diff --git a/benchmarks/actor_schema_bench.py b/benchmarks/actor_schema_bench.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3febbe27e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/actor_schema_bench.py
@@ -0,0 +1,358 @@
+"""ASV benchmarks for Actor YAML schema validation throughput.
+
+Measures the performance of:
+- YAML string parsing + schema validation
+- YAML file loading + schema validation
+- Graph topology validation (cycle detection)
+- Tool definition validation
+- model_dump() serialization
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+# Ensure the local *source* tree is importable
+_SRC = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "src")
+if _SRC not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, _SRC)
+
+# Force-reload the top-level package
+import cleveragents  # noqa: E402
+
+importlib.reload(cleveragents)
+
+from cleveragents.actor.schema import ActorConfigSchema  # noqa: E402
+
+_MINIMAL_LLM_YAML = """\
+name: bench/llm
+type: llm
+description: Benchmark LLM actor
+model: gpt-4
+"""
+
+_FULL_LLM_YAML = """\
+name: bench/llm_full
+type: llm
+description: Full LLM actor with all features
+version: "1.0"
+model: gpt-4-turbo
+system_prompt: |
+  You are a benchmark testing assistant.
+  Process requests efficiently and accurately.
+tools:
+  - files/read_file
+  - files/write_file
+context_view: executor
+memory:
+  enabled: true
+  max_messages: 100
+  max_tokens: 8000
+  summarize_old: true
+context:
+  include_files:
+    - README.md
+    - pyproject.toml
+  include_dirs:
+    - src/
+    - tests/
+  exclude_patterns:
+    - "**/__pycache__/**"
+    - "*.pyc"
+  max_context_tokens: 16000
+env_vars:
+  LOG_LEVEL: info
+  WORK_DIR: /tmp/bench
+"""
+
+_TOOL_ACTOR_YAML = """\
+name: bench/tools
+type: tool
+description: Tool collection for benchmarking
+tools:
+  - files/read_file
+  - files/write_file
+  - files/delete_file
+"""
+
+_SIMPLE_GRAPH_YAML = """\
+name: bench/simple_graph
+type: graph
+description: Simple 3-node graph for benchmarking
+model: gpt-4
+route:
+  nodes:
+    - id: extract
+      type: tool
+      name: Extractor
+      description: Extract data
+      config:
+        tool_name: data/extract
+    - id: process
+      type: agent
+      name: Processor
+      description: Process data
+      config:
+        prompt: "Process the data"
+    - id: save
+      type: tool
+      name: Saver
+      description: Save results
+      config:
+        tool_name: data/save
+  edges:
+    - from_node: extract
+      to_node: process
+    - from_node: process
+      to_node: save
+  entry_node: extract
+  exit_nodes:
+    - save
+"""
+
+_COMPLEX_GRAPH_YAML = """\
+name: bench/complex_graph
+type: graph
+description: Complex graph with 10 nodes and conditionals
+model: gpt-4
+route:
+  nodes:
+    - id: start
+      type: agent
+      name: Starter
+      description: Start node
+      config:
+        prompt: "Begin"
+    - id: node2
+      type: agent
+      name: Node 2
+      description: Second node
+      config:
+        prompt: "Continue"
+    - id: node3
+      type: agent
+      name: Node 3
+      description: Third node
+      config:
+        prompt: "Process"
+    - id: checker
+      type: conditional
+      name: Checker
+      description: Check condition
+      config:
+        conditions:
+          - check: "state.get('ok') == True"
+            route_to: node4
+          - check: "state.get('ok') == False"
+            route_to: node5
+    - id: node4
+      type: agent
+      name: Node 4
+      description: Success path
+      config:
+        prompt: "Success"
+    - id: node5
+      type: agent
+      name: Node 5
+      description: Retry path
+      config:
+        prompt: "Retry"
+    - id: node6
+      type: tool
+      name: Tool 6
+      description: Tool execution
+      config:
+        tool_name: test/tool
+    - id: node7
+      type: agent
+      name: Node 7
+      description: Seventh node
+      config:
+        prompt: "Continue"
+    - id: node8
+      type: subgraph
+      name: Subgraph
+      description: Nested workflow
+      config:
+        actor_path: bench/nested.yaml
+    - id: end
+      type: agent
+      name: End
+      description: Final node
+      config:
+        prompt: "Complete"
+  edges:
+    - from_node: start
+      to_node: node2
+    - from_node: node2
+      to_node: node3
+    - from_node: node3
+      to_node: checker
+    - from_node: node4
+      to_node: node6
+    - from_node: node5
+      to_node: node7
+    - from_node: node6
+      to_node: node8
+    - from_node: node7
+      to_node: node8
+    - from_node: node8
+      to_node: end
+  entry_node: start
+  exit_nodes:
+    - end
+"""
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaMinimalLLM:
+    """Benchmark minimal LLM actor validation."""
+
+    def time_parse_minimal_llm(self) -> None:
+        """Time parsing a minimal LLM actor YAML."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_MINIMAL_LLM_YAML)
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaFullLLM:
+    """Benchmark full LLM actor validation."""
+
+    def time_parse_full_llm(self) -> None:
+        """Time parsing a full LLM actor YAML with all features."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_FULL_LLM_YAML)
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaTool:
+    """Benchmark tool actor validation."""
+
+    def time_parse_tool_actor(self) -> None:
+        """Time parsing a tool actor YAML."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_TOOL_ACTOR_YAML)
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaSimpleGraph:
+    """Benchmark simple graph actor validation."""
+
+    def time_parse_simple_graph(self) -> None:
+        """Time parsing a simple 3-node graph actor."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_SIMPLE_GRAPH_YAML)
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaComplexGraph:
+    """Benchmark complex graph actor validation."""
+
+    def time_parse_complex_graph(self) -> None:
+        """Time parsing a complex 10-node graph with conditionals."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_COMPLEX_GRAPH_YAML)
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaFileIO:
+    """Benchmark file I/O operations."""
+
+    def setup(self) -> None:
+        """Create temporary YAML file."""
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+            mode="w", suffix=".yaml", delete=False
+        ) as temp_file:
+            temp_file.write(_FULL_LLM_YAML)
+            self.temp_file_name = temp_file.name
+
+    def teardown(self) -> None:
+        """Remove temporary file."""
+        Path(self.temp_file_name).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+    def time_load_from_file(self) -> None:
+        """Time loading actor config from YAML file."""
+        ActorConfigSchema.from_yaml_file(self.temp_file_name)
+
+    def time_save_to_file(self) -> None:
+        """Time saving actor config to YAML file."""
+        import yaml
+
+        data = yaml.safe_load(_FULL_LLM_YAML)
+        config = ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(data)
+
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
+            mode="w", suffix=".yaml", delete=False
+        ) as temp_out:
+            temp_out_name = temp_out.name
+        try:
+            config.to_yaml_file(temp_out_name)
+        finally:
+            Path(temp_out_name).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaSerialization:
+    """Benchmark serialization operations."""
+
+    def setup(self) -> None:
+        """Parse actor configs once."""
+        import yaml
+
+        self.minimal_config = ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(
+            yaml.safe_load(_MINIMAL_LLM_YAML)
+        )
+        self.full_config = ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(
+            yaml.safe_load(_FULL_LLM_YAML)
+        )
+        self.graph_config = ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(
+            yaml.safe_load(_COMPLEX_GRAPH_YAML)
+        )
+
+    def time_dump_minimal(self) -> None:
+        """Time model_dump() on minimal config."""
+        self.minimal_config.model_dump(mode="json")
+
+    def time_dump_full(self) -> None:
+        """Time model_dump() on full config."""
+        self.full_config.model_dump(mode="json")
+
+    def time_dump_graph(self) -> None:
+        """Time model_dump() on complex graph."""
+        self.graph_config.model_dump(mode="json")
+
+
+class TimeActorSchemaGraphValidation:
+    """Benchmark graph topology validation."""
+
+    def setup(self) -> None:
+        """Parse graph configs."""
+        import yaml
+
+        self.simple_graph_data = yaml.safe_load(_SIMPLE_GRAPH_YAML)
+        self.complex_graph_data = yaml.safe_load(_COMPLEX_GRAPH_YAML)
+
+    def time_validate_simple_graph_topology(self) -> None:
+        """Time validation of simple graph topology."""
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(self.simple_graph_data)
+
+    def time_validate_complex_graph_topology(self) -> None:
+        """Time validation of complex graph with cycle detection."""
+        ActorConfigSchema.model_validate(self.complex_graph_data)
+
+
+# Module-level metadata for ASV
+time_parse_minimal_llm = TimeActorSchemaMinimalLLM()
+time_parse_full_llm = TimeActorSchemaFullLLM()
+time_parse_tool_actor = TimeActorSchemaTool()
+time_parse_simple_graph = TimeActorSchemaSimpleGraph()
+time_parse_complex_graph = TimeActorSchemaComplexGraph()
+time_file_io = TimeActorSchemaFileIO()
+time_serialization = TimeActorSchemaSerialization()
+time_graph_validation = TimeActorSchemaGraphValidation()