diff --git a/.cron.yml b/.cron.yml
index 6e10ad76bdd2..c8e606f8fc63 100644
--- a/.cron.yml
+++ b/.cron.yml
@@ -408,6 +408,16 @@ jobs:
           include-push-tasks: true
       when: []
 
+    - name: perftest-applink-profiling
+      job:
+          type: decision-task
+          treeherder-symbol: perftest-applink-p
+          target-tasks-method: perftest-applink-profiling
+      run-on-projects:
+          - mozilla-central
+      when:
+          - {hour: 6, minute: 00}
+
     - name: retrigger-perftests-autoland
       job:
           type: decision-task
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/actions/gecko_profile.py b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/actions/gecko_profile.py
index b86fa4198918..ed261eae5bc5 100644
--- a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/actions/gecko_profile.py
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/actions/gecko_profile.py
@@ -222,6 +222,10 @@ def geckoprofile_action(parameters, graph_config, input, task_group_id, task_id)
                         cmd, profiling_command_flags
                     )
 
+                # A single profile is enough, don't inherit the retrigger count
+                # of the task being profiled.
+                task.attributes["task_duplicates"] = 1
+
                 task.task["extra"]["treeherder"]["symbol"] += "-p"
                 task.task["extra"]["treeherder"]["groupName"] += " (profiling)"
                 return task
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/target_tasks.py b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/target_tasks.py
index d9cb26346648..567c09353e95 100644
--- a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/target_tasks.py
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/target_tasks.py
@@ -1800,6 +1800,19 @@ def target_tasks_perftest_autoland(full_task_graph, parameters, graph_config):
             yield name
 
 
+APPLINK_PROFILING_LABELS = {
+    "perftest-android-hw-a55-aarch64-shippable-startup-fenix-newssite-applink-startup",
+}
+
+
+@register_target_task("perftest-applink-profiling")
+def target_tasks_perftest_applink_profiling(full_task_graph, parameters, graph_config):
+    """
+    Select the applink startup tasks and run them with profiling
+    """
+    return [name for name in full_task_graph.tasks if name in APPLINK_PROFILING_LABELS]
+
+
 @register_target_task("retrigger-perftests-autoland")
 def retrigger_perftests_autoland_commits(full_task_graph, parameters, graph_config):
     """
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/python.toml b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/python.toml
index a110423a07c2..e426a518fecc 100644
--- a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/python.toml
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/python.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ subsuite = "taskgraph"
 
 ["test_transforms_job_common.py"]
 
+["test_transforms_perftest.py"]
+
 ["test_transforms_task.py"]
 
 ["test_transforms_test.py"]
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_target_tasks.py b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_target_tasks.py
index 0ca2e7c0cc0f..ef087eb454ca 100644
--- a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_target_tasks.py
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_target_tasks.py
@@ -770,5 +770,23 @@ def test_general_perf_testing_selects_safari_video_playback_latency():
     assert _raptor_label(vpl_safari, _MACOS) in selected
 
 
+def test_perftest_applink_profiling_selects_only_the_applink_tasks():
+    """Only the applink startup tasks are selected, the perftest transforms
+    then run them with profiling enabled."""
+    labels = target_tasks.APPLINK_PROFILING_LABELS | {
+        "perftest-android-hw-a55-aarch64-shippable-startup-fenix-homeview-startup",
+        "test-linux1804-64/opt-mochitest-1",
+    }
+    tasks = {
+        label: Task(kind="perftest", label=label, attributes={}, task={})
+        for label in labels
+    }
+    graph = TaskGraph(tasks, Graph(nodes=set(tasks), edges=set()))
+
+    selected = set(get_method("perftest-applink-profiling")(graph, {}, {}))
+
+    assert selected == target_tasks.APPLINK_PROFILING_LABELS
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_transforms_perftest.py b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_transforms_perftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a131350d9bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/test/test_transforms_perftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+import pytest
+from mozunit import main
+
+from gecko_taskgraph.transforms.perftest import setup_gecko_profile_from_try_config
+
+
+def applink_job():
+    return {
+        "name": "android-hw-a55-aarch64-shippable-startup-fenix-newssite-applink-startup",
+        "run": {"command": "./mach perftest applink"},
+        "treeherder": {"symbol": "perftest-fenix(newssite-applink)"},
+    }
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "params,expected",
+    (
+        pytest.param(
+            {"try_task_config": {}, "target_tasks_method": "perftest-fenix-startup"},
+            False,
+            id="no-profiling",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {"try_task_config": {"gecko-profile": True}, "target_tasks_method": "try"},
+            True,
+            id="try-gecko-profile",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {
+                "try_task_config": {},
+                "target_tasks_method": "perftest-applink-profiling",
+            },
+            True,
+            id="profiling-target-tasks-method",
+        ),
+    ),
+)
+def test_setup_gecko_profile_from_try_config(run_transform, params, expected):
+    tasks = list(
+        run_transform(
+            setup_gecko_profile_from_try_config, [applink_job()], params=params
+        )
+    )
+
+    assert len(tasks) == 1
+    command = tasks[0]["run"]["command"]
+    assert ("--simpleperf" in command) == expected
+    assert ("--geckoprofiler" in command) == expected
+    assert (tasks[0]["treeherder"]["symbol"].endswith("-p)")) == expected
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/transforms/perftest.py b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/transforms/perftest.py
index 452052e368f4..9d6a91d3d095 100644
--- a/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/transforms/perftest.py
+++ b/taskcluster/gecko_taskgraph/transforms/perftest.py
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ from gecko_taskgraph.transforms.test import linux_perf_platform_restrictions
 
 transforms = TransformSequence()
 
+# Target tasks methods that only select tasks meant to be profiled.
+PROFILING_TARGET_TASKS_METHODS = {"perftest-applink-profiling"}
+
 
 class PerftestDescriptionSchema(Schema, forbid_unknown_fields=False, kw_only=True):
     # The test names and the symbols to use for them: [test-symbol, test-path]
@@ -273,12 +276,16 @@ def pass_perftest_options(config, jobs):
 
 @transforms.add
 def setup_gecko_profile_from_try_config(config, jobs):
-    """Apply gecko-profile settings when --gecko-profile is used with ./mach try fuzzy.
+    """Apply gecko-profile settings when --gecko-profile is used with ./mach try fuzzy,
+    or when a cron selects tasks through a profiling target tasks method.
 
     This mimics the logic from the gecko_profile action but applies it during
     task generation instead of as a post-hoc action.
     """
-    gecko_profile = config.params.get("try_task_config", {}).get("gecko-profile", False)
+    gecko_profile = (
+        config.params.get("try_task_config", {}).get("gecko-profile", False)
+        or config.params.get("target_tasks_method") in PROFILING_TARGET_TASKS_METHODS
+    )
     simpleperf_compatible_tests = ["-homeview-", "-applink-", "-restore-"]
 
     for job in jobs: