--- a/src/ov-builtin.cc
+++ b/src/ov-builtin.cc
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
 
       try
         {
-          profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler, profiler_name ());
+          BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK (profiler_name ())
 
           retval = (*f) (args, nargout);
           // Do not allow null values to be returned from functions.
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@
           // the idiom is very common, so we solve that here.
           if (retval.length () == 1 && retval.xelem (0).is_undefined ())
             retval.clear ();
+
+          END_PROFILER_BLOCK
         }
       catch (octave_execution_exception)
         {

--- a/src/ov-mex-fcn.cc
+++ b/src/ov-mex-fcn.cc
@@ -148,8 +148,9 @@
 
       try
         {
-          profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler, profiler_name ());
+          BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK (profiler_name ())
           retval = call_mex (have_fmex, mex_fcn_ptr, args, nargout, this);
+          END_PROFILER_BLOCK
         }
       catch (octave_execution_exception)
         {

--- a/src/ov-usr-fcn.cc
+++ b/src/ov-usr-fcn.cc
@@ -134,11 +134,9 @@
                   frame.protect_var (tree_evaluator::statement_context);
                   tree_evaluator::statement_context = tree_evaluator::script;
 
-                  {
-                    profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                        profiler_name ());
-                    cmd_list->accept (*current_evaluator);
-                  }
+                  BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK (profiler_name ())
+                  cmd_list->accept (*current_evaluator);
+                  END_PROFILER_BLOCK
 
                   if (tree_return_command::returning)
                     tree_return_command::returning = 0;
@@ -455,26 +453,26 @@
   bool special_expr = (is_inline_function ()
                        || cmd_list->is_anon_function_body ());
 
-  {
-    profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler, profiler_name ());
+  BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK (profiler_name ())
 
-    if (special_expr)
-      {
-        assert (cmd_list->length () == 1);
+  if (special_expr)
+    {
+      assert (cmd_list->length () == 1);
 
-        tree_statement *stmt = 0;
+      tree_statement *stmt = 0;
 
-        if ((stmt = cmd_list->front ())
-            && stmt->is_expression ())
-          {
-            tree_expression *expr = stmt->expression ();
+      if ((stmt = cmd_list->front ())
+          && stmt->is_expression ())
+        {
+          tree_expression *expr = stmt->expression ();
 
-            retval = expr->rvalue (nargout);
-          }
-      }
-    else
-      cmd_list->accept (*current_evaluator);
-  }
+          retval = expr->rvalue (nargout);
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    cmd_list->accept (*current_evaluator);
+
+  END_PROFILER_BLOCK
 
   if (echo_commands)
     print_code_function_trailer ();

--- a/src/profiler.h
+++ b/src/profiler.h
@@ -175,4 +175,11 @@
 // The instance used.
 extern profile_data_accumulator profiler;
 
+// Helper macro to profile a block of code.
+#define BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK(name) \
+  { \
+    profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler, (name));
+#define END_PROFILER_BLOCK \
+  }
+
 #endif

--- a/src/pt-binop.cc
+++ b/src/pt-binop.cc
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@
 
           if (! error_state && b.is_defined ())
             {
-              profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                  "binary " + oper ());
+              BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK ("binary " + oper ())
 
               // Note: The profiler does not catch the braindead
               // short-circuit evaluation code above, but that should be
@@ -134,6 +133,8 @@
 
               if (error_state)
                 retval = octave_value ();
+
+              END_PROFILER_BLOCK
             }
         }
     }

--- a/src/pt-unop.cc
+++ b/src/pt-unop.cc
@@ -73,13 +73,14 @@
 
           if (! error_state)
             {
-              profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                  "prefix " + oper ());
+              BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK ("prefix " + oper ())
               
               ref.do_unary_op (etype);
 
               if (! error_state)
                 retval = ref.value ();
+
+              END_PROFILER_BLOCK
             }
         }
       else
@@ -88,8 +89,7 @@
 
           if (! error_state && val.is_defined ())
             {
-              profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                  "prefix " + oper ());
+              BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK ("prefix " + oper ())
 
               // Attempt to do the operation in-place if it is unshared
               // (a temporary expression).
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@
 
               if (error_state)
                 retval = octave_value ();
+
+              END_PROFILER_BLOCK
             }
         }
     }
@@ -160,10 +162,9 @@
             {
               retval = ref.value ();
 
-              profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                  "postfix " + oper ());
-
+              BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK ("postfix " + oper ())
               ref.do_unary_op (etype);
+              END_PROFILER_BLOCK
             }
         }
       else
@@ -172,13 +173,14 @@
 
           if (! error_state && val.is_defined ())
             {
-              profile_data_accumulator::enter pe (profiler,
-                                                  "postfix " + oper ());
+              BEGIN_PROFILER_BLOCK ("postfix " + oper ())
 
               retval = ::do_unary_op (etype, val);
 
               if (error_state)
                 retval = octave_value ();
+
+              END_PROFILER_BLOCK
             }
         }
     }