diff --git a/collects/typed-racket/base-env/prims.rkt b/collects/typed-racket/base-env/prims.rkt
index 1dc141a0d6..ac3d836dfa 100644
--- a/collects/typed-racket/base-env/prims.rkt
+++ b/collects/typed-racket/base-env/prims.rkt
@@ -1194,3 +1194,20 @@ This file defines two sorts of primitives. All of them are provided into any mod
 
 (define-syntax-rule (for*/flvector: e ...)
   (base-for/flvector: for*: e ...))
+
+
+(provide optimization-coach-profile)
+(require profile/sampler profile/analyzer profile/render-text)
+(require racket/serialize)
+(define-syntax (optimization-coach-profile stx)
+  (syntax-parse stx
+    [(_ body ...)
+     (ignore
+      #`(let ([sampler (create-sampler (current-thread) 0.005)])
+          body ...
+          (sampler 'stop)
+          (define samples (sampler 'get-snapshots))
+          (render (analyze-samples samples))
+          (with-output-to-file #,(string-append (path->string (syntax-source stx)) ".profile")
+            #:exists 'replace
+            (lambda () (write (serialize samples))))))]))
diff --git a/collects/typed-racket/optimizer/tool/profiling.rkt b/collects/typed-racket/optimizer/tool/profiling.rkt
index af574bddbe..1128f06527 100644
--- a/collects/typed-racket/optimizer/tool/profiling.rkt
+++ b/collects/typed-racket/optimizer/tool/profiling.rkt
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 #lang racket/base
 
-(require profile/analyzer racket/gui/base)
+(require profile/analyzer profile/sampler racket/class racket/serialize)
 
 (require "sandbox.rkt")
 
-(provide generate-profile
+(provide generate-profile prune-profile
          node-source node-line node-col node-pos node-span
-         prune-profile
-         (all-from-out profile/analyzer))
+         ;; from profile/analyzer
+         (struct-out profile)
+         (struct-out node)
+         (struct-out edge))
 
 (define ((mk accessor) node)
   (define src (node-src node))
@@ -18,25 +20,20 @@
 (define node-pos     (mk srcloc-position))
 (define node-span    (mk srcloc-span))
 
-(define compiled-module-name 'optimization-coach-compiled-module)
 
+;; For best results, run `optimization-coach-profile' (provided from TR/prims)
+;;  from inside DrRacket (with errortrace on, IIRC)
+;; Other things I've tried that didn't work as well:
+;;  - `optimization-coach-profile' from command line (TODO was it with errortrace?)
+;;  - profiling executable generated by the instrumentation phase inside an
+;;    OC sandbox (in version control history, plus an attempt with
+;;    `dynamic-require' that was not committed)
 (define (generate-profile this source)
-  (define res-mpi (make-resolved-module-path compiled-module-name))
   (define snapshots
-    (run-inside-optimization-coach-sandbox
-     this
-     (lambda ()
-       (parameterize ([current-module-declare-name res-mpi])
-         (eval (let ([input (open-input-text-editor source)])
-                 (port-count-lines! input)
-                 (read-syntax res-mpi input)))
-         ;; Require, to run the body, without actually adding anything to the
-         ;; current namespace, in case the module calls `eval'.
-         (eval '(require profile/sampler))
-         (eval `(let ([sampler (create-sampler (current-thread) 0.05)])
-                  (dynamic-require '',compiled-module-name #f)
-                  (sampler 'stop)
-                  (sampler 'get-snapshots)))))))
+    (with-input-from-file
+        (string-append (path->string (send source get-port-name)) ".profile")
+      (lambda ()
+        (deserialize (read)))))
   ;; We can't prune what's outside the file yet. We need the entire profile
   ;; to identify hot functions, and to get meaningful caller-callee stats.
   (analyze-samples snapshots))