diff --git a/src/Profiling/Profiles.php b/src/Profiling/Profiles.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..167e466a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Profiling/Profiles.php
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Sentry\Profiling;
+
+use Sentry\SentrySdk;
+
+class Profiles
+{
+    /**
+     * @var self|null
+     */
+    private static $instance;
+
+    /**
+     * @var ContinuousProfiler
+     */
+    private $continuousProfiler;
+
+    private function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->continuousProfiler = new ContinuousProfiler();
+    }
+
+    public static function getInstance(): self
+    {
+        if (self::$instance === null) {
+            self::$instance = new self();
+        }
+
+        return self::$instance;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Starts the continuous profiler if the "profile_lifecycle" option is set to "manual"
+     * and the profiling session is sampled.
+     */
+    public function start(): void
+    {
+        if (!$this->isManualLifecycle()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->continuousProfiler->start();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Stops the continuous profiler if the "profile_lifecycle" option is set to "manual"
+     * and sends the collected profile to Sentry.
+     */
+    public function stop(): void
+    {
+        if (!$this->isManualLifecycle()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->continuousProfiler->stop();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the continuous profiler.
+     *
+     * @internal
+     */
+    public function continuousProfiler(): ContinuousProfiler
+    {
+        return $this->continuousProfiler;
+    }
+
+    private function isManualLifecycle(): bool
+    {
+        $client = SentrySdk::getCurrentHub()->getClient();
+
+        return $client !== null && $client->getOptions()->getProfileLifecycle() === 'manual';
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/functions.php b/src/functions.php
index 6c1e1c8f5..4291b522a 100644
--- a/src/functions.php
+++ b/src/functions.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Sentry\Logs\Logs;
 use Sentry\Metrics\Metrics;
 use Sentry\Metrics\TraceMetrics;
+use Sentry\Profiling\Profiles;
 use Sentry\State\HubInterface;
 use Sentry\State\Scope;
 use Sentry\Tracing\PropagationContext;
@@ -518,6 +519,14 @@ function traceMetrics(): TraceMetrics
     return TraceMetrics::getInstance();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the Sentry Profiles client.
+ */
+function profiler(): Profiles
+{
+    return Profiles::getInstance();
+}
+
 /**
  * @deprecated use `traceMetrics` instead
  */
diff --git a/tests/FunctionsTest.php b/tests/FunctionsTest.php
index 6baae08ba..139ca5875 100644
--- a/tests/FunctionsTest.php
+++ b/tests/FunctionsTest.php
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@
 use Sentry\Event;
 use Sentry\EventHint;
 use Sentry\EventId;
+use Sentry\EventType;
 use Sentry\Integration\OTLPIntegration;
 use Sentry\MonitorConfig;
 use Sentry\MonitorSchedule;
 use Sentry\Options;
+use Sentry\Profiling\Profiles;
 use Sentry\SentrySdk;
 use Sentry\Severity;
 use Sentry\State\Hub;
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@
 use function Sentry\getOtlpTracesEndpointUrl;
 use function Sentry\getTraceparent;
 use function Sentry\init;
+use function Sentry\profiler;
 use function Sentry\startContext;
 use function Sentry\startTransaction;
 use function Sentry\trace;
@@ -859,4 +862,76 @@ public function testContinueTraceWhenOrgMatch(): void
             $this->assertSame('1', $dynamicSamplingContext->get('org_id'));
         });
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @requires extension excimer
+     */
+    public function testProfilerStartAndStopCaptureProfileChunk(): void
+    {
+        $client = $this->createMock(ClientInterface::class);
+        $client->method('getOptions')
+            ->willReturn(new Options([
+                'profile_lifecycle' => 'manual',
+                'profile_session_sample_rate' => 1.0,
+            ]));
+
+        $client->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('captureEvent')
+            ->with($this->callback(static function (Event $event): bool {
+                return $event->getType() === EventType::profileChunk() && $event->getProfileChunk() !== null;
+            }));
+
+        SentrySdk::setCurrentHub(new Hub($client));
+
+        profiler()->start();
+
+        $this->assertTrue(Profiles::getInstance()->continuousProfiler()->isRunning());
+
+        self::busyWait(0.05);
+
+        profiler()->stop();
+
+        $this->assertFalse(Profiles::getInstance()->continuousProfiler()->isRunning());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @requires extension excimer
+     */
+    public function testProfilerStopDoesNotStopTraceLifecycleProfiler(): void
+    {
+        $client = $this->createMock(ClientInterface::class);
+        $client->method('getOptions')
+            ->willReturn(new Options([
+                'profile_lifecycle' => 'trace',
+                'profile_session_sample_rate' => 1.0,
+            ]));
+
+        $client->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('captureEvent')
+            ->with($this->callback(static function (Event $event): bool {
+                return $event->getType() === EventType::profileChunk() && $event->getProfileChunk() !== null;
+            }));
+
+        SentrySdk::setCurrentHub(new Hub($client));
+
+        $profiler = Profiles::getInstance()->continuousProfiler();
+        $profiler->start();
+
+        self::busyWait(0.05);
+
+        profiler()->stop();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($profiler->isRunning());
+
+        $profiler->stop();
+    }
+
+    private static function busyWait(float $seconds): void
+    {
+        $end = microtime(true) + $seconds;
+
+        while (microtime(true) < $end) {
+            // Burn CPU so that Excimer collects samples
+        }
+    }
 }