diff --git a/perf/benchmark-subset.cc b/perf/benchmark-subset.cc
index b7f57cbb9..340b50c6d 100644
--- a/perf/benchmark-subset.cc
+++ b/perf/benchmark-subset.cc
@@ -2,30 +2,72 @@
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cstring>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
 #include "hb-subset.h"
 
 
 enum operation_t
 {
   subset_codepoints,
-  subset_glyphs
+  subset_glyphs,
+  instance,
 };
 
+struct axis_location_t
+{
+  hb_tag_t axis_tag;
+  float axis_value;
+};
+
+static const axis_location_t
+_roboto_flex_instance_opts[] =
+{
+  {HB_TAG ('w', 'g', 'h', 't'), 600.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('w', 'd', 't', 'h'), 75.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('o', 'p', 's', 'z'), 90.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('G', 'R', 'A', 'D'), -100.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('s', 'l', 'n', 't'), -3.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('X', 'T', 'R', 'A'), 500.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('X', 'O', 'P', 'Q'), 150.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'O', 'P', 'Q'), 100.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'T', 'L', 'C'), 480.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'T', 'U', 'C'), 600.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'T', 'A', 'S'), 800.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'T', 'D', 'E'), -50.f},
+  {HB_TAG ('Y', 'T', 'F', 'I'), 600.f},
+};
+
+static const axis_location_t
+_mplus_instance_opts[] =
+{
+  {HB_TAG ('w', 'g', 'h', 't'), 800.f},
+};
+
+template <typename Type, unsigned int n>
+static inline unsigned int ARRAY_LEN (const Type (&)[n]) { return n; }
+
 #define SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "test/subset/data/fonts/"
 
 struct test_input_t
 {
   const char *font_path;
   const unsigned max_subset_size;
+  const axis_location_t *instance_opts;
+  const unsigned num_instance_opts;
 } tests[] =
 {
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Roboto-Regular.ttf", 4000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Amiri-Regular.ttf", 4000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "NotoNastaliqUrdu-Regular.ttf", 1000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "NotoSansDevanagari-Regular.ttf", 1000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Mplus1p-Regular.ttf", 10000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "SourceHanSans-Regular_subset.otf", 10000},
-  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "SourceSansPro-Regular.otf", 2000},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Roboto-Regular.ttf", 4000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Amiri-Regular.ttf", 4000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "NotoNastaliqUrdu-Regular.ttf", 1000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "NotoSansDevanagari-Regular.ttf", 1000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "Mplus1p-Regular.ttf", 10000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "SourceHanSans-Regular_subset.otf", 10000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "SourceSansPro-Regular.otf", 2000, nullptr, 0},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "MPLUS1-Variable.ttf", 6000, _mplus_instance_opts, ARRAY_LEN (_mplus_instance_opts)},
+  {SUBSET_FONT_BASE_PATH "RobotoFlex-Variable.ttf", 900, _roboto_flex_instance_opts, ARRAY_LEN (_roboto_flex_instance_opts)},
 #if 0
   {"perf/fonts/NotoSansCJKsc-VF.ttf", 100000},
 #endif
@@ -58,13 +100,13 @@ void AddGlyphs(unsigned num_glyphs_in_font,
 /* benchmark for subsetting a font */
 static void BM_subset (benchmark::State &state,
                        operation_t operation,
-                       const char *font_path)
+                       const test_input_t &test_input)
 {
   unsigned subset_size = state.range(0);
 
   hb_face_t *face;
   {
-    hb_blob_t *blob = hb_blob_create_from_file_or_fail (font_path);
+    hb_blob_t *blob = hb_blob_create_from_file_or_fail (test_input.font_path);
     assert (blob);
     face = hb_face_create (blob, 0);
     hb_blob_destroy (blob);
@@ -90,6 +132,20 @@ static void BM_subset (benchmark::State &state,
       AddGlyphs(num_glyphs, subset_size, input);
     }
     break;
+    
+    case instance:
+    {
+      hb_set_t* all_codepoints = hb_set_create ();
+      hb_face_collect_unicodes (face, all_codepoints);
+      AddCodepoints(all_codepoints, subset_size, input);
+      hb_set_destroy (all_codepoints);
+
+      for (unsigned i = 0; i < test_input.num_instance_opts; i++)
+        hb_subset_input_pin_axis_location (input, face,
+                                           test_input.instance_opts[i].axis_tag,
+                                           test_input.instance_opts[i].axis_value);
+    }
+    break;
   }
 
   for (auto _ : state)
@@ -108,11 +164,14 @@ static void test_subset (operation_t op,
                          benchmark::TimeUnit time_unit,
                          const test_input_t &test_input)
 {
+  if (op == instance && test_input.instance_opts == nullptr)
+    return;
+
   char name[1024] = "BM_subset/";
   strcat (name, op_name);
   strcat (name, strrchr (test_input.font_path, '/'));
 
-  benchmark::RegisterBenchmark (name, BM_subset, op, test_input.font_path)
+  benchmark::RegisterBenchmark (name, BM_subset, op, test_input)
       ->Range(10, test_input.max_subset_size)
       ->Unit(time_unit);
 }
@@ -133,6 +192,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
   TEST_OPERATION (subset_glyphs, benchmark::kMillisecond);
   TEST_OPERATION (subset_codepoints, benchmark::kMillisecond);
+#ifdef HB_EXPERIMENTAL_API
+  TEST_OPERATION (instance, benchmark::kMillisecond);
+#endif
 
 #undef TEST_OPERATION
 
diff --git a/test/subset/data/fonts/MPLUS1-Variable.ttf b/test/subset/data/fonts/MPLUS1-Variable.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..078795d27
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/subset/data/fonts/MPLUS1-Variable.ttf differ
diff --git a/test/subset/data/fonts/RobotoFlex-Variable.ttf b/test/subset/data/fonts/RobotoFlex-Variable.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd32e0d75
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/subset/data/fonts/RobotoFlex-Variable.ttf differ