diff --git a/src/util-profiling-keywords.c b/src/util-profiling-keywords.c
index b21eb433e798..fc4092924c00 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling-keywords.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling-keywords.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "detect-engine.h"
 #include "tm-threads.h"
 #include "util-conf.h"
+#include "util-path.h"
 #include "util-time.h"
 
 /**
@@ -67,11 +68,13 @@ void SCProfilingKeywordsGlobalInit(void)
             profiling_keyword_enabled = 1;
             const char *filename = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "filename");
             if (filename != NULL) {
-                const char *log_dir;
-                log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s",
-                        log_dir, filename);
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    strlcpy(profiling_file_name, filename, sizeof(profiling_file_name));
+                } else {
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s", log_dir,
+                            filename);
+                }
 
                 const char *v = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "append");
                 if (v == NULL || ConfValIsTrue(v)) {
diff --git a/src/util-profiling-prefilter.c b/src/util-profiling-prefilter.c
index 280d5144e220..2a3aac8dc619 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling-prefilter.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling-prefilter.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #ifdef PROFILING
 #include "detect-engine-prefilter.h"
 #include "util-conf.h"
+#include "util-path.h"
 #include "util-time.h"
 
 typedef struct SCProfilePrefilterData_ {
@@ -67,11 +68,13 @@ void SCProfilingPrefilterGlobalInit(void)
             profiling_prefilter_enabled = 1;
             const char *filename = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "filename");
             if (filename != NULL) {
-                const char *log_dir;
-                log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s",
-                        log_dir, filename);
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    strlcpy(profiling_file_name, filename, sizeof(profiling_file_name));
+                } else {
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s", log_dir,
+                            filename);
+                }
 
                 const char *v = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "append");
                 if (v == NULL || ConfValIsTrue(v)) {
diff --git a/src/util-profiling-rulegroups.c b/src/util-profiling-rulegroups.c
index a6f0a68826a6..b25e89b01bb4 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling-rulegroups.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling-rulegroups.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #ifdef PROFILING
 #include "util-conf.h"
+#include "util-path.h"
 #include "util-time.h"
 
 /**
@@ -70,11 +71,13 @@ void SCProfilingSghsGlobalInit(void)
             profiling_sghs_enabled = 1;
             const char *filename = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "filename");
             if (filename != NULL) {
-                const char *log_dir;
-                log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name),
-                        "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    strlcpy(profiling_file_name, filename, sizeof(profiling_file_name));
+                } else {
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s", log_dir,
+                            filename);
+                }
 
                 const char *v = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "append");
                 if (v == NULL || ConfValIsTrue(v)) {
diff --git a/src/util-profiling-rules.c b/src/util-profiling-rules.c
index 7a14c93b7731..9984eefd60dd 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling-rules.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling-rules.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include "util-byte.h"
 #include "util-conf.h"
+#include "util-path.h"
 #include "util-time.h"
 
 #ifdef PROFILE_RULES
@@ -139,12 +140,13 @@ void SCProfilingRulesGlobalInit(void)
             }
             const char *filename = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "filename");
             if (filename != NULL) {
-
-                const char *log_dir;
-                log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name),
-                        "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    strlcpy(profiling_file_name, filename, sizeof(profiling_file_name));
+                } else {
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_file_name, sizeof(profiling_file_name), "%s/%s", log_dir,
+                            filename);
+                }
 
                 const char *v = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "append");
                 if (v == NULL || ConfValIsTrue(v)) {
diff --git a/src/util-profiling.c b/src/util-profiling.c
index 1cf82210726f..6671e40cf578 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "util-byte.h"
 #include "util-profiling-locks.h"
 #include "util-conf.h"
+#include "util-path.h"
 
 #ifndef MIN
 #define MIN(a, b) (((a) < (b)) ? (a) : (b))
@@ -172,11 +173,14 @@ SCProfilingInit(void)
 
             const char *filename = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "filename");
             if (filename != NULL) {
-                const char *log_dir;
-                log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                snprintf(profiling_packets_file_name, sizeof(profiling_packets_file_name),
-                        "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    strlcpy(profiling_packets_file_name, filename,
+                            sizeof(profiling_packets_file_name));
+                } else {
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_packets_file_name, sizeof(profiling_packets_file_name),
+                            "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
+                }
 
                 const char *v = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "append");
                 if (v == NULL || ConfValIsTrue(v)) {
@@ -196,14 +200,20 @@ SCProfilingInit(void)
                 if (filename == NULL) {
                     filename = "packet_profile.csv";
                 }
+                if (PathIsAbsolute(filename)) {
+                    profiling_csv_file_name = SCStrdup(filename);
+                    if (unlikely(profiling_csv_file_name == NULL)) {
+                        FatalError("out of memory");
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    profiling_csv_file_name = SCMalloc(PATH_MAX);
+                    if (unlikely(profiling_csv_file_name == NULL)) {
+                        FatalError("out of memory");
+                    }
 
-                const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
-
-                profiling_csv_file_name = SCMalloc(PATH_MAX);
-                if (unlikely(profiling_csv_file_name == NULL)) {
-                    FatalError("out of memory");
+                    const char *log_dir = ConfigGetLogDirectory();
+                    snprintf(profiling_csv_file_name, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
                 }
-                snprintf(profiling_csv_file_name, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
 
                 packet_profile_csv_fp = fopen(profiling_csv_file_name, "w");
                 if (packet_profile_csv_fp == NULL) {