diff --git a/data/gui/screens/options_video.stkgui b/data/gui/screens/options_video.stkgui
index 252b0613a..f7414aed2 100644
--- a/data/gui/screens/options_video.stkgui
+++ b/data/gui/screens/options_video.stkgui
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 
                 <div width="100%" height="fit" layout="horizontal-row" id="outer_box" >
                     <spacer width="5%" height="100%" />
-                    <button id="benchmarkCurrent" text="Benchmark current settings" I18N="In the video settings" align="center"/>
+                    <button id="benchmarkCurrent" text="Performance test of the current settings" I18N="In the video settings" align="center"/>
                 </div>
 <!-- 
                 <spacer width="5" height="1%"/>
diff --git a/src/modes/world_status.cpp b/src/modes/world_status.cpp
index 927e54aa3..ca48b8ce7 100644
--- a/src/modes/world_status.cpp
+++ b/src/modes/world_status.cpp
@@ -356,8 +356,8 @@ void WorldStatus::updateTime(int ticks)
                 if(RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
                 {
                     // The profiler drawings cost performance
-                    profiler.setDrawing(false);
-                    profiler.toggleStatus();
+                    //profiler.setDrawing(false);
+                    profiler.activate();
                 }
 
                 // event
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ void WorldStatus::updateTime(int ticks)
                 if(RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
                 {
                     // End profiling
-                    profiler.toggleStatus();
+                    profiler.desactivate();
                     profiler.writeToFile();
                     profiler.setDrawing(true);
                 }
diff --git a/src/race/race_manager.cpp b/src/race/race_manager.cpp
index 006e07b82..e45c2737e 100644
--- a/src/race/race_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/race/race_manager.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include "states_screens/main_menu_screen.hpp"
 #include "states_screens/state_manager.hpp"
 #include "tracks/track_manager.hpp"
+#include "utils/profiler.hpp"
 #include "utils/ptr_vector.hpp"
 #include "utils/stk_process.hpp"
 #include "utils/string_utils.hpp"
@@ -1323,3 +1324,18 @@ core::stringw RaceManager::getDifficultyName(Difficulty diff) const
     }
     return "";
 }   // getDifficultyName
+
+//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/** Set the benchmarking mode as requested, and turn off the profiler if needed. */
+void RaceManager::setBenchmarking(bool benchmark)
+{
+    m_benchmarking = benchmark;
+
+    // If the benchmark mode is turned off and the profiler is still activated,
+    // turn the profiler off and reset the drawing mode to default.
+    if (!m_benchmarking && UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled)
+    {
+        profiler.desactivate();
+        profiler.setDrawing(true);
+    }
+}   // setBenchmarking
diff --git a/src/race/race_manager.hpp b/src/race/race_manager.hpp
index cc15b553d..4341674b3 100644
--- a/src/race/race_manager.hpp
+++ b/src/race/race_manager.hpp
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ public:
     void setNumPlayers(int players, int local_players=-1);
     void setDefaultAIKartList(const std::vector<std::string> &ai_list);
     void computeRandomKartList();
+    void setBenchmarking(bool benchmark);
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     bool hasTimeTarget() const { return m_time_target > 0.0f; }
@@ -854,11 +855,6 @@ public:
         m_watching_replay = watch;
     }   // setWatchingReplay
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    void setBenchmarking(bool benchmark)
-    {
-        m_benchmarking = benchmark;
-    }   // setBenchmarking
-    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     bool isRecordingRace() const
     {
         return m_is_recording_race;
diff --git a/src/states_screens/dialogs/race_paused_dialog.cpp b/src/states_screens/dialogs/race_paused_dialog.cpp
index 0aede62c6..e003a4dfb 100644
--- a/src/states_screens/dialogs/race_paused_dialog.cpp
+++ b/src/states_screens/dialogs/race_paused_dialog.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ RacePausedDialog::RacePausedDialog(const float percentWidth,
                 if (m_target_team != KART_TEAM_NONE)
                     getWidget("team")->setActive(false);
             }
-        }
+        } // if race chat is enabled
         else
         {
             m_text_box->setActive(false);
@@ -119,15 +119,22 @@ RacePausedDialog::RacePausedDialog(const float percentWidth,
             getWidget("emoji")->setVisible(false);
             if (m_target_team != KART_TEAM_NONE)
                 getWidget("team")->setVisible(false);
-        }
-    }
+        } // else (race chat disabled)
+    } // if isNetworking
     else if (!RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
     {
         World::getWorld()->schedulePause(WorldStatus::IN_GAME_MENU_PHASE);
     }
+
     if (dynamic_cast<OverWorld*>(World::getWorld()) == NULL)
     {
-        if (RaceManager::get()->isBattleMode() || RaceManager::get()->isCTFMode())
+        if (RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
+        {
+            // Other buttons of the pause menu are removed in benchmark mode
+            getWidget<IconButtonWidget>("backbtn")->setLabel(_("Back to the Performance Test"));
+            getWidget<IconButtonWidget>("exit")->setLabel(_("Exit the Performance Test"));
+        }
+        else if (RaceManager::get()->isBattleMode() || RaceManager::get()->isCTFMode())
         {
             getWidget<IconButtonWidget>("backbtn")->setLabel(_("Back to Battle"));
             if (!NetworkConfig::get()->isNetworking())
@@ -165,7 +172,7 @@ RacePausedDialog::~RacePausedDialog()
         music_manager->resumeMusic();
         SFXManager::get()->resumeAll();
     }
-    else
+    else if (!RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
     {
         World::getWorld()->scheduleUnpause();
     }
@@ -216,6 +223,18 @@ void RacePausedDialog::loadedFromFile()
             choice_ribbon->deleteChild("restart");
         }
     }
+
+    // Remove all extraneous buttons in benchmark mode
+    if (RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
+    {
+        GUIEngine::RibbonWidget* choice_ribbon =
+            getWidget<GUIEngine::RibbonWidget>("choiceribbon");
+        choice_ribbon->deleteChild("newrace");
+        choice_ribbon->deleteChild("restart");
+        choice_ribbon->deleteChild("endrace");
+        choice_ribbon->deleteChild("options");
+        choice_ribbon->deleteChild("help");
+    }
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -316,6 +335,10 @@ GUIEngine::EventPropagation
             RaceManager::get()->exitRace();
             RaceManager::get()->setAIKartOverride("");
 
+            // If a benchmark is exited early through the pause menu, disable benchmarking mode
+            if (RaceManager::get()->isBenchmarking())
+                RaceManager::get()->setBenchmarking(false);
+
             if (NetworkConfig::get()->isNetworking())
             {
                 StateManager::get()->resetAndSetStack(
diff --git a/src/utils/debug.cpp b/src/utils/debug.cpp
index b7c93c5f0..4421c68dc 100644
--- a/src/utils/debug.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/debug.cpp
@@ -509,7 +509,10 @@ bool handleContextMenuAction(s32 cmd_id)
         break;
     }
     case DEBUG_PROFILER:
-        profiler.toggleStatus();
+        if (UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled)
+            profiler.desactivate();
+        else
+            profiler.activate();
         break;
     case DEBUG_PROFILER_WRITE_REPORT:
         profiler.writeToFile();
diff --git a/src/utils/profiler.cpp b/src/utils/profiler.cpp
index 8fa174f9e..3ee5cd46b 100644
--- a/src/utils/profiler.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/profiler.cpp
@@ -223,24 +223,33 @@ void Profiler::popCPUMarker()
 }   // popCPUMarker
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/** Switches the profiler either on or off.
+/** Switches the profiler on
  */
-void Profiler::toggleStatus()
+void Profiler::activate()
 {
-    UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled = !UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled;
-
-    // Avoid data from multiple profiling sessions from merging in one report
-    if (UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled)
+    // If the profiler is not already turned on, reset to avoid data
+    // from multiple profiling sessions from merging in one report
+    if (!UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled)
         reset();
 
-    // If the profiler would immediately enabled, calls that have started but
+    UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled = true;
+
+    // Would the profiler be enabled immediately, calls that have started but
     // not finished would not be registered correctly. So set the state to 
     // waiting, so the unfreeze started at the next sync frame (which is
     // outside of the main loop, i.e. all profiling events inside of the main
     // loop will work as expected.
     if (m_freeze_state == UNFROZEN)
         m_freeze_state = WAITING_FOR_UNFREEZE;
-}   // toggleStatus
+}   // activate
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/** Switches the profiler off.
+ */
+void Profiler::desactivate()
+{
+    UserConfigParams::m_profiler_enabled = false;
+}   // desactivate
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /** Saves all data for the current frame, and starts the next frame in the
diff --git a/src/utils/profiler.hpp b/src/utils/profiler.hpp
index e39b63ef9..0b09dcc63 100644
--- a/src/utils/profiler.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/profiler.hpp
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ public:
     void     pushCPUMarker(const char* name="N/A",
                            const video::SColor& color=video::SColor());
     void     popCPUMarker();
-    void     toggleStatus();
+    void     activate();
+    void     desactivate();
     void     synchronizeFrame();
     void     draw();
     void     onClick(const core::vector2di& mouse_pos);