diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiber.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiber.js
index 0af7ffb767bfb..fb2c7347010b6 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiber.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiber.js
@@ -532,10 +532,10 @@ export function createHostRootFiber(
     mode = NoMode;
   }
 
-  if (enableProfilerTimer && isDevToolsPresent) {
-    // Always collect profile timings when DevTools are present.
-    // This enables DevTools to start capturing timing at any point–
-    // Without some nodes in the tree having empty base times.
+  if (__DEV__ || (enableProfilerTimer && isDevToolsPresent)) {
+    // dev: Enable profiling instrumentation by default.
+    // profile: enabled if DevTools is present or subtree is wrapped in <Profiler>.
+    // production: disabled.
     mode |= ProfileMode;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/react/src/__tests__/ReactProfiler-test.internal.js b/packages/react/src/__tests__/ReactProfiler-test.internal.js
index d51b037c18e4c..a8c00b2b562dc 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/__tests__/ReactProfiler-test.internal.js
+++ b/packages/react/src/__tests__/ReactProfiler-test.internal.js
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ describe(`onRender`, () => {
     expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  // @gate !__DEV__
   it('does not record times for components outside of Profiler tree', async () => {
     // Mock the Scheduler module so we can track how many times the current
     // time is read