diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index e8256c0316..031ab456ec 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -397,6 +397,12 @@ LDFLAGS+=-Wl,-T,$(SRC_PATH)/$(ARCH)el.ld
 endif
 endif
 
+# profiling code
+ifdef TARGET_GPROF
+LDFLAGS+=-p
+CFLAGS+=-p
+endif
+
 OBJS= main.o syscall.o strace.o mmap.o signal.o path.o thunk.o \
       elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o
 LIBS+= $(AIOLIBS)
diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 07652cf163..b5cf84cf6e 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
 #include <netinet/ip.h>
 #include <netinet/tcp.h>
 #include <qemu-common.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_GPROF
+#include <sys/gmon.h>
+#endif
 
 #define termios host_termios
 #define winsize host_winsize
@@ -4864,6 +4867,9 @@ abi_long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
 #ifdef __NR_exit_group
         /* new thread calls */
     case TARGET_NR_exit_group:
+#ifdef HAVE_GPROF
+        _mcleanup();
+#endif
         gdb_exit(cpu_env, arg1);
         ret = get_errno(exit_group(arg1));
         break;