diff --git a/channels/views_test.py b/channels/views_test.py
index 705312fcdd..ef2d8b08cb 100644
--- a/channels/views_test.py
+++ b/channels/views_test.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 User = get_user_model()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_list_channels(user_client):
     """Test that all channels are returned"""
     ChannelFactory.create_batch(2, published=False)  # should be filtered out
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ def test_partial_update_channel_featured_list_only_learning_path(
     assert response.status_code == status
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("resource_type", LearningResourceType)
 def test_create_channel_lists_only_learning_path(admin_client, resource_type):
     """Only learning_paths may be used as one of lists"""
@@ -449,6 +451,7 @@ def test_channel_configuration_is_not_editable(client, channel):
     assert channel.configuration == initial_config
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_channel_counts_view(client):
     """Test the channel counts view returns counts for resources"""
     url = reverse(
@@ -486,6 +489,7 @@ def test_channel_counts_view(client):
             )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_channel_counts_view_is_cached_for_anonymous_users(client, settings):
     """Test the channel counts view is cached for anonymous users"""
     settings.CACHES["redis"] = {
@@ -508,6 +512,7 @@ def test_channel_counts_view_is_cached_for_anonymous_users(client, settings):
     assert len(response) == channel_count
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_channel_counts_view_is_cached_for_authenticated_users(client, settings):
     """Test the channel counts view is cached for authenticated users"""
     settings.CACHES["redis"] = {
diff --git a/fixtures/common.py b/fixtures/common.py
index 8b86e3d7d6..8abcb83ae8 100644
--- a/fixtures/common.py
+++ b/fixtures/common.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import responses
 from pytest_mock import PytestMockWarning
 from urllib3.exceptions import InsecureRequestWarning
+from zeal import zeal_ignore
 
 from channels.factories import ChannelUnitDetailFactory
 from learning_resources.constants import LearningResourceRelationTypes, OfferedBy
@@ -122,3 +123,13 @@ def offeror_featured_lists():
         channel = ChannelUnitDetailFactory.create(unit=offeror).channel
         channel.featured_list = featured_path
         channel.save()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def check_nplusone(request):
+    """Raise nplusone errors"""
+    if request.node.get_closest_marker("skip_nplusone_check"):
+        with zeal_ignore():
+            yield
+    else:
+        yield
diff --git a/learning_resources/filters_test.py b/learning_resources/filters_test.py
index 4c86131e37..a496d899a6 100644
--- a/learning_resources/filters_test.py
+++ b/learning_resources/filters_test.py
@@ -534,6 +534,7 @@ def test_learning_resource_filter_delivery(mock_courses, client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_content_file_filter_run_id(mock_content_files, client):
     """Test that the run_id filter works for contentfiles"""
 
@@ -553,6 +554,7 @@ def test_content_file_filter_run_id(mock_content_files, client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_content_file_filter_resource_id(mock_content_files, client):
     """Test that the resource_id filter works for contentfiles"""
 
@@ -575,6 +577,7 @@ def test_content_file_filter_resource_id(mock_content_files, client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_content_file_filter_edx_module_id(mock_content_files, client):
     """Test that the resource_id filter works for contentfiles"""
     assert mock_content_files[0].edx_module_id is None
@@ -597,6 +600,7 @@ def test_content_file_filter_edx_module_id(mock_content_files, client):
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_content_file_filter_platform(mock_content_files, client):
     """Test that the platform filter works"""
 
@@ -614,6 +618,7 @@ def test_content_file_filter_platform(mock_content_files, client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_content_file_filter_offered_by(mock_content_files, client):
     """Test that the offered_by filter works for contentfiles"""
 
@@ -631,6 +636,7 @@ def test_content_file_filter_offered_by(mock_content_files, client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_learning_resource_filter_content_feature_type(client):
     """Test that the resource_content_tag filter works"""
 
diff --git a/learning_resources/views_learningpath_test.py b/learning_resources/views_learningpath_test.py
index f7336d2f74..ca574c3a1c 100644
--- a/learning_resources/views_learningpath_test.py
+++ b/learning_resources/views_learningpath_test.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def mock_opensearch(mocker):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_public", [True, False])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_editor", [True, False])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("has_image", [True, False])
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@ def test_learning_path_endpoint_create(  # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments  #
         assert resp.data.get("description") == resp.data.get("description")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_public", [True, False])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_editor", [True, False])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("update_topics", [True, False])
@@ -175,6 +177,7 @@ def test_learning_path_endpoint_patch(client, update_topics, is_public, is_edito
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_editor", [True, False])
 def test_learning_path_items_endpoint_create_item(client, user, is_editor):
     """Test lr_learningpathitems_api endpoint for creating a LearningPath item"""
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@ def test_learning_path_items_endpoint_create_item_bad_data(client, user):
     }
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("is_editor", "position"),
     [[True, 0], [True, 2], [False, 1]],  # noqa: PT007
@@ -301,6 +305,7 @@ def test_learning_path_items_endpoint_update_items_wrong_list(client, user):
     assert resp.status_code == 404
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("num_items", [2, 3])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_editor", [True, False])
 def test_learning_path_items_endpoint_delete_items(client, user, is_editor, num_items):
@@ -334,6 +339,7 @@ def test_learning_path_items_endpoint_delete_items(client, user, is_editor, num_
         assert item.position == (old_position - 1 if is_editor else old_position)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_editor", [True, False])
 def test_learning_path_endpoint_delete(client, user, is_editor):
     """Test learningpath endpoint for deleting a LearningPath"""
@@ -414,6 +420,7 @@ def test_get_resource_learning_paths(user_client, user, is_editor):
     assert response_data == expected
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_set_learning_path_relationships(client, staff_user):
     """Test the learning_paths endpoint for setting multiple userlist relationships"""
     course = factories.CourseFactory.create()
@@ -440,6 +447,7 @@ def test_set_learning_path_relationships(client, staff_user):
     ).exists()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_adding_to_learning_path_not_effect_existing_membership(client, staff_user):
     """
     Given L1 (existing parent), L2 (new parent), and R (resource),
diff --git a/learning_resources/views_test.py b/learning_resources/views_test.py
index fc9cee2586..9d2f858a6c 100644
--- a/learning_resources/views_test.py
+++ b/learning_resources/views_test.py
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ def test_get_course_detail_endpoint(client, url):
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "url",
     [
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ def test_get_course_content_files_endpoint(client, url):
         assert resp.data.get("results")[idx]["id"] == content_file.id
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("reverse_url", "expected_url"),
     [
@@ -264,6 +266,7 @@ def test_no_excess_offeror_queries(client, django_assert_num_queries, offeror_co
             assert result["channel_url"] is not None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "user_role",
     [
@@ -311,6 +314,7 @@ def test_list_content_files_list_endpoint(client, user_role, django_user_model):
             assert result.get("content") is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_list_content_files_list_endpoint_with_no_runs(client):
     """Test ContentFile list endpoint returns results even without associated runs"""
     course = CourseFactory.create()
@@ -330,6 +334,7 @@ def test_list_content_files_list_endpoint_with_no_runs(client):
         assert result["id"] in content_file_ids
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_list_content_files_list_filtered(client):
     """Test ContentFile list endpoint"""
     course_1 = CourseFactory.create()
@@ -505,6 +510,7 @@ def test_get_podcast_episode_detail_endpoint(client, url):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "url", ["lr:v1:learning_resource_items_api-list", "lr:v1:podcast_items_api-list"]
 )
@@ -836,6 +842,7 @@ def test_offerors_detail_endpoint(client):
     assert resp.data == LearningResourceOfferorDetailSerializer(instance=offeror).data
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("url", "params"),
     [
@@ -879,6 +886,7 @@ def test_get_video_playlist_detail_endpoint(client, url):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "url",
     ["lr:v1:learning_resource_items_api-list", "lr:v1:video_playlist_items_api-list"],
@@ -923,6 +931,7 @@ def test_get_video_playlist_items_endpoint(client, url):
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("url", "params"),
     [
@@ -948,6 +957,7 @@ def test_list_video_endpoint(client, url, params):
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("url", "params"),
     [
@@ -1228,6 +1238,7 @@ def test_similar_resources_endpoint_ignores_opensearch_published(mocker, client)
     assert len(response_ids) == 4
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_vector_similar_resources_endpoint_does_not_return_self(mocker, client):
     """Test vector based similar resources endpoint does not return initial id"""
     from learning_resources.models import LearningResource
@@ -1298,6 +1309,7 @@ def test_vector_similar_resources_endpoint_only_returns_published(mocker, client
     assert len(response_ids) == 1
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_learning_resources_display_info_list_view(mocker, client):
     """Test learning_resources_display_info_list_view returns expected results"""
     from learning_resources.models import LearningResource
diff --git a/learning_resources/views_userlist_test.py b/learning_resources/views_userlist_test.py
index 4102745f1b..dbb25b12d5 100644
--- a/learning_resources/views_userlist_test.py
+++ b/learning_resources/views_userlist_test.py
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ def test_user_list_endpoint_membership_get(client, user, is_authenticated):
         assert resp.status_code == 403
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("is_author", [True, False])
 def test_user_list_items_endpoint_create_item(client, user, is_author):
     """Test userlistitems endpoint for creating a UserListItem"""
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ def test_user_list_items_endpoint_create_item_bad_data(client, user):
     }
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("is_author", "position"),
     [[True, 0], [True, 2], [False, 1]],  # noqa: PT007
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ def test_get_resource_user_lists(client, user, is_author, is_unlisted):
         assert items_json == []
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_set_userlist_relationships(client, user):
     """Test the userlists endpoint for setting multiple userlist relationships"""
     course = factories.CourseFactory.create()
@@ -376,6 +379,7 @@ def assign_userlists(course, userlists):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_adding_to_userlist_not_effect_existing_membership(client, user):
     """
     Given L1 (existing parent), L2 (new parent), and R (resource),
diff --git a/main/settings.py b/main/settings.py
index e30284f27e..229296bec8 100644
--- a/main/settings.py
+++ b/main/settings.py
@@ -200,6 +200,17 @@
     "django_scim.middleware.SCIMAuthCheckMiddleware",
 )
 
+ZEAL_ENABLE = get_bool("ZEAL_ENABLE", False)  # noqa: FBT003
+
+# enable the zeal nplusone profiler only in debug mode or under pytest
+if ZEAL_ENABLE or ENVIRONMENT == "pytest":
+    INSTALLED_APPS += ("zeal",)
+    # this should be the first middleware so we catch any issues in our own middleware
+    MIDDLEWARE += ("zeal.middleware.zeal_middleware",)
+
+ZEAL_RAISE = False
+ZEAL_ALLOWLIST = []
+
 # CORS
 CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = get_list_of_str("CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS", [])
 CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGIN_REGEXES = get_list_of_str("CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGIN_REGEXES", [])
@@ -483,6 +494,7 @@
         "opensearch": {"level": OS_LOG_LEVEL},
         "nplusone": {"handlers": ["console"], "level": "ERROR"},
         "boto3": {"handlers": ["console"], "level": "ERROR"},
+        "zeal": {"handlers": ["console"], "level": "ERROR"},
     },
     "root": {"handlers": ["console"], "level": LOG_LEVEL},
 }
diff --git a/news_events/filters_test.py b/news_events/filters_test.py
index 07792ccbce..4aac79b4f0 100644
--- a/news_events/filters_test.py
+++ b/news_events/filters_test.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 ITEM_API_URL = "/api/v0/news_events/"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "multifilter", ["feed_type={}&feed_type={}", "feed_type={},{}"]
 )
diff --git a/news_events/views_test.py b/news_events/views_test.py
index 0e6396dff4..2f08dfe5fa 100644
--- a/news_events/views_test.py
+++ b/news_events/views_test.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from news_events.factories import FeedEventDetailFactory
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_feed_source_viewset_list(client):
     """Est that the feed sources list viewset returns data in expected format"""
     sources = sorted(factories.FeedSourceFactory.create_batch(5), key=lambda x: x.id)
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ def test_feed_source_viewset_list(client):
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("feed_type", FeedType.names())
 def test_feed_source_viewset_list_filtered(client, feed_type):
     """Test that the sources list viewset returns data filtered by feed type"""
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 3c6e89f988..567a88279e 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -1784,6 +1784,18 @@ files = [
     {file = "django_webpack_loader-3.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:15c05cb685b113c5e6f947efa8ee3888a03c2969a2dd0da4c7610b3e695f67ba"},
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "django-zeal"
+version = "2.0.4"
+description = "Detect N+1s in your Django app"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.9"
+groups = ["main"]
+files = [
+    {file = "django_zeal-2.0.4-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:c37b0a7d203572d8eb8462a601f19dedfdf82324a25c7eb7273afdc52fc519fa"},
+    {file = "django_zeal-2.0.4.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:934cd3968c1ede3f3ec5314c4da285ef4796f4b6de1f95870c5999370280e17e"},
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "djangorestframework"
 version = "3.16.0"
@@ -9243,4 +9255,4 @@ cffi = ["cffi (>=1.11)"]
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "2.1"
 python-versions = "~3.12"
-content-hash = "e12fa65a8bb0e0fce970adf4f007880d4c9d61be763510a5e477be41385288d7"
+content-hash = "477c3027b6a958243d04bc6ab0ff3269b2c2a423534c4ec33d4dd3cba39f518f"
diff --git a/profiles/views_test.py b/profiles/views_test.py
index 2a8f8ef426..d4c80c4e9e 100644
--- a/profiles/views_test.py
+++ b/profiles/views_test.py
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ def test_patch_profile_by_user(client, logged_in_profile):
     assert logged_in_profile.location == location_json
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip_nplusone_check
 def test_patch_topic_interests(client, logged_in_profile):
     """Test that patching Profile.topic_interests works correctly"""
     topics = LearningResourceTopicFactory.create_batch(3)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b9b81e760c..77391d6546 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ wrapt = "^1.14.1"
 youtube-transcript-api = "^1.0.0"
 pypdfium2 = "^4.30.0"
 pyarrow = "^21.0.0"
+django-zeal = "^2.0.4"
 
 
 
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
index 44c42e250e..cb5c692192 100644
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ env =
   OPENSEARCH_INDEX=testindex
   MITOL_COOKIE_DOMAIN=localhost
   MITOL_COOKIE_NAME=cookie_monster
+  MITOL_ENVIRONMENT=pytest
   MITOL_FEATURES_DEFAULT=False
   MITOL_SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT=False
   MITOL_USE_S3=False
diff --git a/uwsgi.ini b/uwsgi.ini
index 29991bdc80..823e716296 100644
--- a/uwsgi.ini
+++ b/uwsgi.ini
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ socket-timeout = 3
 endif =
 buffer-size = 65535
 stats = /tmp/uwsgi-stats.sock
-reload-on-rss = 300
+reload-on-rss = 400
 # for sentry
 py-call-uwsgi-fork-hooks = true