diff --git a/src/startup_profiler.py b/src/startup_profiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..41605ee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/startup_profiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import time
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from typing import Any, Iterator
+
+
+@dataclass
+class _Phase:
+ name: str
+ start_ts: float
+ end_ts: float = 0.0
+
+
+@dataclass
+class StartupProfiler:
+ _phases: list[_Phase] = field(default_factory=list)
+ _enabled: bool = True
+
+ def enable(self) -> None:
+  self._enabled = True
+
+ def disable(self) -> None:
+  self._enabled = False
+
+ @contextmanager
+ def phase(self, name: str) -> Iterator[None]:
+  if not self._enabled:
+   yield
+   return
+  p = _Phase(name=name, start_ts=time.perf_counter())
+  try:
+   yield
+  finally:
+   p.end_ts = time.perf_counter()
+   self._phases.append(p)
+
+ def snapshot(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+  phases: dict[str, dict[str, float]] = {}
+  total = 0.0
+  for p in self._phases:
+   duration_ms = max(0.0, (p.end_ts - p.start_ts) * 1000.0) if p.end_ts else 0.0
+   phases[p.name] = {
+    "start_ts": p.start_ts,
+    "duration_ms": round(duration_ms, 3),
+   }
+   total += duration_ms
+  return {
+   "phases": phases,
+   "total_ms": round(total, 3),
+   "count": len(phases),
+  }
+
+ def reset(self) -> None:
+  self._phases.clear()
diff --git a/tests/test_startup_profiler.py b/tests/test_startup_profiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2649beb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_startup_profiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"""Tests for src/startup_profiler.py.
+
+TDD Red phase: this file should fail before src/startup_profiler.py exists,
+pass after it's implemented.
+"""
+
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT))
+
+from src.startup_profiler import StartupProfiler  # noqa: E402
+
+
+def test_startup_profiler_records_phase_duration() -> None:
+ prof = StartupProfiler()
+ with prof.phase("init_config"):
+  time.sleep(0.01)
+ snap = prof.snapshot()
+ assert "phases" in snap
+ assert "init_config" in snap["phases"]
+ entry = snap["phases"]["init_config"]
+ assert entry["duration_ms"] >= 8.0
+ assert entry["duration_ms"] < 500.0
+ assert entry["start_ts"] > 0
+
+
+def test_startup_profiler_total_reflects_sum() -> None:
+ prof = StartupProfiler()
+ with prof.phase("a"):
+  time.sleep(0.005)
+ with prof.phase("b"):
+  time.sleep(0.005)
+ snap = prof.snapshot()
+ assert snap["total_ms"] >= 10.0
+ assert abs(snap["total_ms"] - (snap["phases"]["a"]["duration_ms"] + snap["phases"]["b"]["duration_ms"])) < 0.5
+
+
+def test_startup_profiler_snapshot_is_independent_copy() -> None:
+ prof = StartupProfiler()
+ with prof.phase("x"):
+  pass
+ snap1 = prof.snapshot()
+ with prof.phase("y"):
+  pass
+ snap2 = prof.snapshot()
+ assert "x" in snap1["phases"]
+ assert "y" not in snap1["phases"]
+ assert "y" in snap2["phases"]
+
+
+def test_startup_profiler_phase_records_on_exception() -> None:
+ prof = StartupProfiler()
+ try:
+  with prof.phase("will_fail"):
+   raise RuntimeError("boom")
+ except RuntimeError:
+  pass
+ snap = prof.snapshot()
+ assert "will_fail" in snap["phases"]
+ assert snap["phases"]["will_fail"]["duration_ms"] >= 0
+
+
+def test_startup_profiler_empty_snapshot() -> None:
+ prof = StartupProfiler()
+ snap = prof.snapshot()
+ assert snap["phases"] == {}
+ assert snap["total_ms"] == 0.0