diff --git a/src/paperless_benchmark/scenarios.py b/src/paperless_benchmark/scenarios.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..069a6da37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless_benchmark/scenarios.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+# src/paperless_benchmark/scenarios.py
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import Any
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Callable
+
+    from django.db.models import QuerySet
+
+    from paperless_benchmark.seeding import SeededData
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
+class Scenario:
+    name: str
+    describe: str
+    run: Callable[[SeededData], Any]
+    queryset_for_explain: Callable[[SeededData], QuerySet] | None = None
+
+
+_SCENARIOS: dict[str, Scenario] = {}
+
+
+def register(scenario: Scenario) -> None:
+    _SCENARIOS[scenario.name] = scenario
+
+
+def get(name: str) -> Scenario:
+    from django.core.management.base import CommandError
+
+    try:
+        return _SCENARIOS[name]
+    except KeyError:
+        available = ", ".join(sorted(_SCENARIOS)) or "(none registered)"
+        raise CommandError(
+            f"Unknown benchmark scenario {name!r}. Available: {available}",
+        ) from None
+
+
+def all_scenarios() -> tuple[Scenario, ...]:
+    return tuple(_SCENARIOS.values())
+
+
+def _guardian_visibility_query_run(data: SeededData) -> list[int]:
+    from documents.models import Document
+    from documents.permissions import get_objects_for_user_owner_aware
+
+    user = data.users[0]
+    return list(
+        get_objects_for_user_owner_aware(
+            user,
+            "documents.view_document",
+            Document,
+        ).values_list("id", flat=True),
+    )
+
+
+def _guardian_visibility_query_queryset(data: SeededData) -> QuerySet:
+    from documents.models import Document
+    from documents.permissions import get_objects_for_user_owner_aware
+
+    user = data.users[0]
+    return get_objects_for_user_owner_aware(user, "documents.view_document", Document)
+
+
+register(
+    Scenario(
+        name="guardian_visibility_query",
+        describe=(
+            "Document-visibility queryset for a user with mixed owned/shared "
+            "documents -- exercises documents.permissions."
+            "get_objects_for_user_owner_aware's guardian permission join."
+        ),
+        run=_guardian_visibility_query_run,
+        queryset_for_explain=_guardian_visibility_query_queryset,
+    ),
+)
+
+
+def _permitted_document_ids_run(data: SeededData) -> list[int]:
+    from documents.models import Document
+    from documents.permissions import permitted_document_ids
+
+    user = data.users[0]
+    return list(
+        Document.objects.filter(id__in=permitted_document_ids(user)).values_list(
+            "id",
+            flat=True,
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+def _permitted_document_ids_queryset(data: SeededData) -> QuerySet:
+    from documents.models import Document
+    from documents.permissions import permitted_document_ids
+
+    user = data.users[0]
+    return Document.objects.filter(id__in=permitted_document_ids(user))
+
+
+register(
+    Scenario(
+        name="permitted_document_ids",
+        describe=(
+            "Document-visibility query built from documents.permissions."
+            "permitted_document_ids -- the resolved-ID-set alternative to "
+            "guardian_visibility_query, for side-by-side comparison."
+        ),
+        run=_permitted_document_ids_run,
+        queryset_for_explain=_permitted_document_ids_queryset,
+    ),
+)