESSAGE_INDEX},
@@ -704,6 +706,43 @@ where
         Ok((chain_clients, epoch, blocks_infos, committee))
     }
 
+    pub async fn wrap_up_benchmark(
+        &mut self,
+        chain_clients: HashMap<ChainId, ChainClient<NodeProvider, S>>,
+        close_chains: bool,
+        wrap_up_max_in_flight: usize,
+    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        if close_chains {
+            info!("Closing chains...");
+            let stream = stream::iter(chain_clients.values().cloned())
+                .map(|chain_client| async move {
+                    Benchmark::<S>::close_benchmark_chain(&chain_client).await?;
+                    info!("Closed chain {:?}", chain_client.chain_id());
+                    Ok::<(), BenchmarkError>(())
+                })
+                .buffer_unordered(wrap_up_max_in_flight);
+            stream.try_collect::<Vec<_>>().await?;
+        } else {
+            info!("Processing inbox for all chains...");
+            let stream = stream::iter(chain_clients.values().cloned())
+                .map(|chain_client| async move {
+                    chain_client.process_inbox().await?;
+                    info!("Processed inbox for chain {:?}", chain_client.chain_id());
+                    Ok::<(), ChainClientError>(())
+                })
+                .buffer_unordered(wrap_up_max_in_flight);
+            stream.try_collect::<Vec<_>>().await?;
+
+            info!("Updating wallet from chain clients...");
+            for chain_client in chain_clients.values() {
+                self.wallet.as_mut().update_from_state(chain_client).await;
+            }
+            self.save_wallet().await?;
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     async fn process_inboxes_and_force_validator_updates(&mut self) {
         let chain_clients = self
             .wallet
diff --git a/linera-service/src/linera/command.rs b/linera-service/src/linera/command.rs
index 096faaee57f..926e5ffe1ef 100644
--- a/linera-service/src/linera/command.rs
+++ b/linera-service/src/linera/command.rs
@@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ pub enum ClientCommand {
         /// closing chains.
         #[arg(long, default_value = "5")]
         wrap_up_max_in_flight: usize,
+
+        /// Confirm before starting the benchmark.
+        #[arg(long)]
+        confirm_before_start: bool,
     },
 
     /// Create genesis configuration for a Linera deployment.
diff --git a/linera-service/src/linera/main.rs b/linera-service/src/linera/main.rs
index 491307054bb..c4157a9b1be 100644
--- a/linera-service/src/linera/main.rs
+++ b/linera-service/src/linera/main.rs
@@ -59,12 +59,6 @@ use serde_json::Value;
 use tokio::task::JoinSet;
 use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
 use tracing::{debug, error, info, warn, Instrument as _};
-#[cfg(feature = "benchmark")]
-use {
-    futures::{stream, TryStreamExt},
-    linera_client::benchmark::BenchmarkError,
-    linera_core::client::ChainClientError,
-};
 
 mod command;
 mod net_up_utils;
@@ -750,6 +744,7 @@ impl Runnable for Job {
                 close_chains,
                 health_check_endpoints,
                 wrap_up_max_in_flight,
+                confirm_before_start,
             } => {
                 assert!(num_chains > 0, "Number of chains must be greater than 0");
                 assert!(
@@ -773,6 +768,22 @@ impl Runnable for Job {
                     )
                     .await?;
 
+                if confirm_before_start {
+                    info!("Ready to start benchmark. Say 'yes' when you want to proceed. Only 'yes' will be accepted");
+                    if !std::io::stdin()
+                        .lines()
+                        .next()
+                        .unwrap()?
+                        .eq_ignore_ascii_case("yes")
+                    {
+                        info!("Benchmark cancelled by user");
+                        context
+                            .wrap_up_benchmark(chain_clients, close_chains, wrap_up_max_in_flight)
+                            .await?;
+                        return Ok(());
+                    }
+                }
+
                 linera_client::benchmark::Benchmark::<S>::run_benchmark(
                     num_chains,
                     transactions_per_block,
@@ -786,40 +797,9 @@ impl Runnable for Job {
                 )
                 .await?;
 
-                if close_chains {
-                    info!("Closing chains...");
-                    let stream = stream::iter(chain_clients.values().cloned())
-                        .map(|chain_client| async move {
-                            linera_client::benchmark::Benchmark::<S>::close_benchmark_chain(
-                                &chain_client,
-                            )
-                            .await?;
-                            info!("Closed chain {:?}", chain_client.chain_id());
-                            Ok::<(), BenchmarkError>(())
-                        })
-                        .buffer_unordered(wrap_up_max_in_flight);
-                    stream.try_collect::<Vec<_>>().await?;
-                } else {
-                    info!("Processing inbox for all chains...");
-                    let stream = stream::iter(chain_clients.values().cloned())
-                        .map(|chain_client| async move {
-                            chain_client.process_inbox().await?;
-                            info!("Processed inbox for chain {:?}", chain_client.chain_id());
-                            Ok::<(), ChainClientError>(())
-                        })
-                        .buffer_unordered(wrap_up_max_in_flight);
-                    stream.try_collect::<Vec<_>>().await?;
-
-                    info!("Updating wallet from chain clients...");
-                    for chain_client in chain_clients.values() {
-                        context
-                            .wallet
-                            .as_mut()
-                            .update_from_state(chain_client)
-                            .await;
-                    }
-                    context.save_wallet().await?;
-                }
+                context
+                    .wrap_up_benchmark(chain_clients, close_chains, wrap_up_max_in_flight)
+                    .await?;
             }
 
             Watch { chain_id, raw } => {