diff --git a/db/dbcommands.cpp b/db/dbcommands.cpp
index 92028a0fc09..8cad309dc79 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands.cpp
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ namespace mongo {
             help << "enable or disable performance profiling\n";
             help << "{ profile : <n> }\n";
             help << "0=off 1=log slow ops 2=log all\n";
+            help << "-1 to get current values\n";
             help << "http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Database+Profiler";
         }
         virtual LockType locktype() const { return WRITE; } 
diff --git a/shell/db.js b/shell/db.js
index 652732cb6e7..791b00daa78 100644
--- a/shell/db.js
+++ b/shell/db.js
@@ -122,14 +122,28 @@ DB.prototype.createCollection = function(name, opt) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * @deprecated use getProfilingStatus
  *  Returns the current profiling level of this database
  *  @return SOMETHING_FIXME or null on error
  */
- DB.prototype.getProfilingLevel  = function() { 
+DB.prototype.getProfilingLevel  = function() { 
     var res = this._dbCommand( { profile: -1 } );
     return res ? res.was : null;
 }
 
+/**
+ *  @return the current profiling status
+ *  example { was : 0, slowms : 100 }
+ *  @return SOMETHING_FIXME or null on error
+ */
+DB.prototype.getProfilingStatus  = function() { 
+    var res = this._dbCommand( { profile: -1 } );
+    if ( ! res.ok )
+        throw "profile command failed: " + tojson( res );
+    delete res.ok
+    return res;
+}
+
 
 /**
   Erase the entire database.  (!)
@@ -270,7 +284,8 @@ DB.prototype.help = function() {
     print("\tdb.getMongo().setSlaveOk() allow this connection to read from the nonmaster member of a replica pair");
     print("\tdb.getName()");
     print("\tdb.getPrevError()");
-    print("\tdb.getProfilingLevel()");
+    print("\tdb.getProfilingLevel() - deprecated");
+    print("\tdb.getProfilingStatus() - returns if profiling is on and slow threshold ");
     print("\tdb.getReplicationInfo()");
     print("\tdb.getSisterDB(name) get the db at the same server as this one");
     print("\tdb.isMaster() check replica primary status");
diff --git a/shell/mongo_vstudio.cpp b/shell/mongo_vstudio.cpp
index 59451c50b6a..636c5686598 100644
--- a/shell/mongo_vstudio.cpp
+++ b/shell/mongo_vstudio.cpp
@@ -1518,6 +1518,7 @@ const StringData _jscode_raw_db =
 "}\n" 
 "\n" 
 "/**\n" 
+"* @deprecated use getProfilingStatus\n" 
 "*  Returns the current profiling level of this database\n" 
 "*  @return SOMETHING_FIXME or null on error\n" 
 "*/\n" 
@@ -1526,6 +1527,19 @@ const StringData _jscode_raw_db =
 "return res ? res.was : null;\n" 
 "}\n" 
 "\n" 
+"/**\n" 
+"*  @return the current profiling status\n" 
+"*  example { was : 0, slowms : 100 }\n" 
+"*  @return SOMETHING_FIXME or null on error\n" 
+"*/\n" 
+"DB.prototype.getProfilingStatus  = function() {\n" 
+"var res = this._dbCommand( { profile: -1 } );\n" 
+"if ( ! res.ok )\n" 
+"throw \"profile command failed: \" + tojson( res );\n" 
+"delete res.ok\n" 
+"return res;\n" 
+"}\n" 
+"\n" 
 "\n" 
 "/**\n" 
 "Erase the entire database.  (!)\n"