diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 58927fe9e8..d15fd417ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -92,6 +92,32 @@ jobs:
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/status --hostname localhost --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --trustAll
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/ldapsearch --hostname localhost --port 1636 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --useSsl --trustAll --baseDN "dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope base "(objectClass=*)" 1.1
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/ldapsearch --hostname localhost --port 1636 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --useSsl --trustAll --baseDN "ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope sub "(uid=user.*)" dn | grep ^dn: | wc -l | grep -q 5000
+        # --- Load-testing tools smoke tests (server online, 5000 sample users) ---
+        echo "===== searchrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/searchrate --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --baseDN "ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope sub -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)" "(uid=user.%d)" 1.1
+        echo "===== authrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/authrate --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll -D "uid=user.%d,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" -w password -c 4 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)"
+        echo "===== modrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/modrate --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password -b "uid=user.%d,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)" "description:modrate-load-test"
+        echo "===== addrate ====="
+        cat > /tmp/addrate.template <<'EOF'
+        define suffix=dc=example,dc=com
+
+        branch: ou=People,[suffix]
+        subordinateTemplate: person
+
+        template: person
+        rdnAttr: uid
+        objectClass: top
+        objectClass: person
+        objectClass: organizationalPerson
+        objectClass: inetOrgPerson
+        uid: addrate.<sequential:0>
+        cn: AddRate {uid}
+        sn: AddRate
+        userPassword: password
+        EOF
+        opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/addrate --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -C fifo -s 100 /tmp/addrate.template
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/dsconfig create-backend --hostname localhost --port 4444 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --backend-name=example2 --type je --set=base-dn:dc=example2,dc=com --set=enabled:true --no-prompt --trustAll
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/makeldif -o /tmp/test.ldif -c suffix=dc=example2,dc=com opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/config/MakeLDIF/example.template
         opendj-server-legacy/target/package/opendj/bin/stop-ds
@@ -255,6 +281,36 @@ jobs:
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\status.bat --hostname localhost --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --trustAll
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\ldapsearch.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --useSsl --trustAll --baseDN "dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope base "(objectClass=*)" 1.1
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\ldapsearch.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --useSsl --trustAll --baseDN "dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope sub "(uid=user.*)" dn | find /c '"dn:"' | findstr "5000"
+        # --- Load-testing tools smoke tests (server online, 5000 sample users) ---
+        Write-Host "===== searchrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\searchrate.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --baseDN "ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" --searchScope sub -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)" "(uid=user.%d)" 1.1
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "searchrate failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
+        Write-Host "===== authrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\authrate.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll -D "uid=user.%d,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" -w password -c 4 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)"
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "authrate failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
+        Write-Host "===== modrate ====="
+        opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\modrate.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password -b "uid=user.%d,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -g "rand(0,4999)" "description:modrate-load-test"
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "modrate failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
+        Write-Host "===== addrate ====="
+        @'
+        define suffix=dc=example,dc=com
+
+        branch: ou=People,[suffix]
+        subordinateTemplate: person
+
+        template: person
+        rdnAttr: uid
+        objectClass: top
+        objectClass: person
+        objectClass: organizationalPerson
+        objectClass: inetOrgPerson
+        uid: addrate.<sequential:0>
+        cn: AddRate {uid}
+        sn: AddRate
+        userPassword: password
+        '@ | Set-Content -Encoding ascii addrate.template
+        opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\addrate.bat --hostname localhost --port 1636 --useSSL --trustAll --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password -c 4 -t 1 -m 2000 -i 1 -C fifo -s 100 addrate.template
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "addrate failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\dsconfig.bat create-backend --hostname localhost --port 4444 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" --bindPassword password --backend-name=example2 --type je --set=base-dn:dc=example2,dc=com --set=enabled:true --no-prompt --trustAll
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\makeldif.bat -o test.ldif -c suffix=dc=example2,dc=com opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\config\MakeLDIF\example.template
         opendj-server-legacy\target\package\opendj\bat\stop-ds.bat
diff --git a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/addrate.bat b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/addrate.bat
index 5d557fed62..02081debe8 100644
--- a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/addrate.bat
+++ b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/addrate.bat
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ rem Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by your own identif
 rem information: "Portions Copyright [year] [name of copyright owner]".
 rem
 rem Copyright 2014 ForgeRock AS.
+rem Portions Copyright 2026 3A  Systems, LLC
 
 setlocal
 
 set OPENDJ_INVOKE_CLASS="com.forgerock.opendj.ldap.tools.AddRate"
 set SCRIPT_NAME=addrate
-call "%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
+rem Chain (no CALL) so a literal '%' in arguments (e.g. the "%d" of a Java
+rem format string used by -g) is not stripped by CALL's extra expansion pass.
+"%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
 
diff --git a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/authrate.bat b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/authrate.bat
index a111923a5f..a7db1388eb 100644
--- a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/authrate.bat
+++ b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/authrate.bat
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@ rem Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by your own identif
 rem information: "Portions Copyright [year] [name of copyright owner]".
 rem
 rem Copyright 2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
-
+rem Portions Copyright 2026 3A  Systems, LLC
 setlocal
 
 set OPENDJ_INVOKE_CLASS="com.forgerock.opendj.ldap.tools.AuthRate"
 set SCRIPT_NAME=authrate
-call "%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
+rem Chain (no CALL) so a literal '%' in arguments (e.g. the "%d" of a Java
+rem format string used by -g) is not stripped by CALL's extra expansion pass.
+"%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
 
diff --git a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/modrate.bat b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/modrate.bat
index cc4c18e371..c3e2fc66f1 100644
--- a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/modrate.bat
+++ b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/modrate.bat
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ rem Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by your own identif
 rem information: "Portions Copyright [year] [name of copyright owner]".
 rem
 rem Copyright 2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
+rem Portions Copyright 2026 3A  Systems, LLC
 
 setlocal
 
 set OPENDJ_INVOKE_CLASS="com.forgerock.opendj.ldap.tools.ModRate"
 set SCRIPT_NAME=modrate
-call "%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
+rem Chain (no CALL) so a literal '%' in arguments (e.g. the "%d" of a Java
+rem format string used by -g) is not stripped by CALL's extra expansion pass.
+"%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
 
diff --git a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/searchrate.bat b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/searchrate.bat
index ffc9203825..e400fc2be2 100644
--- a/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/searchrate.bat
+++ b/opendj-ldap-toolkit/src/main/assembly/bat/searchrate.bat
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ rem Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by your own identif
 rem information: "Portions Copyright [year] [name of copyright owner]".
 rem
 rem Copyright 2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
+rem Portions Copyright 2026 3A  Systems, LLC
 
 setlocal
 
 set OPENDJ_INVOKE_CLASS="com.forgerock.opendj.ldap.tools.SearchRate"
 set SCRIPT_NAME=searchrate
-call "%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*
+rem Chain (no CALL) so a literal '%' in arguments (e.g. the "%d" of a Java
+rem format string used by -g) is not stripped by CALL's extra expansion pass.
+"%~dp0\..\lib\_client-script.bat" %*