diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c2e34a52ca..48f104bdca 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([qrencode],
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([hardening],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-hardening],
-  [do not attempt to harden the resulting executables (default is to harden)])],
+  [do not attempt to harden the resulting executables (default is to harden when possible)])],
   [use_hardening=$enableval],
-  [use_hardening=yes])
+  [use_hardening=auto])
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([reduce-exports],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-reduce-exports],
@@ -219,6 +219,13 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug],
     [enable_debug=$enableval],
     [enable_debug=no])
 
+# Enable gprof profiling
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([gprof],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-gprof],
+                    [use gprof profiling compiler flags (default is no)])],
+    [enable_gprof=$enableval],
+    [enable_gprof=no])
+
 # Turn warnings into errors
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([werror],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-werror],
@@ -558,12 +565,30 @@ else
   AC_SEARCH_LIBS([clock_gettime],[rt])
 fi
 
+if test "x$enable_gprof" = xyes; then
+    dnl -pg is incompatible with -pie. Since hardening and profiling together doesn't make sense,
+    dnl we simply make them mutually exclusive here. Additionally, hardened toolchains may force
+    dnl -pie by default, in which case it needs to be turned off with -no-pie.
+
+    if test x$use_hardening = xyes; then
+        AC_MSG_ERROR(gprof profiling is not compatible with hardening. Reconfigure with --disable-hardening or --disable-gprof)
+    fi
+    use_hardening=no
+    AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-pg],[GPROF_CXXFLAGS="-pg"],
+        [AC_MSG_ERROR(gprof profiling requested but not available)], [[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
+
+    AX_CHECK_LINK_FLAG([[-no-pie]], [GPROF_LDFLAGS="-no-pie"])
+    AX_CHECK_LINK_FLAG([[-pg]],[GPROF_LDFLAGS="$GPROF_LDFLAGS -pg"],
+        [AC_MSG_ERROR(gprof profiling requested but not available)], [[$GPROF_LDFLAGS]])
+fi
+
 if test x$TARGET_OS != xwindows; then
   # All windows code is PIC, forcing it on just adds useless compile warnings
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-fPIC],[PIC_FLAGS="-fPIC"])
 fi
 
 if test x$use_hardening != xno; then
+  use_hardening=yes
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wstack-protector],[HARDENED_CXXFLAGS="$HARDENED_CXXFLAGS -Wstack-protector"])
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-fstack-protector-all],[HARDENED_CXXFLAGS="$HARDENED_CXXFLAGS -fstack-protector-all"])
 
@@ -1242,6 +1267,8 @@ AC_SUBST(BITCOIN_TX_NAME)
 
 AC_SUBST(RELDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(ERROR_CXXFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(GPROF_CXXFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(GPROF_LDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(HARDENED_CXXFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(HARDENED_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(HARDENED_LDFLAGS)
@@ -1335,6 +1362,7 @@ echo "  with bench    = $use_bench"
 echo "  with upnp     = $use_upnp"
 echo "  use asm       = $use_asm"
 echo "  debug enabled = $enable_debug"
+echo "  gprof enabled = $enable_gprof"
 echo "  werror        = $enable_werror"
 echo
 echo "  target os     = $TARGET_OS"
diff --git a/doc/developer-notes.md b/doc/developer-notes.md
index 278bf65792..a5468c3be3 100644
--- a/doc/developer-notes.md
+++ b/doc/developer-notes.md
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ Development tips and tricks
 Run configure with the --enable-debug option, then make. Or run configure with
 CXXFLAGS="-g -ggdb -O0" or whatever debug flags you need.
 
+**compiling for gprof profiling**
+
+Run configure with the --enable-gprof option, then make.
+
 **debug.log**
 
 If the code is behaving strangely, take a look in the debug.log file in the data directory;
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index ac822d6c5e..8de7f7ff7a 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 DIST_SUBDIRS = secp256k1 univalue
 
-AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_LDFLAGS) $(HARDENED_LDFLAGS)
-AM_CXXFLAGS = $(HARDENED_CXXFLAGS) $(ERROR_CXXFLAGS)
+AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_LDFLAGS) $(HARDENED_LDFLAGS) $(GPROF_LDFLAGS)
+AM_CXXFLAGS = $(HARDENED_CXXFLAGS) $(ERROR_CXXFLAGS) $(GPROF_CXXFLAGS)
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(HARDENED_CPPFLAGS)
 EXTRA_LIBRARIES =