diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py
index 8adc06fdfbe..957dd039b95 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/solve.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
 
+import argparse
 import re
 import sys
 
@@ -48,6 +49,13 @@ def setup_parser(subparser):
     subparser.add_argument(
         "--stats", action="store_true", default=False, help="print out statistics from clingo"
     )
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        "--profile",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=False,
+        help="profile the solve phase and print out statistics on atoms",
+    )
+    subparser.add_argument("specs", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER, help="specs of packages")
 
     spack.cmd.spec.setup_parser(subparser)
 
@@ -147,6 +155,7 @@ def solve(parser, args):
             stats=args.stats,
             setup_only=setup_only,
             allow_deprecated=allow_deprecated,
+            profile=args.profile,
         )
         if not setup_only:
             _process_result(result, show, required_format, kwargs)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
index 5310c4e3a84..21b4429cbd6 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
     parse_term,
 )
 from .counter import FullDuplicatesCounter, MinimalDuplicatesCounter, NoDuplicatesCounter
+from .profiler import ProfilePropagator
 from .version_order import concretization_version_order
 
 GitOrStandardVersion = Union[spack.version.GitVersion, spack.version.StandardVersion]
@@ -800,7 +801,16 @@ def __init__(self, cores=True):
         # This attribute will be reset at each call to solve
         self.control = None
 
-    def solve(self, setup, specs, reuse=None, output=None, control=None, allow_deprecated=False):
+    def solve(
+        self,
+        setup,
+        specs,
+        reuse=None,
+        output=None,
+        control=None,
+        allow_deprecated=False,
+        profile=False,
+    ):
         """Set up the input and solve for dependencies of ``specs``.
 
         Arguments:
@@ -826,6 +836,11 @@ def solve(self, setup, specs, reuse=None, output=None, control=None, allow_depre
         # Initialize the control object for the solver
         self.control = control or default_clingo_control()
 
+        # if profiling is enabled, register a profiling propagator
+        if profile:
+            propagator = ProfilePropagator()
+            self.control.register_propagator(propagator)
+
         # ensure core deps are present on Windows
         # needs to modify active config scope, so cannot be run within
         # bootstrap config scope
@@ -925,13 +940,18 @@ def on_model(model):
             result.cores.extend(cores)
 
         if output.timers:
+            tty.msg("Timers:")
             timer.write_tty()
             print()
 
         if output.stats:
-            print("Statistics:")
+            tty.msg("Statistics:")
             pprint.pprint(self.control.statistics)
 
+        if profile:
+            tty.msg("Profile:")
+            propagator.print_profile(40)
+
         result.raise_if_unsat()
 
         if result.satisfiable and result.unsolved_specs and setup.concretize_everything:
@@ -4361,6 +4381,7 @@ def solve_with_stats(
         tests=False,
         setup_only=False,
         allow_deprecated=False,
+        profile=False,
     ):
         """
         Concretize a set of specs and track the timing and statistics for the solve
@@ -4382,7 +4403,12 @@ def solve_with_stats(
         setup = SpackSolverSetup(tests=tests)
         output = OutputConfiguration(timers=timers, stats=stats, out=out, setup_only=setup_only)
         return self.driver.solve(
-            setup, specs, reuse=reusable_specs, output=output, allow_deprecated=allow_deprecated
+            setup,
+            specs,
+            reuse=reusable_specs,
+            output=output,
+            allow_deprecated=allow_deprecated,
+            profile=profile,
         )
 
     def solve(self, specs, **kwargs):
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/profiler.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/profiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4a50f135ee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/profiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2024 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other
+# Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
+"""Profiling propagator for clingo solves."""
+
+import re
+from typing import Any, Dict, List
+
+import llnl.util.tty as tty
+
+
+class Data:
+    """Counters for propagations and undos of an atom."""
+
+    __slots__ = ["atom", "literal", "prop", "undo"]
+
+    # currently we use Any for clingo types because clingo has a bunch of import
+    # wrappers around it that make typing difficult (see spack.solver.core for details)
+    def __init__(self, atom: Any, literal: int, prop: int, undo: int):
+        self.atom = atom
+        self.literal = literal
+        self.prop = prop
+        self.undo = undo
+
+
+class AggregatedData:
+    """Aggregated data for a profile, constructed from ``Data``.
+
+    We coarsen from atom granularity to string keys when aggregating.
+    """
+
+    __slots__ = ["name", "prop", "undo"]
+
+    def __init__(self, name: str, prop: int, undo: int):
+        self.name = name
+        self.prop = prop
+        self.undo = undo
+
+
+class ProfilePropagator:
+    """Profiling propagator for `spack solve --profile`.
+
+    Register this with the ``clingo.Control`` object to profile a solve.
+    """
+
+    _literal_to_atom: Dict
+    _profile: Dict[int, Data]
+
+    def init(self, init) -> None:
+        self._literal_to_atom = {}
+        self._profile = {}
+        for atom in init.symbolic_atoms:
+            solver_literal = init.solver_literal(atom.literal)
+            self._profile[solver_literal] = Data(atom, solver_literal, 0, 0)
+            init.add_watch(solver_literal)
+
+    def propagate(self, ctl, changes: List[int]) -> bool:
+        """Record a propagation in the solve."""
+        for literal in changes:
+            data = self._profile[literal]
+            data.prop += 1
+        return True
+
+    def undo(self, solver_id: int, assign, undo: List[int]) -> None:
+        """Record an undo in the solve."""
+        for literal in undo:
+            data = self._profile[literal]
+            data.undo += 1
+
+    def color_sym(self, string: str) -> str:
+        """Colorize a symbol for profile output"""
+        string = re.sub(r"^(\w+)", r"@C{\1}", string)
+        string = re.sub(r'("[^"]*")', r"@G{\1}", string)
+        string = re.sub(r"([\(\)])", r"@b{\1}", string)
+        return tty.color.colorize(string)
+
+    def key(self, atom) -> str:
+        """Convert an atom into an aggregate key for our profile.
+
+        Currently this compresses most things to their function name, and expands
+        ``attr("name", ...)`` to ``attr("name")`` so we can see which attributes affect
+        the solve most.
+
+        """
+        sym = atom.symbol
+        return f"attr({sym.arguments[0]})" if sym.name == "attr" else sym.name
+
+    def print_profile(self, n_atoms: int) -> None:
+        """Aggregate and print nicely formatted profile data."""
+        aggregated = {}
+        for data in self._profile.values():
+            name = self.key(data.atom)
+            if name not in aggregated:
+                aggregated[name] = AggregatedData(name, data.prop, data.undo)
+            else:
+                agg = aggregated[name]
+                agg.prop += data.prop
+                agg.undo += data.undo
+
+        values = sorted(
+            (x for x in aggregated.values() if x.prop), key=lambda x: x.prop, reverse=True
+        )
+
+        # format the output nicely
+        w = 10  # width for number fields
+        print(tty.color.colorize(f"  @*{{{'Prop':<{w}}{'Undo':<{w}}{'Symbol'}}}"))
+        for a in values[:n_atoms]:
+            print(f"  {a.prop:<{w}}{a.undo:<{w}}{self.color_sym(a.name)}")
+        if len(values) > n_atoms:
+            print("  ...")
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretization/core.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretization/core.py
index e33f9761dad..be2a632916b 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/concretization/core.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/concretization/core.py
@@ -2871,6 +2871,18 @@ def test_specifying_different_versions_build_deps(self):
         assert any(x.satisfies(hdf5_str) for x in result.specs)
         assert any(x.satisfies(pinned_str) for x in result.specs)
 
+    def test_solve_with_profile(self, capsys):
+        """For now, just ensure that the profiler runs."""
+        solver = spack.solver.asp.Solver()
+        solver.solve([Spec("hdf5")], profile=True)
+
+        out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
+        assert "Profile:" in out
+        assert "Symbol" in out
+        assert "Prop" in out
+        assert "Undo" in out
+        assert "internal_error" in out  # symbol is always in small solves
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "v_str,v_opts,checksummed",
diff --git a/share/spack/gitlab/cloud_pipelines/stacks/tutorial/.spack-env/transaction_lock b/share/spack/gitlab/cloud_pipelines/stacks/tutorial/.spack-env/transaction_lock
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/share/spack/spack-completion.bash b/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
index 706fb7e2d59..3ea04e0dd61 100644
--- a/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
+++ b/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
@@ -1849,7 +1849,7 @@ _spack_restage() {
 _spack_solve() {
     if $list_options
     then
-        SPACK_COMPREPLY="-h --help --show --timers --stats -l --long -L --very-long -N --namespaces -I --install-status --no-install-status -y --yaml -j --json --format -c --cover -t --types -U --fresh --reuse --fresh-roots --reuse-deps --deprecated"
+        SPACK_COMPREPLY="-h --help --show --timers --stats --profile -l --long -L --very-long -N --namespaces -I --install-status --no-install-status -y --yaml -j --json --format -c --cover -t --types -U --fresh --reuse --fresh-roots --reuse-deps --deprecated"
     else
         _all_packages
     fi
diff --git a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
index 52153f01c0e..2950e27dcba 100644
--- a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
+++ b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
@@ -2799,8 +2799,9 @@ complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command restage' -s h -l help -f -a hel
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command restage' -s h -l help -d 'show this help message and exit'
 
 # spack solve
-set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_solve h/help show= timers stats l/long L/very-long N/namespaces I/install-status no-install-status y/yaml j/json format= c/cover= t/types U/fresh reuse fresh-roots deprecated
+set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_solve h/help show= timers stats profile l/long L/very-long N/namespaces I/install-status no-install-status y/yaml j/json format= c/cover= t/types U/fresh reuse fresh-roots deprecated
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command_pos_remainder 0 solve' -f -k -a '(__fish_spack_specs_or_id)'
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command_pos_remainder 1 solve' -f -k -a '(__fish_spack_specs_or_id)'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -s h -l help -f -a help
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -s h -l help -d 'show this help message and exit'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l show -r -f -a show
@@ -2809,6 +2810,8 @@ complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l timers -f -a timers
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l timers -d 'print out timers for different solve phases'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l stats -f -a stats
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l stats -d 'print out statistics from clingo'
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l profile -f -a profile
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -l profile -d 'profile the solve phase and print out statistics on atoms'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -s l -l long -f -a long
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -s l -l long -d 'show dependency hashes as well as versions'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command solve' -s L -l very-long -f -a very_long