diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
index 936291ed3..5b3418a5a 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "cogl.h"
 #include "cogl-internal.h"
+#include "cogl-profile.h"
 #include "cogl-util.h"
 #include "cogl-context.h"
 #include "cogl-journal-private.h"
@@ -68,6 +69,22 @@ cogl_create_context (void)
   if (_context != NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
+#ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE
+  /* We need to be absolutely sure that uprof has been initialized
+   * before calling _cogl_uprof_init. uprof_init (NULL, NULL)
+   * will be a NOP if it has been initialized but it will also
+   * mean subsequent parsing of the UProf GOptionGroup will have no
+   * affect.
+   *
+   * Sadly GOptionGroup based library initialization is extremely
+   * fragile by design because GOptionGroups have no notion of
+   * dependencies and so the order things are initialized isn't
+   * currently under tight control.
+   */
+  uprof_init (NULL, NULL);
+  _cogl_uprof_init ();
+#endif
+
   /* Allocate context memory */
   _context = (CoglContext*) g_malloc (sizeof (CoglContext));
 
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.c
index c8d11dd76..8f01d2c1d 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.c
@@ -26,8 +26,21 @@ debug_option_setter (gboolean value, void *user_data)
     cogl_debug_flags &= ~(1 << shift);
 }
 
-static void __attribute__ ((constructor))
-cogl_uprof_constructor (void)
+static void
+print_exit_report (void)
+{
+  if (getenv ("COGL_PROFILE_OUTPUT_REPORT"))
+    {
+      UProfReport *report = uprof_report_new ("Cogl report");
+      uprof_report_add_context (report, _cogl_uprof_context);
+      uprof_report_print (report);
+      uprof_report_unref (report);
+    }
+  uprof_context_unref (_cogl_uprof_context);
+}
+
+void
+_cogl_uprof_init (void)
 {
   _cogl_uprof_context = uprof_context_new ("Cogl");
 #define OPT(MASK_NAME, GROUP, NAME, NAME_FORMATTED, DESCRIPTION) \
@@ -47,19 +60,8 @@ cogl_uprof_constructor (void)
 
 #include "cogl-debug-options.h"
 #undef OPT
-}
 
-static void __attribute__ ((destructor))
-cogl_uprof_destructor (void)
-{
-  if (getenv ("COGL_PROFILE_OUTPUT_REPORT"))
-    {
-      UProfReport *report = uprof_report_new ("Cogl report");
-      uprof_report_add_context (report, _cogl_uprof_context);
-      uprof_report_print (report);
-      uprof_report_unref (report);
-    }
-  uprof_context_unref (_cogl_uprof_context);
+  g_atexit (print_exit_report);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.h
index 5473dd67a..1d058f796 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-profile.h
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ extern UProfContext *_cogl_uprof_context;
 #define COGL_TIMER_START     UPROF_TIMER_START
 #define COGL_TIMER_STOP      UPROF_TIMER_STOP
 
+void
+_cogl_uprof_init (void);
+
 void
 _cogl_profile_trace_message (const char *format, ...);