diff --git a/config/examples/vorago_va416x0.config b/config/examples/vorago_va416x0.config
index 6452ddf596..ba223fb2ab 100644
--- a/config/examples/vorago_va416x0.config
+++ b/config/examples/vorago_va416x0.config
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ WOLFBOOT_RESTORE_CLOCK?=1
 #CFLAGS_EXTRA+=-DDEBUG_EXT_FLASH
 #CFLAGS_EXTRA+=-DTEST_EXT_FLASH
 
+# Optional: Boot benchmarking (timing of integrity check, signature verify)
+# Requires DEBUG_UART=1 for output
+#BOOT_BENCHMARK?=1
+
 # Optional: Enable wolfCrypt test and benchmark in test-app
 # Uncomment to enable
 # Note: Requires ~80-160KB additional flash and ~10-20KB RAM
diff --git a/hal/va416x0.c b/hal/va416x0.c
index 914d7f7534..e5c73eab6d 100644
--- a/hal/va416x0.c
+++ b/hal/va416x0.c
@@ -581,3 +581,22 @@ void hal_prepare_boot(void)
     /* Disable system config IRQs */
     VOR_SYSCONFIG->IRQ_ENB = 0;
 }
+
+#if defined(WOLFBOOT_UPDATE_DISK) || defined(BOOT_BENCHMARK)
+/* Microsecond timer for boot benchmarking.
+ * Uses SysTick counter (counts down each ms tick) combined with
+ * HAL_time_ms (incremented by SysTick_Handler every 1ms).
+ * SysTick->LOAD = (SystemCoreClock / 1000) - 1 (configured by HAL_Init).
+ * SysTick->VAL counts down from LOAD to 0.
+ */
+uint64_t hal_get_timer_us(void)
+{
+    extern volatile uint64_t HAL_time_ms;
+    uint32_t load = SysTick->LOAD;
+    uint32_t val = SysTick->VAL;
+    uint32_t elapsed_ticks = load - val;
+
+    return (HAL_time_ms * 1000ULL) +
+           ((uint64_t)elapsed_ticks * 1000000ULL / SystemCoreClock);
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/update_flash.c b/src/update_flash.c
index 92f6496f56..fa2660b554 100644
--- a/src/update_flash.c
+++ b/src/update_flash.c
@@ -1401,6 +1401,7 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
     uint8_t updateState;
 #endif /* !WOLFBOOT_SELF_UPDATE_MONOLITHIC */
     struct wolfBoot_image boot;
+    BENCHMARK_DECLARE();
 
 #if defined(ARCH_SIM) && defined(WOLFBOOT_TPM) && defined(WOLFBOOT_TPM_SEAL)
     wolfBoot_unlock_disk();
@@ -1481,10 +1482,19 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
         wolfBoot_get_blob_version(boot.hdr));
 
 #ifndef WOLFBOOT_SKIP_BOOT_VERIFY
-    if (bootRet < 0
-            || (wolfBoot_verify_integrity(&boot) < 0)
-            || (wolfBoot_verify_authenticity(&boot) < 0)
-    ) {
+    if (bootRet >= 0) {
+        wolfBoot_printf("Checking integrity...");
+        BENCHMARK_START();
+        bootRet = wolfBoot_verify_integrity(&boot);
+        BENCHMARK_END("done");
+    }
+    if (bootRet >= 0) {
+        wolfBoot_printf("Verifying signature...");
+        BENCHMARK_START();
+        bootRet = wolfBoot_verify_authenticity(&boot);
+        BENCHMARK_END("done");
+    }
+    if (bootRet < 0) {
         wolfBoot_printf("Boot failed: Hdr %d, Hash %d, Sig %d\n",
             boot.hdr_ok, boot.sha_ok, boot.signature_ok);
 #ifndef WOLFBOOT_SELF_UPDATE_MONOLITHIC