diff --git a/picamera2/encoders/h264_encoder.py b/picamera2/encoders/h264_encoder.py
index 62567b0d..900daca1 100644
--- a/picamera2/encoders/h264_encoder.py
+++ b/picamera2/encoders/h264_encoder.py
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@
                   V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_LEVEL,
                   V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_MAX_QP,
                   V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_MIN_QP,
+                  V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE,
                   V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_REPEAT_SEQ_HEADER,
                   V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_LEVEL_4_1,
-                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_LEVEL_4_2, V4L2_PIX_FMT_H264)
+                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_LEVEL_4_2,
+                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_BASELINE,
+                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_CONSTRAINED_BASELINE,
+                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_HIGH,
+                  V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_MAIN, V4L2_PIX_FMT_H264)
 
 from picamera2.encoders import Quality
 from picamera2.encoders.v4l2_encoder import V4L2Encoder
@@ -15,7 +20,8 @@
 class H264Encoder(V4L2Encoder):
     """Uses functionality from V4L2Encoder"""
 
-    def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=None, framerate=None, enable_sps_framerate=False, qp=None):
+    def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=None, framerate=None, enable_sps_framerate=False,
+                 qp=None, profile=None):
         """H264 Encoder
 
         :param bitrate: Bitrate, default None
@@ -33,6 +39,7 @@ def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=None, framerate=None, enab
         self.iperiod = iperiod
         self.repeat = repeat
         self.qp = qp
+        self.profile = profile
         # The framerate can be reported in the sequence headers if enable_sps_framerate is set,
         # but there's no guarantee that frames will be delivered to the codec at that rate!
         self.framerate = framerate
@@ -41,6 +48,19 @@ def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=None, framerate=None, enab
     def _start(self):
         self._controls = []
 
+        # These names match what FFmpeg uses.
+        profile_lookup = {"baseline": V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_BASELINE,
+                          "constrained baseline": V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_CONSTRAINED_BASELINE,
+                          "main": V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_MAIN,
+                          "high": V4L2_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE_HIGH}
+        if self.profile:
+            if not isinstance(self.profile, str):
+                raise RuntimeError("Profile should be a string value")
+            profile = self.profile.lower()
+            if profile in profile_lookup:
+                self._controls += [(V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_PROFILE, profile_lookup[profile])]
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError("Profile " + self.profile + " not recognised")
         if self.iperiod is not None:
             self._controls += [(V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_H264_I_PERIOD, self.iperiod)]
         if self.repeat:
diff --git a/picamera2/encoders/libav_h264_encoder.py b/picamera2/encoders/libav_h264_encoder.py
index 09e0277c..8c7377dd 100644
--- a/picamera2/encoders/libav_h264_encoder.py
+++ b/picamera2/encoders/libav_h264_encoder.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 class LibavH264Encoder(Encoder):
     """Encoder class that uses libx264 for h.264 encoding."""
 
-    def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=30, framerate=30, qp=None):
+    def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=30, framerate=30, qp=None, profile=None):
         """Initialise"""
         super().__init__()
         self._codec = "h264"  # for now only support h264
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ def __init__(self, bitrate=None, repeat=True, iperiod=30, framerate=30, qp=None)
         self.iperiod = iperiod
         self.framerate = framerate
         self.qp = qp
+        self.profile = profile
+        self.preset = None
 
     def _setup(self, quality):
         # If an explicit quality was specified, use it, otherwise try to preserve any bitrate/qp
@@ -45,20 +47,39 @@ def _start(self):
         self._stream = self._container.add_stream(self._codec, rate=self.framerate)
 
         self._stream.codec_context.thread_count = 8
-        self._stream.codec_context.thread_type = av.codec.context.ThreadType.FRAME
+        self._stream.codec_context.thread_type = av.codec.context.ThreadType.FRAME  # noqa
 
         self._stream.width = self.width
         self._stream.height = self.height
         self._stream.pix_fmt = "yuv420p"
 
+        preset = "ultrafast"
+        if self.profile is not None:
+            if not isinstance(self.profile, str):
+                raise RuntimeError("Profile should be a string value")
+            # Much more helpful to compare profile names case insensitively!
+            available_profiles = {k.lower(): v for k, v in self._stream.codec.profiles.items()}
+            profile = self.profile.lower()
+            if profile not in available_profiles:
+                raise RuntimeError("Profile " + self.profile + " not recognised")
+            self._stream.codec_context.profile = available_profiles[profile]
+            # The "ultrafast" preset always produces baseline, so:
+            if "baseline" not in profile:
+                preset = "superfast"
+
         if self.bitrate is not None:
             self._stream.codec_context.bit_rate = self.bitrate
         self._stream.codec_context.gop_size = self.iperiod
-        self._stream.codec_context.options["preset"] = "ultrafast"
+
+        # For those who know what they're doing, let them override the "preset".
+        if self.preset:
+            preset = self.preset
+        self._stream.codec_context.options["preset"] = preset
+
         self._stream.codec_context.options["deblock"] = "1"
         # Absence of the "global header" flags means that SPS/PPS headers get repeated.
         if not self.repeat:
-            self._stream.codec_context.flags |= av.codec.context.Flags.GLOBAL_HEADER
+            self._stream.codec_context.flags |= av.codec.context.Flags.GLOBAL_HEADER  # noqa
         if self.qp is not None:
             self._stream.codec_context.qmin = self.qp
             self._stream.codec_context.qmax = self.qp