diff --git a/piker/_profile.py b/piker/_profile.py
index 697c3c3b..5262ffc6 100644
--- a/piker/_profile.py
+++ b/piker/_profile.py
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 Profiling wrappers for internal libs.
 
 """
+import os
+import sys
 import time
+from time import perf_counter
 from functools import wraps
 
 # NOTE: you can pass a flag to enable this:
@@ -44,3 +47,184 @@ def timeit(fn):
         return res
 
     return wrapper
+
+
+# Modified version of ``pyqtgraph.debug.Profiler`` that
+# core seems hesitant to land in:
+# https://github.com/pyqtgraph/pyqtgraph/pull/2281
+class Profiler(object):
+    '''
+    Simple profiler allowing measurement of multiple time intervals.
+
+    By default, profilers are disabled.  To enable profiling, set the
+    environment variable `PYQTGRAPHPROFILE` to a comma-separated list of
+    fully-qualified names of profiled functions.
+
+    Calling a profiler registers a message (defaulting to an increasing
+    counter) that contains the time elapsed since the last call.  When the
+    profiler is about to be garbage-collected, the messages are passed to the
+    outer profiler if one is running, or printed to stdout otherwise.
+
+    If `delayed` is set to False, messages are immediately printed instead.
+
+    Example:
+        def function(...):
+            profiler = Profiler()
+            ... do stuff ...
+            profiler('did stuff')
+            ... do other stuff ...
+            profiler('did other stuff')
+            # profiler is garbage-collected and flushed at function end
+
+    If this function is a method of class C, setting `PYQTGRAPHPROFILE` to
+    "C.function" (without the module name) will enable this profiler.
+
+    For regular functions, use the qualified name of the function, stripping
+    only the initial "pyqtgraph." prefix from the module.
+    '''
+
+    _profilers = os.environ.get("PYQTGRAPHPROFILE", None)
+    _profilers = _profilers.split(",") if _profilers is not None else []
+
+    _depth = 0
+
+    # NOTE: without this defined at the class level
+    # you won't see apprpriately "nested" sub-profiler
+    # instance calls.
+    _msgs = []
+
+    # set this flag to disable all or individual profilers at runtime
+    disable = False
+
+    class DisabledProfiler(object):
+        def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
+            pass
+
+        def __call__(self, *args):
+            pass
+
+        def finish(self):
+            pass
+
+        def mark(self, msg=None):
+            pass
+
+    _disabledProfiler = DisabledProfiler()
+
+    def __new__(
+        cls,
+        msg=None,
+        disabled='env',
+        delayed=True,
+        ms_threshold: float = 0.0,
+    ):
+        """Optionally create a new profiler based on caller's qualname.
+
+        ``ms_threshold`` can be set to value in ms for which, if the
+        total measured time  of the lifetime of this profiler is **less
+        than** this value, then no profiling messages will be printed.
+        Setting ``delayed=False`` disables this feature since messages
+        are emitted immediately.
+
+        """
+        if (
+            disabled is True
+            or (
+                disabled == 'env'
+                and len(cls._profilers) == 0
+            )
+        ):
+            return cls._disabledProfiler
+
+        # determine the qualified name of the caller function
+        caller_frame = sys._getframe(1)
+        try:
+            caller_object_type = type(caller_frame.f_locals["self"])
+
+        except KeyError:  # we are in a regular function
+            qualifier = caller_frame.f_globals["__name__"].split(".", 1)[-1]
+
+        else:  # we are in a method
+            qualifier = caller_object_type.__name__
+        func_qualname = qualifier + "." + caller_frame.f_code.co_name
+
+        if disabled == 'env' and func_qualname not in cls._profilers:
+            # don't do anything
+            return cls._disabledProfiler
+
+        # create an actual profiling object
+        cls._depth += 1
+        obj = super(Profiler, cls).__new__(cls)
+        obj._name = msg or func_qualname
+        obj._delayed = delayed
+        obj._markCount = 0
+        obj._finished = False
+        obj._firstTime = obj._lastTime = perf_counter()
+        obj._mt = ms_threshold
+        obj._newMsg("> Entering " + obj._name)
+        return obj
+
+    def __call__(self, msg=None):
+        """Register or print a new message with timing information.
+        """
+        if self.disable:
+            return
+        if msg is None:
+            msg = str(self._markCount)
+
+        self._markCount += 1
+        newTime = perf_counter()
+        ms = (newTime - self._lastTime) * 1000
+        self._newMsg("  %s: %0.4f ms", msg, ms)
+        self._lastTime = newTime
+
+    def mark(self, msg=None):
+        self(msg)
+
+    def _newMsg(self, msg, *args):
+        msg = "  " * (self._depth - 1) + msg
+        if self._delayed:
+            self._msgs.append((msg, args))
+        else:
+            print(msg % args)
+
+    def __del__(self):
+        self.finish()
+
+    def finish(self, msg=None):
+        """Add a final message; flush the message list if no parent profiler.
+        """
+        if self._finished or self.disable:
+            return
+
+        self._finished = True
+        if msg is not None:
+            self(msg)
+
+        tot_ms = (perf_counter() - self._firstTime) * 1000
+        self._newMsg(
+            "< Exiting %s, total time: %0.4f ms",
+            self._name,
+            tot_ms,
+        )
+
+        if tot_ms < self._mt:
+            # print(f'{tot_ms} < {self._mt}, clearing')
+            # NOTE: this list **must** be an instance var to avoid
+            # deleting common messages during GC I think?
+            self._msgs.clear()
+        # else:
+        #     print(f'{tot_ms} > {self._mt}, not clearing')
+
+        # XXX: why is this needed?
+        # don't we **want to show** nested profiler messages?
+        if self._msgs:  # and self._depth < 1:
+
+            # if self._msgs:
+            print("\n".join([m[0] % m[1] for m in self._msgs]))
+
+            # clear all entries
+            self._msgs.clear()
+            # type(self)._msgs = []
+
+        type(self)._depth -= 1