diff --git a/lib/xhprof/readme_moodle.txt b/lib/xhprof/readme_moodle.txt
index 58c61f70a0e..058609b2145 100644
--- a/lib/xhprof/readme_moodle.txt
+++ b/lib/xhprof/readme_moodle.txt
@@ -41,4 +41,5 @@ TODO:
 20171002 - MDL-60313 - Marina Glancy (marinaglancy): Upgrade to 0.9.4 release; patched for PHP7.2
 20190314 - MDL-64543 - Brendan Heywood (brendanheywood): Add support for conditional slow profiling
 20191016 - MDL-65349 - Brendan Heywood (brendanheywood): Improved url matching behaviour
+20201012 - MDL-67081 - Brendan Heywood (brendanheywood): Support selective profiles from CLI
 
diff --git a/lib/xhprof/xhprof_moodle.php b/lib/xhprof/xhprof_moodle.php
index 9a3c6a2455c..cdfba73fc5a 100644
--- a/lib/xhprof/xhprof_moodle.php
+++ b/lib/xhprof/xhprof_moodle.php
@@ -103,18 +103,10 @@ function profiling_start() {
     $script = !empty($SCRIPT) ? $SCRIPT : profiling_get_script();
 
     // Get PGC variables
-    $check = 'PROFILEME';
-    $profileme = isset($_POST[$check]) || isset($_GET[$check]) || isset($_COOKIE[$check]) ? true : false;
-    $profileme = $profileme && !empty($CFG->profilingallowme);
-    $check = 'DONTPROFILEME';
-    $dontprofileme = isset($_POST[$check]) || isset($_GET[$check]) || isset($_COOKIE[$check]) ? true : false;
-    $dontprofileme = $dontprofileme && !empty($CFG->profilingallowme);
-    $check = 'PROFILEALL';
-    $profileall = isset($_POST[$check]) || isset($_GET[$check]) || isset($_COOKIE[$check]) ? true : false;
-    $profileall = $profileall && !empty($CFG->profilingallowall);
-    $check = 'PROFILEALLSTOP';
-    $profileallstop = isset($_POST[$check]) || isset($_GET[$check]) || isset($_COOKIE[$check]) ? true : false;
-    $profileallstop = $profileallstop && !empty($CFG->profilingallowall);
+    $profileme      = profiling_get_flag('PROFILEME')       && !empty($CFG->profilingallowme);
+    $dontprofileme  = profiling_get_flag('DONTPROFILEME')   && !empty($CFG->profilingallowme);
+    $profileall     = profiling_get_flag('PROFILEALL')      && !empty($CFG->profilingallowall);
+    $profileallstop = profiling_get_flag('PROFILEALLSTOP')  && !empty($CFG->profilingallowall);
 
     // DONTPROFILEME detected, nothing to start
     if ($dontprofileme) {
@@ -189,6 +181,18 @@ function profiling_start() {
     return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check for profiling flags in all possible places
+ * @param string $flag name
+ * @return boolean
+ */
+function profiling_get_flag($flag) {
+    return !empty(getenv($flag)) ||
+        isset($_COOKIE[$flag]) ||
+        isset($_POST[$flag]) ||
+        isset($_GET[$flag]);
+}
+
 /**
  * Stop profiling, gathering results and storing them
  */