diff --git a/benchmarks/ark_prover_bench.nim b/benchmarks/ark_prover_bench.nim
index d19601fe..65fe1f98 100644
--- a/benchmarks/ark_prover_bench.nim
+++ b/benchmarks/ark_prover_bench.nim
@@ -58,6 +58,27 @@ when isMainModule:
     ncells: 512, # number of cells in this slot
   )
 
-  createCircuit(args)
+  let benchenv = createCircuit(args)
 
   ## TODO: copy over testcircomcompat proving
+  when false:
+    let
+      r1cs = "tests/circuits/fixtures/proof_main.r1cs"
+      wasm = "tests/circuits/fixtures/proof_main.wasm"
+      zkey = "tests/circuits/fixtures/proof_main.zkey"
+
+    var
+      circom: CircomCompat
+      proofInputs: ProofInputs[Poseidon2Hash]
+
+    let
+      inputData = readFile("tests/circuits/fixtures/input.json")
+      inputJson = !JsonNode.parse(inputData)
+      proofInputs = Poseidon2Hash.jsonToProofInput(inputJson)
+      circom = CircomCompat.init(r1cs, wasm, zkey)
+
+    let proof = circom.prove(proofInputs).tryGet
+
+    circom.verify(proof, proofInputs).tryGet
+    circom.release()  # this comes from the rust FFI
+
diff --git a/benchmarks/create_circuits.nim b/benchmarks/create_circuits.nim
index 00c29d61..af7428ae 100644
--- a/benchmarks/create_circuits.nim
+++ b/benchmarks/create_circuits.nim
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ proc createCircuit*(
     ptauPath = ptauDefPath,
     ptauUrl = ptauDefUrl,
     someEntropy = "some_entropy_75289v3b7rcawcsyiur",
-) =
+): tuple[dir: string, name: string] =
   ## Generates all the files needed for to run a proof circuit. Downloads the PTAU file if needed.
   ## 
   let circdir = circBenchDir
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ proc createCircuit*(
       moveFile(fmt"{name}_0001.zkey", fmt"{name}.zkey")
       removeFile(fmt"{name}_0000.zkey")
 
+  return (circdir, name)
+
 when isMainModule:
   checkEnv()
 
@@ -185,4 +187,5 @@ when isMainModule:
     index: 3, # which slot we prove (0..NSLOTS-1)
     ncells: 512, # number of cells in this slot
   )
-  createCircuit(args)
+  let benchenv = createCircuit(args)
+  echo "\nBench dir:\n", benchenv