diff --git a/src/api/callback.cc b/src/api/callback.cc
index a7b23dd4924baf..8aed3fb8d31425 100644
--- a/src/api/callback.cc
+++ b/src/api/callback.cc
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ InternalCallbackScope::InternalCallbackScope(Environment* env,
   // If you hit this assertion, you forgot to enter the v8::Context first.
   CHECK_EQ(Environment::GetCurrent(env->isolate()), env);
 
+  env->isolate()->SetIdle(false);
+
   env->async_hooks()->push_async_context(
     async_context_.async_id, async_context_.trigger_async_id, object);
 
@@ -81,6 +83,8 @@ void InternalCallbackScope::Close() {
   if (closed_) return;
   closed_ = true;
 
+  auto idle = OnScopeLeave([&]() { env_->isolate()->SetIdle(true); });
+
   if (!env_->can_call_into_js()) return;
   auto perform_stopping_check = [&]() {
     if (env_->is_stopping()) {
diff --git a/src/env.cc b/src/env.cc
index 119706129713bd..abe9bc029d133a 100644
--- a/src/env.cc
+++ b/src/env.cc
@@ -555,6 +555,13 @@ void Environment::InitializeLibuv() {
 
   uv_check_start(immediate_check_handle(), CheckImmediate);
 
+  // Inform V8's CPU profiler when we're idle.  The profiler is sampling-based
+  // but not all samples are created equal; mark the wall clock time spent in
+  // epoll_wait() and friends so profiling tools can filter it out.  The samples
+  // still end up in v8.log but with state=IDLE rather than state=EXTERNAL.
+  uv_prepare_init(event_loop(), &idle_prepare_handle_);
+  uv_check_init(event_loop(), &idle_check_handle_);
+
   uv_async_init(
       event_loop(),
       &task_queues_async_,
@@ -565,6 +572,8 @@ void Environment::InitializeLibuv() {
         Context::Scope context_scope(env->context());
         env->RunAndClearNativeImmediates();
       });
+  uv_unref(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&idle_prepare_handle_));
+  uv_unref(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&idle_check_handle_));
   uv_unref(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&task_queues_async_));
 
   {
@@ -581,6 +590,8 @@ void Environment::InitializeLibuv() {
   // the one environment per process setup, but will be called in
   // FreeEnvironment.
   RegisterHandleCleanups();
+
+  StartProfilerIdleNotifier();
 }
 
 void Environment::ExitEnv() {
@@ -608,6 +619,8 @@ void Environment::RegisterHandleCleanups() {
   register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(timer_handle()));
   register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(immediate_check_handle()));
   register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(immediate_idle_handle()));
+  register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&idle_prepare_handle_));
+  register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&idle_check_handle_));
   register_handle(reinterpret_cast<uv_handle_t*>(&task_queues_async_));
 }
 
@@ -639,6 +652,17 @@ void Environment::CleanupHandles() {
   }
 }
 
+void Environment::StartProfilerIdleNotifier() {
+  uv_prepare_start(&idle_prepare_handle_, [](uv_prepare_t* handle) {
+    Environment* env = ContainerOf(&Environment::idle_prepare_handle_, handle);
+    env->isolate()->SetIdle(true);
+  });
+  uv_check_start(&idle_check_handle_, [](uv_check_t* handle) {
+    Environment* env = ContainerOf(&Environment::idle_check_handle_, handle);
+    env->isolate()->SetIdle(false);
+  });
+}
+
 void Environment::PrintSyncTrace() const {
   if (!trace_sync_io_) return;
 
diff --git a/src/env.h b/src/env.h
index fa61450d0945d5..2dabdbb296ace8 100644
--- a/src/env.h
+++ b/src/env.h
@@ -1057,6 +1057,8 @@ class Environment : public MemoryRetainer {
   inline void AssignToContext(v8::Local<v8::Context> context,
                               const ContextInfo& info);
 
+  void StartProfilerIdleNotifier();
+
   inline v8::Isolate* isolate() const;
   inline uv_loop_t* event_loop() const;
   inline void TryLoadAddon(
@@ -1408,6 +1410,8 @@ class Environment : public MemoryRetainer {
   uv_timer_t timer_handle_;
   uv_check_t immediate_check_handle_;
   uv_idle_t immediate_idle_handle_;
+  uv_prepare_t idle_prepare_handle_;
+  uv_check_t idle_check_handle_;
   uv_async_t task_queues_async_;
   int64_t task_queues_async_refs_ = 0;
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-inspector-has-idle.js b/test/parallel/test-inspector-has-idle.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c14590353e6780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-inspector-has-idle.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+
+common.skipIfInspectorDisabled();
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { Session } = require('inspector');
+const { promisify } = require('util');
+
+const sleep = promisify(setTimeout);
+
+async function test() {
+  const inspector = new Session();
+  inspector.connect();
+
+  inspector.post('Profiler.enable');
+  inspector.post('Profiler.start');
+
+  await sleep(1000);
+
+  const { profile } = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    inspector.post('Profiler.stop', (err, params) => {
+      if (err) return reject(err);
+      resolve(params);
+    });
+  });
+
+  let hasIdle = false;
+  for (const node of profile.nodes) {
+    if (node.callFrame.functionName === '(idle)') {
+      hasIdle = true;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  assert(hasIdle);
+
+  inspector.post('Profiler.disable');
+  inspector.disconnect();
+}
+
+test().then(common.mustCall(() => {
+  console.log('Done!');
+}));