diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 87f9a43..543e006 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ $ ./runner.sh --nodes mixed -d "MixedGoRPC4x1" -m rate -q 50 -z 5m -t 30s
   -i, --in                         Path to input file to load transactions.
                                    Example: -i ./dump.txs --in /path/to/import/transactions
       --vote                       Vote before the bench.
+      --disable-stats              Disable memory and CPU usage statistics collection.
 ````
 
 ## Makefile usage
@@ -300,6 +301,7 @@ The following default configurations are available:
        --msPerBlock                 Protocol setting specifying the minimal (and targeted for) time interval between blocks. Must be an integer number of milliseconds.
                                     The default value is set in configuration templates and is 1s and 5s for single node and multinode setup respectively.
                                     Example: --msPerBlock 3000
+   -e, --external                   Use external network for benchmarking. Default is false.
 
 ```
 
diff --git a/cmd/bench/main.go b/cmd/bench/main.go
index 9ec6e86..abcc953 100644
--- a/cmd/bench/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bench/main.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ func main() {
 		timeLimit       = v.GetDuration("timeLimit")
 		mode            = internal.BenchMode(v.GetString("mode"))
 		client          *internal.RPCClient
+		disableStats    = v.GetBool("disable-stats")
 	)
 
 	switch mode {
@@ -98,32 +99,33 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatalf("could not close report: %v", err)
 		}
 	}()
+	if !disableStats {
+		statsPeriod := time.Second
 
-	statsPeriod := time.Second
+		ds, err := internal.NewStats(ctx,
+			internal.StatEnableLogger(),
+			internal.StatPeriod(statsPeriod),
+			internal.StatCriteria([]string{"stats"}),
+			internal.StatListVerifier(func(list []types.Container) error {
+				if len(list) == 0 {
+					return errors.New("containers not found by criteria")
+				}
 
-	ds, err := internal.NewStats(ctx,
-		internal.StatEnableLogger(),
-		internal.StatPeriod(statsPeriod),
-		internal.StatCriteria([]string{"stats"}),
-		internal.StatListVerifier(func(list []types.Container) error {
-			if len(list) == 0 {
-				return errors.New("containers not found by criteria")
-			}
+				return nil
+			}))
 
-			return nil
-		}))
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("could not create docker stats grabber: %v", err)
+		}
 
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("could not create docker stats grabber: %v", err)
+		statsStart := time.Now()
+		// Run stats worker:
+		go ds.Run(ctx, func(cpu, mem float64) {
+			rep.UpdateRes(statsStart, cpu, mem)
+			log.Printf("CPU: %0.3f%%, Mem: %0.3fMB", cpu, mem)
+		})
 	}
 
-	statsStart := time.Now()
-	// Run stats worker:
-	go ds.Run(ctx, func(cpu, mem float64) {
-		rep.UpdateRes(statsStart, cpu, mem)
-		log.Printf("CPU: %0.3f%%, Mem: %0.3fMB", cpu, mem)
-	})
-
 	if in := v.GetString("in"); in != "" {
 		dump = internal.ReadDump(in)
 	} else {
diff --git a/cmd/internal/settings.go b/cmd/internal/settings.go
index 4e155d3..ab3d8dd 100644
--- a/cmd/internal/settings.go
+++ b/cmd/internal/settings.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ func InitSettings() *viper.Viper {
 			"Example: -i ./dump.txs --in /path/to/import/transactions")
 
 	flags.BoolP("vote", "", false, "Vote before the bench.")
+	flags.BoolP("disable-stats", "", false, "Disable memory and CPU usage statistics collection.")
 
 	if err := v.BindPFlags(flags); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/runner.sh b/runner.sh
index f49291e..0ae1359 100755
--- a/runner.sh
+++ b/runner.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 source .env
 
 OUTPUT=""
-ARGS=(-i "/dump.txs")
+ARGS=()
 FILES=()
 MODE=""
 COUNT=""
 IR_TYPE=go
 RPC_TYPE=
 RPC_ADDR=()
+EXTERNAL_NETWORK=false
 export NEOBENCH_LOGGER=${NEOBENCH_LOGGER:-none}
 export NEOBENCH_TYPE=${NEOBENCH_TYPE:-NEO}
 export NEOBENCH_FROM_COUNT=${NEOBENCH_FROM_COUNT:-1}
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ show_help() {
 	echo "       --msPerBlock                 Protocol setting specifying the minimal (and targeted for) time interval between blocks. Must be an integer number of milliseconds."
 	echo "                                    The default value is set in configuration templates and is 1s and 5s for single node and multinode setup respectively."
 	echo "                                    Example: --msPerBlock 1000"
+	echo "   -e, --external                   Use external network for benchmarking. Default is false."
 	exit 0
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +74,9 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
 
 	case $_opt in
 	-h | --help) show_help ;;
+	-e|--external)
+        EXTERNAL_NETWORK=true
+        ;;
 	-l | --log)
 		if [[ $# -gt 0 && ${1:0:1} != "-" ]]; then
 			case "$1" in
@@ -273,7 +278,17 @@ if [ -n "$NEOBENCH_VOTE" ]; then
 fi
 
 make prepare
+if [ "$EXTERNAL_NETWORK" = true ]; then
+      ARGS+=(-i "./.docker/build/dump.$NEOBENCH_TYPE.$NEOBENCH_FROM_COUNT.$NEOBENCH_TO_COUNT.txs" --disable-stats)
 
-docker compose "${FILES[@]}" run bench neo-bench -o "$OUTPUT" "${ARGS[@]}"
+      make build.binary.bench
 
-make stop
+      ./cmd/bin/bench -o "$OUTPUT" "${ARGS[@]}"
+
+else
+    ARGS+=(-i "/dump.txs")
+
+    docker compose "${FILES[@]}" run bench neo-bench -o "$OUTPUT" "${ARGS[@]}"
+
+    make stop
+fi