diff --git a/src/vs/platform/environment/common/argv.ts b/src/vs/platform/environment/common/argv.ts
index e719e129c60..019410e6a30 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/environment/common/argv.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/environment/common/argv.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface NativeParsedArgs {
 	'prof-startup'?: boolean;
 	'prof-startup-prefix'?: string;
 	'prof-append-timers'?: string;
+	'prof-v8-extensions'?: boolean;
 	verbose?: boolean;
 	trace?: boolean;
 	'trace-category-filter'?: string;
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/environment/node/argv.ts b/src/vs/platform/environment/node/argv.ts
index 7263bcbf756..1ec40eea8f0 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/environment/node/argv.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/environment/node/argv.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export const OPTIONS: OptionDescriptions<Required<NativeParsedArgs>> = {
 	'prof-startup': { type: 'boolean', cat: 't', description: localize('prof-startup', "Run CPU profiler during startup") },
 	'prof-append-timers': { type: 'string' },
 	'prof-startup-prefix': { type: 'string' },
+	'prof-v8-extensions': { type: 'boolean' },
 	'disable-extensions': { type: 'boolean', deprecates: 'disableExtensions', cat: 't', description: localize('disableExtensions', "Disable all installed extensions.") },
 	'disable-extension': { type: 'string[]', cat: 't', args: 'extension-id', description: localize('disableExtension', "Disable an extension.") },
 	'sync': { type: 'string', cat: 't', description: localize('turn sync', "Turn sync on or off"), args: ['on', 'off'] },
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/extensions/electron-browser/localProcessExtensionHost.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/extensions/electron-browser/localProcessExtensionHost.ts
index 101ece12361..88c6ea7ff99 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/extensions/electron-browser/localProcessExtensionHost.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/extensions/electron-browser/localProcessExtensionHost.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ export class LocalProcessExtensionHost implements IExtensionHost {
 					opts.execArgv = ['--inspect-port=0'];
 				}
 
+				if (this._environmentService.args['prof-v8-extensions']) {
+					opts.execArgv.unshift('--prof');
+				}
+
 				// On linux crash reporter needs to be started on child node processes explicitly
 				if (platform.isLinux) {
 					const crashReporterStartOptions: CrashReporterStartOptions = {