diff --git a/.github/workflows/load.yml b/.github/workflows/load.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ad4a17d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/load.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+name: Pepr Load Test
+
+permissions: read-all
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 5 * * *' # 1AM EST/10PM PST
+
+jobs:
+  load:
+    name: load test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Harden Runner
+        uses: step-security/harden-runner@91182cccc01eb5e619899d80e4e971d6181294a7 # v2.10.1
+        with:
+          egress-policy: audit
+
+      - name: "install k3d"
+        run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
+        shell: bash
+
+      - name: clone pepr
+        uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          repository: defenseunicorns/pepr
+          path: pepr
+
+      - name: "set env: PEPR"
+        run: echo "PEPR=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pepr" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: clone pepr-excellent-examples
+        uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          repository: defenseunicorns/pepr-excellent-examples
+          path: pepr-excellent-examples
+
+      - name: "set env: PEXEX"
+        run: echo "PEXEX=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/pepr-excellent-examples" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: setup node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@39370e3970a6d050c480ffad4ff0ed4d3fdee5af # v4.1.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          cache: "npm"
+          cache-dependency-path: pepr
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts prep"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts prep ./
+
+      - name: upload pepr package artifact (.tgz)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: tgz
+          path: pepr-0.0.0-development.tgz
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: upload pepr controller image artifact (.tar)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: tar
+          path: pepr-dev.tar
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts cluster up"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts cluster up
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts deploy"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts deploy \
+            ./pepr-0.0.0-development.tgz \
+            ./pepr-dev.tar \
+            ${PEXEX}/hello-pepr-load
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts run"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts run \
+            ${PEXEX}/hello-pepr-load \
+            capabilities/configmap.yaml
+
+      - name: upload raw test inject log (actress)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: actress.log
+          path: load/*-actress.log
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: upload raw test sample log (audience)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: audience.log
+          path: load/*-audience.log
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts post"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts post
+
+      - name: upload parsed inject log (actress)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: actress.json
+          path: load/*-actress.json
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: upload parsed sample log (audience)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: audience.json
+          path: load/*-audience.json
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: upload load test summary
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: summary.json
+          path: load/*-summary.json
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: "load.cli.ts graph"
+        run: |
+          cd "$PEPR"
+          npx ts-node hack/load.cli.ts graph
+
+      - name: upload load test result graph (watcher)
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
+        with:
+          name: watcher.png
+          path: load/*.png
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          retention-days: 1
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