diff --git a/include/haproxy/activity-t.h b/include/haproxy/activity-t.h
index 5301cee..072b9ca 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/activity-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/activity-t.h
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@
 
 /* bit fields for the "profiling" global variable */
 #define HA_PROF_TASKS_OFF   0x00000000     /* per-task CPU profiling forced disabled */
-#define HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO  0x00000001     /* per-task CPU profiling automatic */
-#define HA_PROF_TASKS_ON    0x00000002     /* per-task CPU profiling forced enabled */
+#define HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF  0x00000001     /* per-task CPU profiling off (automatic) */
+#define HA_PROF_TASKS_AON   0x00000002     /* per-task CPU profiling on (automatic) */
+#define HA_PROF_TASKS_ON    0x00000003     /* per-task CPU profiling forced enabled */
 #define HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK  0x00000003     /* per-task CPU profiling mask */
 
 /* per-thread activity reports. It's important that it's aligned on cache lines
diff --git a/include/haproxy/activity.h b/include/haproxy/activity.h
index 05ee773..1a73619 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/activity.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/activity.h
@@ -69,24 +69,22 @@
 	}
 
 	run_time = (before_poll.tv_sec - after_poll.tv_sec) * 1000000U + (before_poll.tv_usec - after_poll.tv_usec);
-	swrate_add(&activity[tid].avg_loop_us, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES, run_time);
+	run_time = swrate_add(&activity[tid].avg_loop_us, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES, run_time);
 
-	/* reaching the "up" threshold on average switches profiling to "on"
-	 * when automatic, and going back below the "down" threshold switches
-	 * to off.
+	/* In automatic mode, reaching the "up" threshold on average switches
+	 * profiling to "on" when automatic, and going back below the "down"
+	 * threshold switches to off. The forced modes don't check the load.
 	 */
 	if (!(task_profiling_mask & tid_bit)) {
 		if (unlikely((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_ON ||
-			     ((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO && run_time >= up))) {
-			if (swrate_avg(activity[tid].avg_loop_us, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES) >= up)
-				_HA_ATOMIC_OR(&task_profiling_mask, tid_bit);
-		}
+		             ((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_AON &&
+		             swrate_avg(run_time, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES) >= up)))
+			_HA_ATOMIC_OR(&task_profiling_mask, tid_bit);
 	} else {
 		if (unlikely((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_OFF ||
-			     ((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO && run_time <= down))) {
-			if (swrate_avg(activity[tid].avg_loop_us, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES) <= down)
-				_HA_ATOMIC_AND(&task_profiling_mask, ~tid_bit);
-		}
+		             ((profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) == HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF &&
+		             swrate_avg(run_time, TIME_STATS_SAMPLES) <= down)))
+			_HA_ATOMIC_AND(&task_profiling_mask, ~tid_bit);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/activity.c b/src/activity.c
index 53721ef..79aad3e 100644
--- a/src/activity.c
+++ b/src/activity.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 
 /* bit field of profiling options. Beware, may be modified at runtime! */
-unsigned int profiling = HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO;
+unsigned int profiling = HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF;
 unsigned long task_profiling_mask = 0;
 
 /* One struct per thread containing all collected measurements */
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 	if (strcmp(args[1], "on") == 0)
 		profiling = (profiling & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_ON;
 	else if (strcmp(args[1], "auto") == 0)
-		profiling = (profiling & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO;
+		profiling = (profiling & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF;
 	else if (strcmp(args[1], "off") == 0)
 		profiling = (profiling & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_OFF;
 	else {
@@ -75,8 +75,14 @@
 	}
 	else if (strcmp(args[3], "auto") == 0) {
 		unsigned int old = profiling;
-		while (!_HA_ATOMIC_CAS(&profiling, &old, (old & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO))
-			;
+		unsigned int new;
+
+		do {
+			if ((old & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) >= HA_PROF_TASKS_AON)
+				new = (old & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_AON;
+			else
+				new = (old & ~HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) | HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF;
+		} while (!_HA_ATOMIC_CAS(&profiling, &old, new));
 	}
 	else if (strcmp(args[3], "off") == 0) {
 		unsigned int old = profiling;
@@ -103,7 +109,8 @@
 	chunk_reset(&trash);
 
 	switch (profiling & HA_PROF_TASKS_MASK) {
-	case HA_PROF_TASKS_AUTO: str="auto"; break;
+	case HA_PROF_TASKS_AOFF: str="auto-off"; break;
+	case HA_PROF_TASKS_AON:  str="auto-on"; break;
 	case HA_PROF_TASKS_ON:   str="on"; break;
 	default:                 str="off"; break;
 	}