diff --git a/cmd/geth/main.go b/cmd/geth/main.go
index de1a5977242e89f8af37cb0e245149acab1651e4..5695c41170fe1c295c9dda20991dbfc8454ba8a1 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -245,9 +245,15 @@ JavaScript API. See https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/Javascipt-Conso
 		utils.LogVModuleFlag,
 		utils.LogFileFlag,
 		utils.LogJSONFlag,
-		utils.PProfEnabledFlag,
+		utils.PProfDisabledFlag,
 		utils.PProfPortFlag,
 	}
+	app.Before = func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+		if !ctx.GlobalBool(utils.PProfDisabledFlag.Name) {
+			utils.StartPProf(ctx)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	// missing:
 	// flag.StringVar(&ConfigFile, "conf", defaultConfigFile, "config file")
@@ -332,10 +338,6 @@ func unlockAccount(ctx *cli.Context, am *accounts.Manager, account string) (pass
 }
 
 func startEth(ctx *cli.Context, eth *eth.Ethereum) {
-	// Start profiling, if requested
-	if ctx.GlobalBool(utils.PProfEnabledFlag.Name) {
-		utils.StartPProf(ctx)
-	}
 	// Start Ethereum itself
 	utils.StartEthereum(eth)
 	am := eth.AccountManager()
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 3b1fda32e71de79c059a6d72fb1a3a469b53f04d..429007642ff89fa337b32728692ad9204b0de712 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ var (
 		Usage: "When set to a file and line number holding a logging statement a stack trace will be written to the Info log",
 		Value: glog.GetTraceLocation(),
 	}
-	PProfEnabledFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
-		Name:  "pprof",
-		Usage: "Whether the profiling server is enabled",
+	PProfDisabledFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
+		Name:  "nopprof",
+		Usage: "Whether the profiling server should be disabled",
 	}
 	PProfPortFlag = cli.IntFlag{
 		Name:  "pprofport",