diff --git a/packages/cells/src/widget.ts b/packages/cells/src/widget.ts
index b88ed62c7157..b70787460991 100644
--- a/packages/cells/src/widget.ts
+++ b/packages/cells/src/widget.ts
@@ -797,17 +797,48 @@ export namespace CodeCell {
       model.outputs.clear();
       return Promise.resolve(void 0);
     }
-
-    let cellId = { cellId: model.id };
-    metadata = { ...metadata, ...cellId };
+    metadata = { ...metadata, cellId: model.id };
+    const { recordTiming } = metadata;
     model.executionCount = null;
     cell.outputHidden = false;
     cell.setPrompt('*');
     model.trusted = true;
 
-    return OutputArea.execute(code, cell.outputArea, session, metadata)
+    const p = OutputArea.execute(code, cell.outputArea, session, metadata);
+    // cell.outputArea.future assigned synchronously in `execute`
+    if (recordTiming) {
+      cell.outputArea.future.onIOPub = (msg: KernelMessage.IIOPubMessage) => {
+        let label: string;
+        switch (msg.header.msg_type) {
+          case 'status':
+            label = `status.${msg.content.execution_state}`;
+            break;
+          case 'execute_input':
+            label = 'execute_input';
+            break;
+          default:
+            return;
+        }
+        const value = msg.header.date;
+        if (!value) {
+          return;
+        }
+        model.metadata.set(`timing.iopub.${label}`, value);
+      };
+    }
+
+    return p
       .then(msg => {
         model.executionCount = msg.content.execution_count;
+        const started = msg.metadata.started as string;
+        if (recordTiming && started) {
+          model.metadata.set('timing.shell.execute_reply.started', started);
+        }
+        const date = msg.header.date as string;
+        if (recordTiming && date) {
+          model.metadata.set('timing.shell.execute_reply', date);
+        }
+
         return msg;
       })
       .catch(e => {
diff --git a/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
index c29b62fd6d0b..b84e54fbfbd8 100644
--- a/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/notebook-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ namespace CommandIDs {
 
   export const toggleAllLines = 'notebook:toggle-all-cell-line-numbers';
 
+  export const toggleRecordTiming = 'notebook:toggle-record-timing';
+
   export const undoCellAction = 'notebook:undo-cell-action';
 
   export const redoCellAction = 'notebook:redo-cell-action';
@@ -1284,6 +1286,17 @@ function addCommands(
     },
     isEnabled
   });
+  commands.addCommand(CommandIDs.toggleRecordTiming, {
+    label: 'Toggle Recording Cell Timing',
+    execute: args => {
+      const current = getCurrent(args);
+
+      if (current) {
+        return NotebookActions.toggleRecordTiming(current.content);
+      }
+    },
+    isEnabled
+  });
   commands.addCommand(CommandIDs.commandMode, {
     label: 'Enter Command Mode',
     execute: args => {
@@ -1616,6 +1629,7 @@ function populatePalette(
     CommandIDs.deselectAll,
     CommandIDs.clearAllOutputs,
     CommandIDs.toggleAllLines,
+    CommandIDs.toggleRecordTiming,
     CommandIDs.editMode,
     CommandIDs.commandMode,
     CommandIDs.changeKernel,
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/actions.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/actions.tsx
index 40bee26d2424..65a540945033 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/actions.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/actions.tsx
@@ -913,6 +913,19 @@ export namespace NotebookActions {
     Private.handleState(notebook, state);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Toggle whether to record cell timing execution.
+   *
+   * @param notebook - The target notebook widget.
+   */
+  export function toggleRecordTiming(notebook: Notebook): void {
+    if (!notebook.model) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const currentValue = notebook.model.metadata.get('record_timing') || false;
+    notebook.model.metadata.set('record_timing', !currentValue);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Clear the code outputs of the selected cells.
    *
@@ -1454,7 +1467,8 @@ namespace Private {
       case 'code':
         if (session) {
           return CodeCell.execute(cell as CodeCell, session, {
-            deletedCells: notebook.model.deletedCells
+            deletedCells: notebook.model.deletedCells,
+            recordTiming: notebook.model.metadata.get('record_timing') || false
           })
             .then(reply => {
               notebook.model.deletedCells.splice(
diff --git a/tests/test-cells/src/widget.spec.ts b/tests/test-cells/src/widget.spec.ts
index f53522bb3545..974c470169d9 100644
--- a/tests/test-cells/src/widget.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/test-cells/src/widget.spec.ts
@@ -461,6 +461,29 @@ describe('cells/widget', () => {
         const executionCount = widget.model.executionCount;
         expect(executionCount).to.not.equal(originalCount);
       });
+
+      const TIMING_KEYS = [
+        'timing.iopub.execute_input',
+        'timing.shell.execute_reply.started',
+        'timing.shell.execute_reply',
+        'timing.iopub.status.busy',
+        'timing.iopub.status.idle'
+      ];
+
+      it('should not save timing info by default', async () => {
+        const widget = new CodeCell({ model, rendermime, contentFactory });
+        await CodeCell.execute(widget, session);
+        for (const key of TIMING_KEYS) {
+          expect(widget.model.metadata.get(key)).to.not.exist;
+        }
+      });
+      it('should save timing info if requested', async () => {
+        const widget = new CodeCell({ model, rendermime, contentFactory });
+        await CodeCell.execute(widget, session, { recordTiming: true });
+        for (const key of TIMING_KEYS) {
+          expect(widget.model.metadata.get(key)).to.exist;
+        }
+      });
     });
   });