diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index ac11ccc78..5efa31126 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ static const GDebugKey clutter_debug_keys[] = {
 
 #ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE
 static const GDebugKey clutter_profile_keys[] = {
+      {"picking-only", CLUTTER_PROFILE_PICKING_ONLY },
       {"disable-report", CLUTTER_PROFILE_DISABLE_REPORT }
 };
 #endif /* CLUTTER_ENABLE_DEBUG */
@@ -574,6 +575,11 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
   if (clutter_debug_flags & CLUTTER_DEBUG_NOP_PICKING)
     return CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage);
 
+#ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE
+  if (clutter_profile_flags & CLUTTER_PROFILE_PICKING_ONLY)
+    _clutter_profile_resume ();
+#endif /* CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE */
+
   CLUTTER_COUNTER_INC (_clutter_uprof_context, do_pick_counter);
   CLUTTER_TIMER_START (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_timer);
 
@@ -636,15 +642,22 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
 
   if (pixel[0] == 0xff && pixel[1] == 0xff && pixel[2] == 0xff)
     {
-      CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_timer);
-      return CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage);
+      actor = CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage);
+      goto result;
     }
 
   id = _clutter_pixel_to_id (pixel);
   actor = clutter_get_actor_by_gid (id);
 
+result:
+
   CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP (_clutter_uprof_context, pick_timer);
 
+#ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE
+  if (clutter_profile_flags & CLUTTER_PROFILE_PICKING_ONLY)
+    _clutter_profile_suspend ();
+#endif
+
   return actor;
 }
 
@@ -1528,6 +1541,11 @@ clutter_init_real (GError **error)
   /* - will call to backend and cogl */
   _clutter_feature_init ();
 
+#ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE
+  if (clutter_profile_flags & CLUTTER_PROFILE_PICKING_ONLY)
+    _clutter_profile_suspend ();
+#endif
+
   /*
    * Resolution requires display to be open, so can only be queried after
    * the post_parse hooks run.
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-profile.c b/clutter/clutter-profile.c
index f5dff93f5..aa84f4349 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-profile.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-profile.c
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 UProfContext *_clutter_uprof_context;
 #define REPORT_COLUMN0_WIDTH 40
 
+static gboolean searched_for_gl_uprof_context = FALSE;
+static UProfContext *gl_uprof_context = NULL;
+
 typedef struct _ClutterUProfReportState
 {
   gulong n_frames;
@@ -166,5 +169,31 @@ clutter_uprof_destructor (void)
   uprof_context_unref (_clutter_uprof_context);
 }
 
+void
+_clutter_profile_suspend (void)
+{
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (!searched_for_gl_uprof_context))
+    {
+      gl_uprof_context = uprof_find_context ("OpenGL");
+      searched_for_gl_uprof_context = TRUE;
+    }
+
+  if (gl_uprof_context)
+    uprof_context_suspend (gl_uprof_context);
+
+  /* NB: The Cogl context is linked to this so it will also be suspended... */
+  uprof_context_suspend (_clutter_uprof_context);
+}
+
+void
+_clutter_profile_resume (void)
+{
+  if (gl_uprof_context)
+    uprof_context_resume (gl_uprof_context);
+
+  /* NB: The Cogl context is linked to this so it will also be resumed... */
+  uprof_context_resume (_clutter_uprof_context);
+}
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-profile.h b/clutter/clutter-profile.h
index 53330a893..00ea77dfb 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-profile.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-profile.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 typedef enum {
+  CLUTTER_PROFILE_PICKING_ONLY    = 1 << 0,
   CLUTTER_PROFILE_DISABLE_REPORT  = 1 << 1
 } ClutterProfileFlag;
 
@@ -47,6 +48,11 @@ extern UProfContext *_clutter_uprof_context;
 #define CLUTTER_TIMER_START     UPROF_TIMER_START
 #define CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP      UPROF_TIMER_STOP
 
+void
+_clutter_profile_suspend (void);
+void
+_clutter_profile_resume (void);
+
 #else /* CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE */
 
 #define CLUTTER_STATIC_TIMER(A,B,C,D,E) extern void _clutter_dummy_decl (void)
@@ -56,6 +62,9 @@ extern UProfContext *_clutter_uprof_context;
 #define CLUTTER_TIMER_START(A,B) G_STMT_START{ (void)0; }G_STMT_END
 #define CLUTTER_TIMER_STOP(A,B) G_STMT_START{ (void)0; }G_STMT_END
 
+#define _clutter_profile_suspend() G_STMT_START {} G_STMT_END
+#define _clutter_profile_resume() G_STMT_START {} G_STMT_END
+
 #endif /* CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE */
 
 extern guint clutter_profile_flags;