diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 82f0380039..f6c29f53ff 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public/system
 public/stylesheets
 public/images
 public/spree
+public/assets
 config/abr.yml
 config/initializers/feature_toggle.rb
 NERD_tree*
diff --git a/config/environments/development.rb b/config/environments/development.rb
index 20310726cb..8782f1b635 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.rb
+++ b/config/environments/development.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 Openfoodnetwork::Application.configure do
   # Settings specified here will take precedence over those in config/application.rb
+  #
+  # PROFILE switches several settings to a more "production-like" value
+  # for profiling and benchmarking the application locally. All changes you
+  # make to the app will require restart.
 
   # In the development environment your application's code is reloaded on
   # every request.  This slows down response time but is perfect for development
   # since you don't have to restart the web server when you make code changes.
-  config.cache_classes = false
+  config.cache_classes = !!ENV["PROFILE"]
 
   # :file_store is used by default when no cache store is specifically configured.
   # config.cache_store = :file_store
@@ -14,7 +18,7 @@ Openfoodnetwork::Application.configure do
 
   # Show full error reports and disable caching
   config.consider_all_requests_local       = true
-  config.action_controller.perform_caching = false
+  config.action_controller.perform_caching = !!ENV["PROFILE"]
 
   # Don't care if the mailer can't send
   config.action_mailer.raise_delivery_errors = false
@@ -28,8 +32,25 @@ Openfoodnetwork::Application.configure do
   # Do not compress assets
   config.assets.compress = false
 
+  # Generate digests for assets URLs.
+  #
+  # Asset digests allow you to set far-future HTTP expiration dates on all assets,
+  # yet still be able to expire them through the digest params.
+  config.assets.digest = !!ENV["PROFILE"]
+
   # Expands the lines which load the assets
-  config.assets.debug = false
+  #
+  # Setting this to false makes Rails bundle assets into all.js and all.css.
+  #
+  # Disabling asset debugging still requires that assets be compiled for each
+  # request. You can avoid that by precompiling the assets as in production:
+  #
+  #   $ bundle exec rake assets:precompile:primary assets:precompile:nondigest
+  #
+  # You can remove them by simply running:
+  #
+  #   $ bundle exec rake assets:clean
+  config.assets.debug = !ENV["PROFILE"]
 
   # Set Time.zone default to the specified zone and make Active Record auto-convert to this zone.
   # Run "rake -D time" for a list of tasks for finding time zone names. Default is UTC.