diff --git a/headless/Cargo.toml b/headless/Cargo.toml
index 16ba172392..79c0b676d5 100644
--- a/headless/Cargo.toml
+++ b/headless/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,9 +4,13 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 authors = ["Dustin Carlino <dabreegster@gmail.com>"]
 edition = "2018"
 
+[features]
+default = []
+profiler = ["cpuprofiler"]
+
 [dependencies]
 abstutil = { path = "../abstutil" }
-cpuprofiler = "0.0.3"
+cpuprofiler = { version = "0.0.3", optional = true }
 geom = { path = "../geom" }
 map_model = { path = "../map_model" }
 sim = { path = "../sim" }
diff --git a/headless/src/main.rs b/headless/src/main.rs
index d7de4db2ab..640c0954cd 100644
--- a/headless/src/main.rs
+++ b/headless/src/main.rs
@@ -29,11 +29,14 @@ fn main() {
     timer.done();
 
     if enable_profiler {
-        cpuprofiler::PROFILER
-            .lock()
-            .unwrap()
-            .start("./profile")
-            .unwrap();
+        #[cfg(feature = "profiler")]
+        {
+            cpuprofiler::PROFILER
+                .lock()
+                .unwrap()
+                .start("./profile")
+                .unwrap();
+        }
     }
     let timer = Timer::new("run sim until done");
     sim.run_until_done(
@@ -44,7 +47,10 @@ fn main() {
                 sim.save();
                 // Some simulations run for a really long time, just do this.
                 if enable_profiler {
-                    cpuprofiler::PROFILER.lock().unwrap().stop().unwrap();
+                    #[cfg(feature = "profiler")]
+                    {
+                        cpuprofiler::PROFILER.lock().unwrap().stop().unwrap();
+                    }
                 }
             }
             if paranoia {
@@ -56,6 +62,9 @@ fn main() {
     timer.done();
     println!("Done at {}", sim.time());
     if enable_profiler && save_at.is_none() {
-        cpuprofiler::PROFILER.lock().unwrap().stop().unwrap();
+        #[cfg(feature = "profiler")]
+        {
+            cpuprofiler::PROFILER.lock().unwrap().stop().unwrap();
+        }
     }
 }