diff --git a/relay/relay_stress_test.go b/relay/relay_stress_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a8875a429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/relay/relay_stress_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+package relay
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/arbos/arbostypes"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/arbutil"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/broadcastclient"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/broadcaster"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/broadcaster/message"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/util/stopwaiter"
+	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/wsbroadcastserver"
+)
+
+type DummyUpStream struct {
+	stopwaiter.StopWaiter
+	broadcaster *broadcaster.Broadcaster
+}
+
+func NewDummyUpStream(config *Config, feedErrChan chan error) *DummyUpStream {
+	dataSignerErr := func([]byte) ([]byte, error) {
+		return nil, errors.New("relay attempted to sign feed message")
+	}
+	return &DummyUpStream{
+		broadcaster: broadcaster.NewBroadcaster(func() *wsbroadcastserver.BroadcasterConfig { return &config.Node.Feed.Output }, config.Chain.ID, feedErrChan, dataSignerErr),
+	}
+}
+
+func (r *DummyUpStream) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+	r.StopWaiter.Start(ctx, r)
+	err := r.broadcaster.Initialize()
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.New("broadcast unable to initialize")
+	}
+	err = r.broadcaster.Start(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.New("broadcast unable to start")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *DummyUpStream) PopulateFeedBacklogByNumber(ctx context.Context, backlogSize, l2MsgSize int) {
+	was := r.broadcaster.GetCachedMessageCount()
+	var seqNums []arbutil.MessageIndex
+	for i := was; i < was+backlogSize; i++ {
+		seqNums = append(seqNums, arbutil.MessageIndex(i))
+	}
+
+	messages := make([]*message.BroadcastFeedMessage, 0, len(seqNums))
+	for _, seqNum := range seqNums {
+		broadcastMessage := &message.BroadcastFeedMessage{
+			SequenceNumber: seqNum,
+			Message: arbostypes.MessageWithMetadata{
+				Message: &arbostypes.L1IncomingMessage{
+					L2msg: make([]byte, l2MsgSize),
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		messages = append(messages, broadcastMessage)
+	}
+	r.broadcaster.BroadcastFeedMessages(messages)
+	waitForBacklog(r.broadcaster, was, was+backlogSize)
+}
+
+func waitForBacklog(b *broadcaster.Broadcaster, was, target int) {
+	time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	prevCount := was
+	for count := b.GetCachedMessageCount(); count != target; count = b.GetCachedMessageCount() {
+		if prevCount == count {
+			log.Warn("unable to populate feed backlog. Cached message count did not increment")
+			break
+		} else {
+			prevCount = count
+		}
+		log.Info("populating feed backlog to stress test relay", "current", count, "target", target)
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	}
+}
+
+type dummyTxStreamer struct {
+	id            int
+	logConnection bool
+}
+
+func (ts *dummyTxStreamer) AddBroadcastMessages(feedMessages []*message.BroadcastFeedMessage) error {
+	// to mimic latency of txstreamer
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	if !ts.logConnection {
+		ts.logConnection = true
+		log.Info("test client is succesfully receiving messages", "client_Id", ts.id, "msg_size", feedMessages[0].Size())
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func largeBacklogRelayTestImpl(t *testing.T, numClients, backlogSize, l2MsgSize int, connectDeadline time.Duration, upStreamPort, relayPort string) {
+	// total size of the backlog = backlogSize * (l2MsgSize + 160)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	upStreamConfig := &ConfigDefault
+	upStreamConfig.Node.Feed.Output.Addr = "127.0.0.1"
+	upStreamConfig.Node.Feed.Output.Port = upStreamPort
+	upStreamConfig.Node.Feed.Output.ClientTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	upStream := NewDummyUpStream(upStreamConfig, nil)
+	err := upStream.Start(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error starting relay's broadcast client %v", err)
+	}
+	defer upStream.StopOnly()
+	upStream.PopulateFeedBacklogByNumber(ctx, backlogSize, l2MsgSize)
+
+	relayConfig := &ConfigDefault
+	relayConfig.Node.Feed.Input.URL = []string{"ws://127.0.0.1:" + upStreamPort}
+	relayConfig.Node.Feed.Output.Addr = "127.0.0.1"
+	relayConfig.Node.Feed.Output.Port = relayPort
+	relayConfig.Node.Feed.Output.ClientTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	relay, err := NewRelay(relayConfig, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error initializing relay %v", err)
+	}
+	err = relay.Start(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error starting relay %v", err)
+	}
+	defer relay.StopOnly()
+	waitForBacklog(relay.broadcaster, 0, backlogSize)
+
+	relayURL := "ws://" + relay.GetListenerAddr().String()
+	clientConfig := broadcastclient.DefaultTestConfig
+	clientConfig.Timeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	fatalErrChan := make(chan error, 10)
+	var streamers []*dummyTxStreamer
+	for i := 0; i < numClients; i++ {
+		ts := &dummyTxStreamer{id: i}
+		streamers = append(streamers, ts)
+		client, err := broadcastclient.NewBroadcastClient(func() *broadcastclient.Config { return &clientConfig }, relayURL, relayConfig.Chain.ID, 0, ts, nil, fatalErrChan, nil, func(_ int32) {})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.FailNow()
+		}
+		client.Start(ctx)
+		defer client.StopOnly()
+	}
+
+	// wait for all clients to atleast connect once
+	connectDeadlineTimer := time.NewTicker(connectDeadline)
+	defer connectDeadlineTimer.Stop()
+	select {
+	case err := <-fatalErrChan:
+		t.Fatalf("a client received a fatal error %v", err)
+	case <-connectDeadlineTimer.C:
+	}
+
+	connected := 0
+	for _, ts := range streamers {
+		if ts.logConnection {
+			connected++
+		}
+	}
+	if int32(connected) != int32(numClients) {
+		t.Fail()
+	}
+	log.Info("number of clients connected", "expected", numClients, "got", connected)
+}
+
+func TestRelayLargeBacklog16MB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip("This test is for manual inspection and would be unreliable in CI even if automated")
+	largeBacklogRelayTestImpl(t, 150, 100000, 0, 40*time.Second, "9642", "9643")
+}
+
+func TestRelayLargeBacklog50MB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip("This test is for manual inspection and would be unreliable in CI even if automated")
+	largeBacklogRelayTestImpl(t, 150, 100000, 340, 40*time.Second, "9644", "9645")
+}
+
+func TestRelayLargeBacklog100MB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip("This test is for manual inspection and would be unreliable in CI even if automated")
+	largeBacklogRelayTestImpl(t, 150, 100000, 840, 40*time.Second, "9646", "9647")
+}