diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 0d49b3294..74aca7875 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 	} > "$APACHE_CONFDIR/conf-available/mediawiki.conf"; \
 	a2enconf mediawiki
 
+ARG INSTALL_PROFILING_DEPS=0
+ENV MW_ENABLE_PROFILING_HEADER=${INSTALL_PROFILING_DEPS}
+COPY install_profiling.sh /install_profiling.sh
+RUN if [ "$INSTALL_PROFILING_DEPS" = "1" ] ; then bash /install_profiling.sh ; else echo "skipping profiling dependencies ..." ; fi
+
 ARG INSTALL_XDEBUG=0
 COPY install_xdebug.sh /install_xdebug.sh
 RUN if [ "$INSTALL_XDEBUG" = "1" ] ; then bash /install_xdebug.sh ; else echo "skipping xdebug ..." ; fi
diff --git a/dist-persist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php b/dist-persist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
index 49a8023ad..593a23f4b 100644
--- a/dist-persist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
+++ b/dist-persist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@
     $wgShowExceptionDetails = true;
 }
 
+// profiling
+// requires docker image to be built with dependencies
+if( getenv('MW_ENABLE_PROFILING_HEADER') === '1' && isset ( $_SERVER['HTTP_X_WBSTACK_MW_PROFILING'] ) ) {
+    $wgProfiler['class'] = 'ProfilerXhprof';
+    $wgProfiler['output'] = [ 'ProfilerOutputText', 'ProfilerOutputDump' ];
+    $wgProfiler['outputDir'] = "/tmp/";
+    $wgProfiler['visible'] = true;
+}
+
+
 // Load Logging when not in phpunit or doing l10n rebuild
 if ( !$wwIsPhpUnit && !$wwIsLocalisationRebuild ) {
     $wgMWLoggerDefaultSpi = [
diff --git a/dist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php b/dist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
index 49a8023ad..593a23f4b 100644
--- a/dist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
+++ b/dist/wbstack/src/Settings/LocalSettings.php
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@
     $wgShowExceptionDetails = true;
 }
 
+// profiling
+// requires docker image to be built with dependencies
+if( getenv('MW_ENABLE_PROFILING_HEADER') === '1' && isset ( $_SERVER['HTTP_X_WBSTACK_MW_PROFILING'] ) ) {
+    $wgProfiler['class'] = 'ProfilerXhprof';
+    $wgProfiler['output'] = [ 'ProfilerOutputText', 'ProfilerOutputDump' ];
+    $wgProfiler['outputDir'] = "/tmp/";
+    $wgProfiler['visible'] = true;
+}
+
+
 // Load Logging when not in phpunit or doing l10n rebuild
 if ( !$wwIsPhpUnit && !$wwIsLocalisationRebuild ) {
     $wgMWLoggerDefaultSpi = [
diff --git a/install_profiling.sh b/install_profiling.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c38e369ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install_profiling.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+cd /tmp && \
+	git clone "https://github.com/tideways/php-xhprof-extension.git" && \
+	cd php-xhprof-extension && \
+	phpize && \
+	./configure && \
+	make && \
+	make install && \
+	rm -rf /tmp/php-xhprof-extension && \
+	echo "extension=tideways_xhprof.so" >> /usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/tweaks.ini
\ No newline at end of file