diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 1eec8f38a..ebafa966e 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ data/org.gnome.mutter.wayland.gschema.xml.in
 src/backends/meta-input-settings.c
 src/backends/meta-monitor.c
 src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
-src/backends/meta-profiler.c
 src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
 src/compositor/compositor.c
 src/compositor/meta-background.c
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ src/core/display.c
 src/core/keybindings.c
 src/core/meta-context-main.c
 src/core/meta-pad-action-mapper.c
+src/core/meta-profiler.c
 src/core/mutter.c
 src/core/prefs.c
 src/core/util.c
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index 614d1909c..c4be97b2f 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -74,10 +74,6 @@
 #include "meta/meta-enum-types.h"
 #include "meta/util.h"
 
-#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
-#include "backends/meta-profiler.h"
-#endif
-
 #ifdef HAVE_REMOTE_DESKTOP
 #include "backends/meta-dbus-session-watcher.h"
 #include "backends/meta-remote-access-controller-private.h"
@@ -158,10 +154,6 @@ struct _MetaBackendPrivate
   MetaRemoteDesktop *remote_desktop;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
-  MetaProfiler *profiler;
-#endif
-
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBWACOM
   WacomDeviceDatabase *wacom_db;
 #endif
@@ -262,10 +254,6 @@ meta_backend_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   g_clear_object (&priv->settings);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
-  g_clear_object (&priv->profiler);
-#endif
-
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->default_seat, clutter_seat_destroy);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->stage, clutter_actor_destroy);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->idle_manager, meta_idle_manager_free);
@@ -1220,10 +1208,6 @@ meta_backend_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
              system_bus_gotten_cb,
              backend);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
-  priv->profiler = meta_profiler_new ();
-#endif
-
   if (!init_clutter (backend, error))
     return FALSE;
 
diff --git a/src/core/meta-context.c b/src/core/meta-context.c
index d50956b9c..9647f5b70 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-context.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-context.c
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 #include "core/prefs-private.h"
 #include "core/util-private.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
+#include "core/meta-profiler.h"
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_WAYLAND
 #include "wayland/meta-wayland.h"
 #endif
@@ -81,6 +85,10 @@ typedef struct _MetaContextPrivate
 #ifdef RLIMIT_NOFILE
   struct rlimit saved_rlimit_nofile;
 #endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
+  MetaProfiler *profiler;
+#endif
 } MetaContextPrivate;
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (MetaContext, meta_context, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
@@ -689,6 +697,10 @@ meta_context_finalize (GObject *object)
   MetaContext *context = META_CONTEXT (object);
   MetaContextPrivate *priv = meta_context_get_instance_private (context);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
+  g_clear_object (&priv->profiler);
+#endif
+
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->gnome_wm_keybindings, g_free);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->plugin_name, g_free);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->name, g_free);
@@ -734,6 +746,10 @@ meta_context_init (MetaContext *context)
   MetaContextPrivate *priv = meta_context_get_instance_private (context);
   g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
+  priv->profiler = meta_profiler_new ();
+#endif
+
   priv->plugin_gtype = G_TYPE_NONE;
   priv->gnome_wm_keybindings = g_strdup ("Mutter");
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-profiler.c b/src/core/meta-profiler.c
similarity index 99%
rename from src/backends/meta-profiler.c
rename to src/core/meta-profiler.c
index 7a18b85ce..f4484a2ae 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-profiler.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-profiler.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#include "src/backends/meta-profiler.h"
+#include "src/core/meta-profiler.h"
 
 #include <glib-unix.h>
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-profiler.h b/src/core/meta-profiler.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/backends/meta-profiler.h
rename to src/core/meta-profiler.h
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index f4d5c78df..6790efa16 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -877,8 +877,8 @@ mutter_built_sources += dbus_input_mapping_built_sources
 
 if have_profiler
   mutter_sources += [
-    'backends/meta-profiler.c',
-    'backends/meta-profiler.h',
+    'core/meta-profiler.c',
+    'core/meta-profiler.h',
   ]
 
   if sysprof_dep.type_name() == 'pkgconfig'