diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-core/src/backend.js b/packages/react-devtools-core/src/backend.js
index 54a6b9b48a99d..9305155ab0e55 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-core/src/backend.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-core/src/backend.js
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ import type {
 import type {
   DevToolsHook,
   DevToolsHookSettings,
-  ReloadAndProfileConfig,
-  ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+  ProfilingSettings,
 } from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types';
 import type {ResolveNativeStyle} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/NativeStyleEditor/setupNativeStyleEditor';
 
@@ -42,7 +41,9 @@ type ConnectOptions = {
   websocket?: ?WebSocket,
   onSettingsUpdated?: (settings: $ReadOnly<DevToolsHookSettings>) => void,
   isReloadAndProfileSupported?: boolean,
-  reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence?: ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+  isProfiling?: boolean,
+  onReloadAndProfile?: (recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void,
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset?: () => void,
 };
 
 let savedComponentFilters: Array<ComponentFilter> =
@@ -63,9 +64,15 @@ export function initialize(
   maybeSettingsOrSettingsPromise?:
     | DevToolsHookSettings
     | Promise<DevToolsHookSettings>,
-  reloadAndProfileConfig?: ReloadAndProfileConfig,
+  shouldStartProfilingNow: boolean = false,
+  profilingSettings?: ProfilingSettings,
 ) {
-  installHook(window, maybeSettingsOrSettingsPromise, reloadAndProfileConfig);
+  installHook(
+    window,
+    maybeSettingsOrSettingsPromise,
+    shouldStartProfilingNow,
+    profilingSettings,
+  );
 }
 
 export function connectToDevTools(options: ?ConnectOptions) {
@@ -86,7 +93,9 @@ export function connectToDevTools(options: ?ConnectOptions) {
     isAppActive = () => true,
     onSettingsUpdated,
     isReloadAndProfileSupported = getIsReloadAndProfileSupported(),
-    reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+    isProfiling,
+    onReloadAndProfile,
+    onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset,
   } = options || {};
 
   const protocol = useHttps ? 'wss' : 'ws';
@@ -180,7 +189,11 @@ export function connectToDevTools(options: ?ConnectOptions) {
 
     // TODO (npm-packages) Warn if "isBackendStorageAPISupported"
     // $FlowFixMe[incompatible-call] found when upgrading Flow
-    const agent = new Agent(bridge, reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence);
+    const agent = new Agent(bridge, isProfiling, onReloadAndProfile);
+    if (typeof onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset === 'function') {
+      onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset();
+    }
+
     if (onSettingsUpdated != null) {
       agent.addListener('updateHookSettings', onSettingsUpdated);
     }
@@ -320,7 +333,9 @@ type ConnectWithCustomMessagingOptions = {
   resolveRNStyle?: ResolveNativeStyle,
   onSettingsUpdated?: (settings: $ReadOnly<DevToolsHookSettings>) => void,
   isReloadAndProfileSupported?: boolean,
-  reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence?: ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+  isProfiling?: boolean,
+  onReloadAndProfile?: (recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void,
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset?: () => void,
 };
 
 export function connectWithCustomMessagingProtocol({
@@ -331,7 +346,9 @@ export function connectWithCustomMessagingProtocol({
   resolveRNStyle,
   onSettingsUpdated,
   isReloadAndProfileSupported = getIsReloadAndProfileSupported(),
-  reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+  isProfiling,
+  onReloadAndProfile,
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset,
 }: ConnectWithCustomMessagingOptions): Function {
   const hook: ?DevToolsHook = window.__REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__;
   if (hook == null) {
@@ -368,7 +385,11 @@ export function connectWithCustomMessagingProtocol({
     bridge.send('overrideComponentFilters', savedComponentFilters);
   }
 
-  const agent = new Agent(bridge, reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence);
+  const agent = new Agent(bridge, isProfiling, onReloadAndProfile);
+  if (typeof onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset === 'function') {
+    onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset();
+  }
+
   if (onSettingsUpdated != null) {
     agent.addListener('updateHookSettings', onSettingsUpdated);
   }
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/backendManager.js b/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/backendManager.js
index 63519b506dd96..402a137857622 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/backendManager.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/backendManager.js
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ import type {
 import {hasAssignedBackend} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils';
 import {COMPACT_VERSION_NAME} from 'react-devtools-extensions/src/utils';
 import {getIsReloadAndProfileSupported} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/utils';
+import {
+  getIfReloadedAndProfiling,
+  onReloadAndProfile,
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset,
+} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/utils';
 
 let welcomeHasInitialized = false;
 const requiredBackends = new Set<string>();
@@ -140,7 +145,15 @@ function activateBackend(version: string, hook: DevToolsHook) {
     },
   });
 
-  const agent = new Agent(bridge);
+  const agent = new Agent(
+    bridge,
+    getIfReloadedAndProfiling(),
+    onReloadAndProfile,
+  );
+  // Agent read flags successfully, we can count it as successful launch
+  // Clean up flags, so that next reload won't start profiling
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset();
+
   agent.addListener('shutdown', () => {
     // If we received 'shutdown' from `agent`, we assume the `bridge` is already shutting down,
     // and that caused the 'shutdown' event on the `agent`, so we don't need to call `bridge.shutdown()` here.
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/installHook.js b/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/installHook.js
index b7b96ed24714b..e70e97b285711 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/installHook.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-extensions/src/contentScripts/installHook.js
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 import {installHook} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/hook';
+import {
+  getIfReloadedAndProfiling,
+  getProfilingSettings,
+} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/utils';
 
 let resolveHookSettingsInjection;
 
@@ -34,8 +38,15 @@ if (!window.hasOwnProperty('__REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__')) {
     payload: {handshake: true},
   });
 
+  const shouldStartProfiling = getIfReloadedAndProfiling();
+  const profilingSettings = getProfilingSettings();
   // Can't delay hook installation, inject settings lazily
-  installHook(window, hookSettingsPromise);
+  installHook(
+    window,
+    hookSettingsPromise,
+    shouldStartProfiling,
+    profilingSettings,
+  );
 
   // Detect React
   window.__REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__.on(
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-inline/src/backend.js b/packages/react-devtools-inline/src/backend.js
index 41af7809be0b1..354970446db9b 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-inline/src/backend.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-inline/src/backend.js
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ import setupNativeStyleEditor from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/NativeStyl
 
 import type {BackendBridge} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/bridge';
 import type {Wall} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/frontend/types';
-import {getIsReloadAndProfileSupported} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/utils';
+import {
+  getIfReloadedAndProfiling,
+  getIsReloadAndProfileSupported,
+  onReloadAndProfile,
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset,
+} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/utils';
 
 function startActivation(contentWindow: any, bridge: BackendBridge) {
   const onSavedPreferences = (data: $FlowFixMe) => {
@@ -63,7 +68,12 @@ function startActivation(contentWindow: any, bridge: BackendBridge) {
 }
 
 function finishActivation(contentWindow: any, bridge: BackendBridge) {
-  const agent = new Agent(bridge);
+  const agent = new Agent(
+    bridge,
+    getIfReloadedAndProfiling(),
+    onReloadAndProfile,
+  );
+  onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset();
 
   const hook = contentWindow.__REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__;
   if (hook) {
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/attachRenderer.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/attachRenderer.js
index cd7a348b65d71..fedf76293cb47 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/attachRenderer.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/attachRenderer.js
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import type {
   RendererInterface,
   DevToolsHook,
   RendererID,
+  ProfilingSettings,
 } from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types';
-import type {ReloadAndProfileConfig} from './backend/types';
 
 import {attach as attachFlight} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/flight/renderer';
 import {attach as attachFiber} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/fiber/renderer';
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ export default function attachRenderer(
   id: RendererID,
   renderer: ReactRenderer,
   global: Object,
-  reloadAndProfileConfig: ReloadAndProfileConfig,
+  shouldStartProfilingNow: boolean,
+  profilingSettings: ProfilingSettings,
 ): RendererInterface | void {
   // only attach if the renderer is compatible with the current version of the backend
   if (!isMatchingRender(renderer.reconcilerVersion || renderer.version)) {
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ export default function attachRenderer(
         id,
         renderer,
         global,
-        reloadAndProfileConfig,
+        shouldStartProfilingNow,
+        profilingSettings,
       );
     } else if (renderer.ComponentTree) {
       // react-dom v15
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/agent.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/agent.js
index f5fde694e735d..12704899ecbdc 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/agent.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/agent.js
@@ -26,11 +26,9 @@ import type {
   RendererID,
   RendererInterface,
   DevToolsHookSettings,
-  ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
 } from './types';
 import type {ComponentFilter} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/frontend/types';
 import {isReactNativeEnvironment} from './utils';
-import {defaultReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence} from '../utils';
 import {
   sessionStorageGetItem,
   sessionStorageRemoveItem,
@@ -151,33 +149,21 @@ export default class Agent extends EventEmitter<{
 }> {
   _bridge: BackendBridge;
   _isProfiling: boolean = false;
-  _recordChangeDescriptions: boolean = false;
   _rendererInterfaces: {[key: RendererID]: RendererInterface, ...} = {};
   _persistedSelection: PersistedSelection | null = null;
   _persistedSelectionMatch: PathMatch | null = null;
   _traceUpdatesEnabled: boolean = false;
-  _reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence: ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence;
+  _onReloadAndProfile: ((recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void) | void;
 
   constructor(
     bridge: BackendBridge,
-    reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence?: ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence = defaultReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
+    isProfiling: boolean = false,
+    onReloadAndProfile?: (recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void,
   ) {
     super();
 
-    this._reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence = reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence;
-    const {getReloadAndProfileConfig, setReloadAndProfileConfig} =
-      reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence;
-    const reloadAndProfileConfig = getReloadAndProfileConfig();
-    if (reloadAndProfileConfig.shouldReloadAndProfile) {
-      this._recordChangeDescriptions =
-        reloadAndProfileConfig.recordChangeDescriptions;
-      this._isProfiling = true;
-
-      setReloadAndProfileConfig({
-        shouldReloadAndProfile: false,
-        recordChangeDescriptions: false,
-      });
-    }
+    this._isProfiling = isProfiling;
+    this._onReloadAndProfile = onReloadAndProfile;
 
     const persistedSelectionString = sessionStorageGetItem(
       SESSION_STORAGE_LAST_SELECTION_KEY,
@@ -674,10 +660,9 @@ export default class Agent extends EventEmitter<{
 
   reloadAndProfile: (recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void =
     recordChangeDescriptions => {
-      this._reloadAndProfileConfigPersistence.setReloadAndProfileConfig({
-        shouldReloadAndProfile: true,
-        recordChangeDescriptions,
-      });
+      if (typeof this._onReloadAndProfile === 'function') {
+        this._onReloadAndProfile(recordChangeDescriptions);
+      }
 
       // This code path should only be hit if the shell has explicitly told the Store that it supports profiling.
       // In that case, the shell must also listen for this specific message to know when it needs to reload the app.
@@ -757,7 +742,6 @@ export default class Agent extends EventEmitter<{
 
   startProfiling: (recordChangeDescriptions: boolean) => void =
     recordChangeDescriptions => {
-      this._recordChangeDescriptions = recordChangeDescriptions;
       this._isProfiling = true;
       for (const rendererID in this._rendererInterfaces) {
         const renderer = ((this._rendererInterfaces[
@@ -770,7 +754,6 @@ export default class Agent extends EventEmitter<{
 
   stopProfiling: () => void = () => {
     this._isProfiling = false;
-    this._recordChangeDescriptions = false;
     for (const rendererID in this._rendererInterfaces) {
       const renderer = ((this._rendererInterfaces[
         (rendererID: any)
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/fiber/renderer.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/fiber/renderer.js
index 91fe467a95b72..57aca225b8d1f 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/fiber/renderer.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/fiber/renderer.js
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ import {
   supportsOwnerStacks,
   supportsConsoleTasks,
 } from './DevToolsFiberComponentStack';
-import type {ReloadAndProfileConfig} from '../types';
 
 // $FlowFixMe[method-unbinding]
 const toString = Object.prototype.toString;
@@ -136,6 +135,7 @@ import type {
   WorkTagMap,
   CurrentDispatcherRef,
   LegacyDispatcherRef,
+  ProfilingSettings,
 } from '../types';
 import type {
   ComponentFilter,
@@ -864,7 +864,8 @@ export function attach(
   rendererID: number,
   renderer: ReactRenderer,
   global: Object,
-  reloadAndProfileConfig: ReloadAndProfileConfig,
+  shouldStartProfilingNow: boolean,
+  profilingSettings: ProfilingSettings,
 ): RendererInterface {
   // Newer versions of the reconciler package also specific reconciler version.
   // If that version number is present, use it.
@@ -5225,10 +5226,8 @@ export function attach(
   }
 
   // Automatically start profiling so that we don't miss timing info from initial "mount".
-  if (reloadAndProfileConfig.shouldReloadAndProfile) {
-    const shouldRecordChangeDescriptions =
-      reloadAndProfileConfig.recordChangeDescriptions;
-    startProfiling(shouldRecordChangeDescriptions);
+  if (shouldStartProfilingNow) {
+    startProfiling(profilingSettings.recordChangeDescriptions);
   }
 
   function getNearestFiber(devtoolsInstance: DevToolsInstance): null | Fiber {
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types.js
index c6f743546e49e..61546f2c289a6 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types.js
@@ -485,20 +485,10 @@ export type DevToolsBackend = {
   setupNativeStyleEditor?: SetupNativeStyleEditor,
 };
 
-export type ReloadAndProfileConfig = {
-  shouldReloadAndProfile: boolean,
+export type ProfilingSettings = {
   recordChangeDescriptions: boolean,
 };
 
-// Linter doesn't speak Flow's `Partial` type
-// eslint-disable-next-line no-undef
-type PartialReloadAndProfileConfig = Partial<ReloadAndProfileConfig>;
-
-export type ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence = {
-  setReloadAndProfileConfig: (config: PartialReloadAndProfileConfig) => void,
-  getReloadAndProfileConfig: () => ReloadAndProfileConfig,
-};
-
 export type DevToolsHook = {
   listeners: {[key: string]: Array<Handler>, ...},
   rendererInterfaces: Map<RendererID, RendererInterface>,
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
index 3b45c7417d4e0..4aa6518cd1f4b 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import type {
   RendererInterface,
   DevToolsBackend,
   DevToolsHookSettings,
-  ReloadAndProfileConfig,
+  ProfilingSettings,
 } from './backend/types';
 
 import {
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import {
 import attachRenderer from './attachRenderer';
 import formatConsoleArguments from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils/formatConsoleArguments';
 import formatWithStyles from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils/formatWithStyles';
-import {defaultReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence} from './utils';
 
 // React's custom built component stack strings match "\s{4}in"
 // Chrome's prefix matches "\s{4}at"
@@ -51,12 +50,17 @@ function areStackTracesEqual(a: string, b: string): boolean {
 
 const targetConsole: Object = console;
 
+const defaultProfilingSettings: ProfilingSettings = {
+  recordChangeDescriptions: false,
+};
+
 export function installHook(
   target: any,
   maybeSettingsOrSettingsPromise?:
     | DevToolsHookSettings
     | Promise<DevToolsHookSettings>,
-  reloadAndProfileConfig?: ReloadAndProfileConfig = defaultReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence.getReloadAndProfileConfig(),
+  shouldStartProfilingNow: boolean = false,
+  profilingSettings: ProfilingSettings = defaultProfilingSettings,
 ): DevToolsHook | null {
   if (target.hasOwnProperty('__REACT_DEVTOOLS_GLOBAL_HOOK__')) {
     return null;
@@ -195,6 +199,8 @@ export function installHook(
     } catch (err) {}
   }
 
+  // TODO: isProfiling should be stateful, and we should update it once profiling is finished
+  const isProfiling = shouldStartProfilingNow;
   let uidCounter = 0;
   function inject(renderer: ReactRenderer): number {
     const id = ++uidCounter;
@@ -215,7 +221,8 @@ export function installHook(
       id,
       renderer,
       target,
-      reloadAndProfileConfig,
+      isProfiling,
+      profilingSettings,
     );
     if (rendererInterface != null) {
       hook.rendererInterfaces.set(id, rendererInterface);
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/utils.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/utils.js
index 715834334f360..d3f18920fce1f 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/utils.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/utils.js
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ import {
   localStorageGetItem,
   localStorageSetItem,
   sessionStorageGetItem,
+  sessionStorageRemoveItem,
   sessionStorageSetItem,
-} from './storage';
+} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/storage';
 import {meta} from './hydration';
 import isArray from './isArray';
 
@@ -67,12 +68,11 @@ import type {
   SerializedElement as SerializedElementFrontend,
   LRUCache,
 } from 'react-devtools-shared/src/frontend/types';
-import type {SerializedElement as SerializedElementBackend} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types';
-import {isSynchronousXHRSupported} from './backend/utils';
 import type {
-  ReloadAndProfileConfig,
-  ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence,
-} from './backend/types';
+  ProfilingSettings,
+  SerializedElement as SerializedElementBackend,
+} from 'react-devtools-shared/src/backend/types';
+import {isSynchronousXHRSupported} from './backend/utils';
 
 // $FlowFixMe[method-unbinding]
 const hasOwnProperty = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
@@ -990,34 +990,30 @@ export function getIsReloadAndProfileSupported(): boolean {
   return isBackendStorageAPISupported && isSynchronousXHRSupported();
 }
 
-export const defaultReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence: ReloadAndProfileConfigPersistence =
-  {
-    setReloadAndProfileConfig({
-      shouldReloadAndProfile,
-      recordChangeDescriptions,
-    }): void {
-      if (shouldReloadAndProfile != null) {
-        sessionStorageSetItem(
-          SESSION_STORAGE_RELOAD_AND_PROFILE_KEY,
-          shouldReloadAndProfile ? 'true' : 'false',
-        );
-      }
-      if (recordChangeDescriptions != null) {
-        sessionStorageSetItem(
-          SESSION_STORAGE_RECORD_CHANGE_DESCRIPTIONS_KEY,
-          recordChangeDescriptions ? 'true' : 'false',
-        );
-      }
-    },
-    getReloadAndProfileConfig(): ReloadAndProfileConfig {
-      return {
-        shouldReloadAndProfile:
-          sessionStorageGetItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RELOAD_AND_PROFILE_KEY) ===
-          'true',
-        recordChangeDescriptions:
-          sessionStorageGetItem(
-            SESSION_STORAGE_RECORD_CHANGE_DESCRIPTIONS_KEY,
-          ) === 'true',
-      };
-    },
+// Expected to be used only by browser extension and react-devtools-inline
+export function getIfReloadedAndProfiling(): boolean {
+  return (
+    sessionStorageGetItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RELOAD_AND_PROFILE_KEY) === 'true'
+  );
+}
+
+export function getProfilingSettings(): ProfilingSettings {
+  return {
+    recordChangeDescriptions:
+      sessionStorageGetItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RECORD_CHANGE_DESCRIPTIONS_KEY) ===
+      'true',
   };
+}
+
+export function onReloadAndProfile(recordChangeDescriptions: boolean): void {
+  sessionStorageSetItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RELOAD_AND_PROFILE_KEY, 'true');
+  sessionStorageSetItem(
+    SESSION_STORAGE_RECORD_CHANGE_DESCRIPTIONS_KEY,
+    recordChangeDescriptions ? 'true' : 'false',
+  );
+}
+
+export function onReloadAndProfileFlagsReset(): void {
+  sessionStorageRemoveItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RELOAD_AND_PROFILE_KEY);
+  sessionStorageRemoveItem(SESSION_STORAGE_RECORD_CHANGE_DESCRIPTIONS_KEY);
+}