diff --git a/doc/src/overrides.md b/doc/src/overrides.md
index 9d6d7b64e1..e0e869937f 100644
--- a/doc/src/overrides.md
+++ b/doc/src/overrides.md
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ called `rust-toolchain`, the content of which is either the name of a single
 channel = "nightly-2020-07-10"
 components = [ "rustfmt", "rustc-dev" ]
 targets = [ "wasm32-unknown-unknown", "thumbv2-none-eabi" ]
+profile = "minimal"
 ```
 
 If the TOML format is used, the `[toolchain]` section is mandatory, and at
diff --git a/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs b/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
index f6d6363af2..c3dd100ab5 100644
--- a/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
+++ b/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
@@ -949,6 +949,7 @@ fn update(cfg: &mut Cfg, m: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> Result<utils::ExitCode> {
                     m.is_present("allow-downgrade"),
                     &components,
                     &targets,
+                    None,
                 )?)
             } else if !toolchain.exists() {
                 return Err(ErrorKind::InvalidToolchainName(toolchain.name().to_string()).into());
diff --git a/src/cli/self_update.rs b/src/cli/self_update.rs
index bff0eb50eb..d42febdb7f 100644
--- a/src/cli/self_update.rs
+++ b/src/cli/self_update.rs
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ fn maybe_install_rust(
             warn!("Updating existing toolchain, profile choice will be ignored");
         }
         let distributable = DistributableToolchain::new(&toolchain)?;
-        let status = distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, components, targets)?;
+        let status = distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, components, targets, None)?;
         let toolchain_str = toolchain.name().to_owned();
         toolchain.cfg().set_default(&toolchain_str)?;
         writeln!(process().stdout())?;
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 66ab0cd2bd..ecc288aa2a 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ struct ToolchainSection {
     channel: Option<String>,
     components: Option<Vec<String>>,
     targets: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    profile: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl ToolchainSection {
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ struct OverrideCfg<'a> {
     toolchain: Option<Toolchain<'a>>,
     components: Vec<String>,
     targets: Vec<String>,
+    profile: Option<dist::Profile>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> OverrideCfg<'a> {
@@ -89,6 +91,12 @@ impl<'a> OverrideCfg<'a> {
             },
             components: file.toolchain.components.unwrap_or_default(),
             targets: file.toolchain.targets.unwrap_or_default(),
+            profile: file
+                .toolchain
+                .profile
+                .as_deref()
+                .map(dist::Profile::from_str)
+                .transpose()?,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -660,13 +668,14 @@ impl Cfg {
             }
         }
 
-        if let Some((toolchain, components, targets, reason)) =
+        if let Some((toolchain, components, targets, reason, profile)) =
             match self.find_override_config(path)? {
                 Some((
                     OverrideCfg {
                         toolchain,
                         components,
                         targets,
+                        profile,
                     },
                     reason,
                 )) => {
@@ -678,11 +687,11 @@ impl Cfg {
 
                     toolchain
                         .or(default)
-                        .map(|toolchain| (toolchain, components, targets, Some(reason)))
+                        .map(|toolchain| (toolchain, components, targets, Some(reason), profile))
                 }
                 None => self
                     .find_default()?
-                    .map(|toolchain| (toolchain, vec![], vec![], None)),
+                    .map(|toolchain| (toolchain, vec![], vec![], None, None)),
             }
         {
             if toolchain.is_custom() {
@@ -698,7 +707,7 @@ impl Cfg {
                 let distributable = DistributableToolchain::new(&toolchain)?;
                 if !toolchain.exists() || !components_exist(&distributable, &components, &targets)?
                 {
-                    distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, &components, &targets)?;
+                    distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, &components, &targets, profile)?;
                 }
             }
 
@@ -760,7 +769,7 @@ impl Cfg {
         let channels = channels.map(|(n, t)| {
             let st = t.and_then(|t| {
                 let distributable = DistributableToolchain::new(&t)?;
-                let st = distributable.install_from_dist(force_update, false, &[], &[]);
+                let st = distributable.install_from_dist(force_update, false, &[], &[], None);
                 if let Err(ref e) = st {
                     (self.notify_handler)(Notification::NonFatalError(e));
                 }
@@ -815,7 +824,7 @@ impl Cfg {
         let toolchain = self.get_toolchain(toolchain, false)?;
         if install_if_missing && !toolchain.exists() {
             let distributable = DistributableToolchain::new(&toolchain)?;
-            distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, &[], &[])?;
+            distributable.install_from_dist(true, false, &[], &[], None)?;
         }
 
         if let Some(cmd) = self.maybe_do_cargo_fallback(&toolchain, binary)? {
@@ -911,6 +920,7 @@ mod tests {
                     channel: Some(contents.into()),
                     components: None,
                     targets: None,
+                    profile: None,
                 }
             }
         );
@@ -922,6 +932,7 @@ mod tests {
 channel = "nightly-2020-07-10"
 components = [ "rustfmt", "rustc-dev" ]
 targets = [ "wasm32-unknown-unknown", "thumbv2-none-eabi" ]
+profile = "default"
 "#;
 
         let result = Cfg::parse_override_file(contents);
@@ -935,6 +946,7 @@ targets = [ "wasm32-unknown-unknown", "thumbv2-none-eabi" ]
                         "wasm32-unknown-unknown".into(),
                         "thumbv2-none-eabi".into()
                     ]),
+                    profile: Some("default".into()),
                 }
             }
         );
@@ -954,6 +966,7 @@ channel = "nightly-2020-07-10"
                     channel: Some("nightly-2020-07-10".into()),
                     components: None,
                     targets: None,
+                    profile: None,
                 }
             }
         );
@@ -974,6 +987,7 @@ components = []
                     channel: Some("nightly-2020-07-10".into()),
                     components: Some(vec![]),
                     targets: None,
+                    profile: None,
                 }
             }
         );
@@ -994,6 +1008,7 @@ targets = []
                     channel: Some("nightly-2020-07-10".into()),
                     components: None,
                     targets: Some(vec![]),
+                    profile: None,
                 }
             }
         );
@@ -1013,6 +1028,7 @@ components = [ "rustfmt" ]
                     channel: None,
                     components: Some(vec!["rustfmt".into()]),
                     targets: None,
+                    profile: None,
                 }
             }
         );
diff --git a/src/toolchain.rs b/src/toolchain.rs
index 7410216e35..bbdee214c8 100644
--- a/src/toolchain.rs
+++ b/src/toolchain.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use wait_timeout::ChildExt;
 
 use crate::component_for_bin;
 use crate::config::Cfg;
+use crate::dist::dist::Profile;
 use crate::dist::dist::TargetTriple;
 use crate::dist::dist::ToolchainDesc;
 use crate::dist::download::DownloadCfg;
@@ -685,12 +686,15 @@ impl<'a> DistributableToolchain<'a> {
         allow_downgrade: bool,
         components: &[&str],
         targets: &[&str],
+        profile: Option<Profile>,
     ) -> Result<UpdateStatus> {
         let update_hash = self.update_hash()?;
         let old_date = self.get_manifest().ok().and_then(|m| m.map(|m| m.date));
         InstallMethod::Dist {
             desc: &self.desc()?,
-            profile: self.0.cfg.get_profile()?,
+            profile: profile
+                .map(Ok)
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| self.0.cfg.get_profile())?,
             update_hash: Some(&update_hash),
             dl_cfg: self.download_cfg(),
             force_update,
diff --git a/tests/cli-rustup.rs b/tests/cli-rustup.rs
index a897b7a60f..5bf26882a7 100644
--- a/tests/cli-rustup.rs
+++ b/tests/cli-rustup.rs
@@ -1548,6 +1548,35 @@ components = [ "rust-bongo" ]
     });
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn file_override_toml_format_specify_profile() {
+    setup(&|config| {
+        expect_ok(config, &["rustup", "set", "profile", "default"]);
+        expect_stderr_ok(
+            config,
+            &["rustup", "default", "stable"],
+            "downloading component 'rust-docs'",
+        );
+
+        let cwd = config.current_dir();
+        let toolchain_file = cwd.join("rust-toolchain");
+        raw::write_file(
+            &toolchain_file,
+            r#"
+[toolchain]
+profile = "minimal"
+channel = "nightly"
+"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        expect_not_stdout_ok(
+            config,
+            &["rustup", "component", "list"],
+            for_host!("rust-docs-{} (installed)"),
+        );
+    });
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn directory_override_beats_file_override() {
     setup(&|config| {