diff --git a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
index d213bf12a2..56894668d9 100755
--- a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
+++ b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ zone=
 bootstrapValidatorAddress=
 bootstrapValidatorMachineType=
 clientNodeCount=0
+idleClients=false
 additionalValidatorCount=10
 publicNetwork=false
 stopNetwork=false
@@ -140,6 +141,9 @@ while [[ -n $1 ]]; do
     elif [[ $1 = --limit-ledger-size ]]; then
       maybeLimitLedgerSize=$1
       shift 1
+    elif [[ $1 = --idle-clients ]]; then
+      idleClients=true
+      shift 1
     else
       usage "Unknown long option: $1"
     fi
@@ -394,6 +398,10 @@ if ! $skipStart; then
       $maybeLimitLedgerSize
     )
 
+    if $idleClients; then
+      args+=(-c "idle=$clientNodeCount=")
+    fi
+
     time net/net.sh "${args[@]}"
   ) || ok=false
 
diff --git a/ci/testnet-manager.sh b/ci/testnet-manager.sh
index 094d26feb7..8474267012 100755
--- a/ci/testnet-manager.sh
+++ b/ci/testnet-manager.sh
@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ deploy() {
         -t "$CHANNEL_OR_TAG" \
         -n ${TDS_NODE_COUNT} \
         -c ${TDS_CLIENT_COUNT} \
+        --idle-clients \
         -P -u \
         -a tds-solana-com --letsencrypt tds.solana.com \
         ${maybeHashesPerTick} \
diff --git a/net/gce.sh b/net/gce.sh
index 27be75b855..7ca2f40660 100755
--- a/net/gce.sh
+++ b/net/gce.sh
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ validatorAdditionalDiskSizeInGb=
 externalNodes=false
 failOnValidatorBootupFailure=true
 preemptible=true
+evalInfo=false
 
 publicNetwork=false
 letsEncryptDomainName=
@@ -159,6 +160,8 @@ Manage testnet instances
    none
 
  info-specific options:
+   --eval           - Output in a form that can be eval-ed by a shell: eval $(gce.sh info)
+
    none
 
 EOF
@@ -189,6 +192,9 @@ while [[ -n $1 ]]; do
     elif [[ $1 == --dedicated ]]; then
       preemptible=false
       shift
+    elif [[ $1 == --eval ]]; then
+      evalInfo=true
+      shift
     else
       usage "Unknown long option: $1"
     fi
@@ -799,14 +805,21 @@ info)
     printf "  %-16s | %-15s | %-15s | %s\n" "$nodeType" "$ip" "$ipPrivate" "$zone"
   }
 
-  printNode "Node Type" "Public IP" "Private IP" "Zone"
-  echo "-------------------+-----------------+-----------------+--------------"
+  if ! $evalInfo; then
+    printNode "Node Type" "Public IP" "Private IP" "Zone"
+    echo "-------------------+-----------------+-----------------+--------------"
+  fi
+
   nodeType=bootstrap-leader
   for i in $(seq 0 $(( ${#validatorIpList[@]} - 1)) ); do
     ipAddress=${validatorIpList[$i]}
     ipAddressPrivate=${validatorIpListPrivate[$i]}
     zone=${validatorIpListZone[$i]}
-    printNode $nodeType "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    if $evalInfo; then
+      echo "NET_VALIDATOR${i}_IP=$ipAddress"
+    else
+      printNode $nodeType "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    fi
     nodeType=validator
   done
 
@@ -814,21 +827,33 @@ info)
     ipAddress=${clientIpList[$i]}
     ipAddressPrivate=${clientIpListPrivate[$i]}
     zone=${clientIpListZone[$i]}
-    printNode client "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    if $evalInfo; then
+      echo "NET_CLIENT${i}_IP=$ipAddress"
+    else
+      printNode client "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    fi
   done
 
   for i in $(seq 0 $(( ${#blockstreamerIpList[@]} - 1)) ); do
     ipAddress=${blockstreamerIpList[$i]}
     ipAddressPrivate=${blockstreamerIpListPrivate[$i]}
     zone=${blockstreamerIpListZone[$i]}
-    printNode blockstreamer "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    if $evalInfo; then
+      echo "NET_BLOCKSTREAMER${i}_IP=$ipAddress"
+    else
+      printNode blockstreamer "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    fi
   done
 
   for i in $(seq 0 $(( ${#archiverIpList[@]} - 1)) ); do
     ipAddress=${archiverIpList[$i]}
     ipAddressPrivate=${archiverIpListPrivate[$i]}
     zone=${archiverIpListZone[$i]}
-    printNode archiver "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    if $evalInfo; then
+      echo "NET_ARCHIVER${i}_IP=$ipAddress"
+    else
+      printNode archiver "$ipAddress" "$ipAddressPrivate" "$zone"
+    fi
   done
   ;;
 status)
diff --git a/net/net.sh b/net/net.sh
index fc5086db64..0b97cbe98e 100755
--- a/net/net.sh
+++ b/net/net.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Operate a configured testnet
                                         more than once.  Defaults to bench-tps for all clients if not
                                         specified.
                                         Valid client types are:
+                                            idle
                                             bench-tps
                                             bench-exchange
                                         User can optionally provide extraArgs that are transparently
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ skipSetup=false
 customPrograms=
 updatePlatforms=
 nodeAddress=
+numIdleClients=0
 numBenchTpsClients=0
 numBenchExchangeClients=0
 benchTpsExtraArgs=
@@ -270,6 +272,10 @@ while getopts "h?T:t:o:f:rD:c:Fn:i:d" opt "${shortArgs[@]}"; do
         exit 1
       fi
       case $clientType in
+        idle)
+          numIdleClients=$numClients
+          # $extraArgs ignored for 'idle'
+        ;;
         bench-tps)
           numBenchTpsClients=$numClients
           benchTpsExtraArgs=$extraArgs
@@ -310,10 +316,10 @@ if [[ -n $numValidatorsRequested ]]; then
 fi
 
 numClients=${#clientIpList[@]}
-numClientsRequested=$((numBenchTpsClients+numBenchExchangeClients))
+numClientsRequested=$((numBenchTpsClients + numBenchExchangeClients + numIdleClients))
 if [[ "$numClientsRequested" -eq 0 ]]; then
   numBenchTpsClients=$numClients
-  numClientsRequested=$((numBenchTpsClients+numBenchExchangeClients))
+  numClientsRequested=$numClients
 else
   if [[ "$numClientsRequested" -gt "$numClients" ]]; then
     echo "Error: More clients requested ($numClientsRequested) then available ($numClients)"
@@ -740,7 +746,7 @@ deploy() {
                                  # have caught up to the bootstrap leader yet
 
   SECONDS=0
-  for ((i=0; i < "$numClients" && i < "$numClientsRequested"; i++)) do
+  for ((i=0; i < "$numClients" && i < $((numBenchTpsClients + numBenchExchangeClients)); i++)) do
     if [[ $i -lt "$numBenchTpsClients" ]]; then
       startClient "${clientIpList[$i]}" "solana-bench-tps" "$i"
     else