diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fe0af0500..c99783b75 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ option(ENABLE_JSBSIM     "Set to ON to build FlightGear with JSBSim FDM (default
 option(EVENT_INPUT       "Set to ON to build FlightGear with event-based Input support" ${EVENT_INPUT_DEFAULT})
 option(ENABLE_LIBSVN     "Set to ON to build FlightGear/terrasync with libsvnclient support (default)" ON)
 option(ENABLE_RTI        "Set to ON to build FlightGear with RTI support" OFF)
+option(ENABLE_PROFILE    "Set to ON to build FlightGear with gperftools profiling support" ON)
 option(JPEG_FACTORY      "Set to ON to build FlightGear with JPEG-factory support" OFF)
 option(SYSTEM_SQLITE     "Set to ON to build FlightGear with the system's SQLite3 library" OFF)
 
@@ -223,8 +224,12 @@ check_include_file(unistd.h   HAVE_UNISTD_H)
 check_include_file(sys/time.h HAVE_SYS_TIME_H)
 check_include_file(windows.h  HAVE_WINDOWS_H)
 
-# check optionally supported dependencies
-find_package(GooglePerfTools)
+if(ENABLE_PROFILE)
+    find_package(GooglePerfTools)
+    if(GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND)
+        set(FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS 1)
+    endif()
+endif()
 
 if(ENABLE_RTI)
     find_package(RTI)
diff --git a/src/Include/config_cmake.h.in b/src/Include/config_cmake.h.in
index 181beffa5..3963d71e9 100644
--- a/src/Include/config_cmake.h.in
+++ b/src/Include/config_cmake.h.in
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #define WEB_BROWSER "@WEB_BROWSER@"
 
 #cmakedefine FG_HAVE_HLA
+#cmakedefine FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS
 #cmakedefine FG_JPEG_SERVER
 
 #cmakedefine SYSTEM_SQLITE
diff --git a/src/Main/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Main/CMakeLists.txt
index 72ed8634a..259b51132 100644
--- a/src/Main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ if(ENABLE_JSBSIM)
     target_link_libraries(fgfs JSBSim)
 endif()
 
-if(GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND)
+if(FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS)
     target_link_libraries(fgfs profiler)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx b/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
index 1e32ef6b2..2230d7f3a 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/scoped_array.hpp>
 
-#if GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND == YES
+#ifdef FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS
 # include <google/profiler.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -1453,7 +1453,7 @@ do_release_cockpit_button (const SGPropertyNode *arg)
 // Optional profiling commands using gperftools:
 // http://code.google.com/p/gperftools/
 
-#if GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND != YES
+#ifndef FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS
 static void
 no_profiling_support()
 {
@@ -1469,7 +1469,7 @@ no_profiling_support()
 static bool
 do_profiler_start(const SGPropertyNode *arg)
 {
-#if GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND == YES
+#ifdef FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS
   const char *filename = arg->getStringValue("filename", "fgfs.profile");
   ProfilerStart(filename);
   return true;
@@ -1482,7 +1482,7 @@ do_profiler_start(const SGPropertyNode *arg)
 static bool
 do_profiler_stop(const SGPropertyNode *arg)
 {
-#if GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND == YES
+#ifdef FG_HAVE_GPERFTOOLS
   ProfilerStop();
   return true;
 #else
@@ -1565,10 +1565,8 @@ static struct {
     { "reload-shaders", do_reload_shaders },
     { "reload-materials", do_materials_reload },
 
-#if GOOGLE_PERFTOOLS_FOUND == YES
     { "profiler-start", do_profiler_start },
     { "profiler-stop",  do_profiler_stop },
-#endif
 
     { 0, 0 }			// zero-terminated
 };