diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 171715e60..82b72b6f3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ set(LUACLINGO_INSTALL_DIR "" CACHE STRING
 set(LUACLINGO_SUFFIX CACHE STRING
 "Advanced variable to manually configure the suffix of the Lua module.")
 
+option(CLINGO_PROFILE "profile clingo" OFF)
+
 mark_as_advanced(CLINGO_BUILD_WEB)
 mark_as_advanced(CLINGO_BUILD_STATIC)
 mark_as_advanced(CLINGO_BUILD_SHARED)
@@ -115,6 +117,7 @@ mark_as_advanced(PYCLINGO_SUFFIX)
 mark_as_advanced(PYCLINGO_DYNAMIC_LOOKUP)
 mark_as_advanced(LUACLINGO_INSTALL_DIR)
 mark_as_advanced(LUACLINGO_SUFFIX)
+mark_as_advanced(CLINGO_PROFILE)
 
 # workaround to set custom ar and ranlib
 if (CLINGO_CMAKE_AR)
@@ -240,6 +243,10 @@ if (Python_Development_FOUND)
     find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
+if (CLINGO_PROFILE)
+    find_package(Gperftools REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
 
 if (POLICY CMP0063 AND (CLINGO_BUILD_SHARED OR Python_Development_FOUND OR LUA_FOUND))
     set(CMAKE_CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
diff --git a/cmake/FindGperftools.cmake b/cmake/FindGperftools.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a27135f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindGperftools.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Try to find gperftools
+# Once done, this will define
+#
+# Gperftools_FOUND - system has Profiler
+# GPERFTOOLS_INCLUDE_DIR - the Profiler include directories
+# Tcmalloc_INCLUDE_DIR - where to find Tcmalloc.h
+# GPERFTOOLS_TCMALLOC_LIBRARY - link it to use tcmalloc
+# GPERFTOOLS_TCMALLOC_MINIMAL_LIBRARY - link it to use tcmalloc_minimal
+# GPERFTOOLS_PROFILER_LIBRARY - link it to use Profiler
+# TCMALLOC_VERSION_STRING
+# TCMALLOC_VERSION_MAJOR
+# TCMALLOC_VERSION_MINOR
+# TCMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH
+
+find_path(GPERFTOOLS_INCLUDE_DIR gperftools/profiler.h
+  HINTS $ENV{GPERF_ROOT}/include)
+find_path(Tcmalloc_INCLUDE_DIR gperftools/tcmalloc.h
+  HINTS $ENV{GPERF_ROOT}/include)
+
+if(Tcmalloc_INCLUDE_DIR AND EXISTS "${Tcmalloc_INCLUDE_DIR}/gperftools/tcmalloc.h")
+  foreach(ver "MAJOR" "MINOR" "PATCH")
+    file(STRINGS "${Tcmalloc_INCLUDE_DIR}/gperftools/tcmalloc.h" TC_VER_${ver}_LINE
+      REGEX "^#define[ \t]+TC_VERSION_${ver}[ \t]+[^ \t]+$")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "^#define[ \t]+TC_VERSION_${ver}[ \t]+(\".)?([0-9]*)\"?$"
+      "\\2" TCMALLOC_VERSION_${ver} "${TC_VER_${ver}_LINE}")
+    unset(TC_VER_${ver}_LINE)
+  endforeach()
+  set(TCMALLOC_VERSION_STRING "${TCMALLOC_VERSION_MAJOR}.${TCMALLOC_VERSION_MINOR}")
+  if(NOT TCMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH STREQUAL "")
+    set(TCMALLOC_VERSION_STRING "${TCMALLOC_VERSION_STRING}.${TCMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH}")
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+foreach(component tcmalloc tcmalloc_minimal profiler)
+  string(TOUPPER ${component} COMPONENT)
+  find_library(GPERFTOOLS_${COMPONENT}_LIBRARY ${component}
+    HINTS $ENV{GPERF_ROOT}/lib)
+  list(APPEND GPERFTOOLS_LIBRARIES GPERFTOOLS_${COMPONENT}_LIBRARY)
+endforeach()
+
+set(_Gperftools_FIND_REQUIRED_VARS "GPERFTOOLS_INCLUDE_DIR")
+if(Gperftools_FIND_COMPONENTS)
+  foreach(component ${Gperftools_FIND_COMPONENTS})
+    string(TOUPPER ${component} COMPONENT)
+    list(APPEND _Gperftools_FIND_REQUIRED_VARS "GPERFTOOLS_${COMPONENT}_LIBRARY")
+  endforeach()
+else()
+  list(APPEND _Gperftools_FIND_REQUIRED_VARS "GPERFTOOLS_LIBRARIES")
+endif()
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(Gperftools
+  FOUND_VAR Gperftools_FOUND
+  REQUIRED_VARS ${_Gperftools_FIND_REQUIRED_VARS}
+  VERSION_VAR TCMALLOC_VERSION_STRING)
+
+mark_as_advanced(${GPERFTOOLS_LIBRARIES} GPERFTOOLS_INCLUDE_DIR)
+
+if(Gperftools_FOUND)
+  foreach(Component Tcmalloc Tcmalloc_minimal Profiler)
+    if(NOT (TARGET Gperftools::${Component}))
+      string(TOUPPER ${Component} COMPONENT)
+      add_library(Gperftools::${Component} UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+      set_target_properties(Gperftools::${Component} PROPERTIES
+        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${GPERFTOOLS_INCLUDE_DIR}"
+        IMPORTED_LINK_INTERFACE_LANGUAGES "CXX"
+        IMPORTED_LOCATION "${GPERFTOOLS_${COMPONENT}_LIBRARY}")
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+  foreach(Component Tcmalloc Tcmalloc_minimal)
+    if(NOT (TARGET Gperftools::${Component}))
+      set_target_properties(Gperftools::${Component} PROPERTIES
+        INTERFACE_COMPILE_OPTIONS "-fno-builtin-malloc -fno-builtin-calloc -fno-builtin-realloc -fno-builtin-free")
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+endif()
diff --git a/libclingo/CMakeLists.txt b/libclingo/CMakeLists.txt
index 30d34a8bf..6586066c2 100644
--- a/libclingo/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libclingo/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ if ((CLINGO_BUILD_SHARED OR CLINGO_INSTALL_LIB) AND NOT CLINGO_BUILD_WITH_PYTHON
         DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/Clingo)
 endif()
 
+if (CLINGO_PROFILE)
+    target_compile_definitions(libclingo PUBLIC CLINGO_PROFILE)
+    target_link_libraries(libclingo PUBLIC Gperftools::Profiler)
+endif()
+
 if (MSVC)
     target_compile_definitions(libclingo ${clingo_private_scope_} _SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS)
 endif()
diff --git a/libclingo/src/clingo_app.cc b/libclingo/src/clingo_app.cc
index 535aef5b7..ac3d8fc3e 100644
--- a/libclingo/src/clingo_app.cc
+++ b/libclingo/src/clingo_app.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
 #include <clasp/parser.h>
 #include <climits>
 
+#ifdef CLINGO_PROFILE
+#include <gperftools/profiler.h>
+#endif
+
 namespace Gringo {
 
 // {{{ declaration of ClingoApp
@@ -177,6 +181,16 @@ void ClingoApp::onEvent(Clasp::Event const& ev) {
     BaseType::onEvent(ev);
 }
 void ClingoApp::run(Clasp::ClaspFacade& clasp) {
+#ifdef CLINGO_PROFILE
+    struct P {
+        P() {
+            ProfilerStart("clingo.solve.prof");
+        }
+        ~P() {
+            ProfilerStop();
+        }
+    } profile;
+#endif
     try {
         using namespace std::placeholders;
         if (mode_ != mode_clasp) {
@@ -195,7 +209,9 @@ void ClingoApp::run(Clasp::ClaspFacade& clasp) {
         std::cerr << e.what() << std::endl;
         throw std::runtime_error("fatal error");
     }
-    catch (...) { throw; }
+    catch (...) {
+        throw;
+    }
 }
 
 // }}}