diff --git a/backend/load_tests/__init__.py b/backend/load_tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30356fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/load_tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Locust load-test package — not a pytest test target
diff --git a/backend/load_tests/locustfile.py b/backend/load_tests/locustfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbf44b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/load_tests/locustfile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+"""Locust load test for DocuVault — D-04, D-05, D-06.
+
+Run:
+    locust --headless --users 50 --spawn-rate 10 --run-time 5m \\
+           --host http://localhost:8000 \\
+           --csv backend/load_tests/results \\
+           -f backend/load_tests/locustfile.py
+
+Prerequisites: a user with LOAD_TEST_EMAIL/LOAD_TEST_PASSWORD must exist in the
+DB, or on_start will register one automatically (idempotent — 409 is ignored).
+
+Full implementation is in plan 06-03. This skeleton defines the class shape and
+SLA listener so downstream CI tooling can import the file without errors.
+"""
+import os
+
+from locust import HttpUser, between, events, task
+
+TEST_EMAIL = os.environ.get("LOAD_TEST_EMAIL", "loadtest@example.com")
+TEST_PASSWORD = os.environ.get("LOAD_TEST_PASSWORD", "Loadtest123!@#")
+
+
+class DocuVaultUser(HttpUser):
+    """Simulated DocuVault end-user.
+
+    Scenarios (weighted tasks):
+      - list_documents  (weight 5) — GET /api/documents/
+      - upload_document (weight 2) — POST /api/documents/upload-url flow
+      - refresh_token   (weight 1) — POST /api/auth/refresh
+    """
+
+    wait_time = between(0.5, 2.0)
+    access_token: str = ""
+
+    def on_start(self) -> None:
+        """Authenticate before running tasks.
+
+        Registers the load-test user if it does not exist (409 is silently
+        ignored), then performs a login to obtain an access token.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")
+
+    def _auth_headers(self) -> dict:
+        """Return Authorization header dict for authenticated requests."""
+        raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")
+
+    @task(5)
+    def list_documents(self) -> None:
+        """GET /api/documents/ — highest-frequency task."""
+        raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")
+
+    @task(2)
+    def upload_document(self) -> None:
+        """Two-step presigned upload: POST /upload-url → PUT MinIO → POST /{id}/confirm."""
+        raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")
+
+    @task(1)
+    def refresh_token(self) -> None:
+        """POST /api/auth/refresh — rotates the httpOnly refresh cookie."""
+        raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")
+
+
+@events.quitting.add_listener
+def check_sla(environment, **kwargs) -> None:
+    """Fail the Locust run if SLA thresholds are breached.
+
+    Thresholds (from D-06):
+      - p95 response time > 200 ms → exit code 1
+      - p99 response time > 500 ms → exit code 1
+      - error ratio > 1%           → exit code 1
+    """
+    raise NotImplementedError("implementation in 06-03")