diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ef738bcf38..b365634c32 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -196,5 +196,23 @@ Temporary Items
 /tools/LinuxOneShot/TGS_Config
 /tools/LinuxOneShot/TGS_Instances
 /tools/LinuxOneShot/TGS_Logs
+
+
+# Built auxtools libraries and intermediate files
+aux*.dll
+libaux*.so
+aux*.pdb
+
+# byond-tracy, we intentionally do not ship this and do not want to maintain it
+prof.dll
+libprof.so
+
+# JavaScript tools
+**/node_modules
+
+# Screenshot tests
+/artifacts
+
+#byond-tracy
 tools/UnstandardnessTestForDM/UnstandardnessTestForDM/obj/x86/Debug/UnstandardnessTestForDM.csproj.AssemblyReference.cache
 tools/UnstandardnessTestForDM/UnstandardnessTestForDM/obj/x86/Debug/.NETFramework,Version=v4.0,Profile=Client.AssemblyAttributes.cs
diff --git a/code/_compile_options.dm b/code/_compile_options.dm
index 1ed2075537..9e5227df96 100644
--- a/code/_compile_options.dm
+++ b/code/_compile_options.dm
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
 // #define TRACK_MAX_SHARE //Allows max share tracking, for use in the atmos debugging ui
 #endif //ifdef TESTING
 
-//#define UNIT_TESTS //If this is uncommented, we do a single run though of the game setup and tear down process with unit tests in between
+// If this is uncommented, will attempt to load and initialize prof.dll/libprof.so.
+// We do not ship byond-tracy. Build it yourself here: https://github.com/mafemergency/byond-tracy/
+// #define USE_BYOND_TRACY
 
 #ifndef PRELOAD_RSC //set to:
 #define PRELOAD_RSC 2 // 0 to allow using external resources or on-demand behaviour;
diff --git a/code/game/world.dm b/code/game/world.dm
index c6a5a2ef95..df92c7c8fa 100644
--- a/code/game/world.dm
+++ b/code/game/world.dm
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ GLOBAL_LIST(topic_status_cache)
 		LIBCALL(dll, "auxtools_init")()
 		enable_debugging()
 
+#ifdef USE_BYOND_TRACY
+	#warn USE_BYOND_TRACY is enabled
+	init_byond_tracy()
+#endif
+
 	world.Profile(PROFILE_START)
 	log_world("World loaded at [TIME_STAMP("hh:mm:ss", FALSE)]!")
 
@@ -369,3 +374,19 @@ GLOBAL_LIST(topic_status_cache)
 
 /world/proc/on_tickrate_change()
 	SStimer?.reset_buckets()
+
+/world/proc/init_byond_tracy()
+	var/library
+
+	switch (system_type)
+		if (MS_WINDOWS)
+			library = "prof.dll"
+		if (UNIX)
+			library = "libprof.so"
+		else
+			CRASH("Unsupported platform: [system_type]")
+
+	var/init_result = call(library, "init")()
+	if (init_result != "0")
+		CRASH("Error initializing byond-tracy: [init_result]")
+