diff --git a/devito/__init__.py b/devito/__init__.py
index dc6110c65a..bb310e9733 100644
--- a/devito/__init__.py
+++ b/devito/__init__.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 from devito.core import *   # noqa
 from devito.logger import logger_registry, _set_log_level  # noqa
 from devito.mpi.routines import mpi_registry
-from devito.operator import profiler_registry, operator_registry
+from devito.operator import NcuProfiling, profiler_registry, operator_registry
 
 # Apply monkey-patching while we wait for our patches to be upstreamed and released
 from devito.mpatches import *  # noqa
@@ -159,8 +159,17 @@ def autotune_callback(val):  # noqa
 configuration.add('opt', 'advanced', list(operator_registry._accepted), deprecate='dle')
 configuration.add('opt-options', {}, deprecate='dle-options')
 
+
 # Setup Operator profiling
-configuration.add('profiling', 'basic', list(profiler_registry), impacts_jit=False)
+def profiling_preprocessor(i):
+    if isinstance(i, dict):
+        return NcuProfiling(i['ncu'])
+
+    return i
+
+
+configuration.add('profiling', 'basic', list(profiler_registry),
+                  preprocessor=profiling_preprocessor, impacts_jit=False)
 
 # Initialize `configuration`
 init_configuration()
diff --git a/devito/arch/archinfo.py b/devito/arch/archinfo.py
index 3166bf255a..ea4025a3ab 100644
--- a/devito/arch/archinfo.py
+++ b/devito/arch/archinfo.py
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@
 __all__ = [  # noqa: RUF022
     'platform_registry', 'get_cpu_info', 'get_gpu_info', 'get_visible_devices',
     'get_nvidia_cc', 'get_cuda_path', 'get_cuda_version', 'get_hip_path',
-    'check_cuda_runtime', 'get_m1_llvm_path', 'get_advisor_path', 'Platform',
-    'Cpu64', 'Intel64', 'IntelSkylake', 'Amd', 'Arm', 'Power', 'Device',
+    'check_cuda_runtime', 'load_cudart', 'get_m1_llvm_path', 'get_advisor_path',
+    'Platform', 'Cpu64', 'Intel64', 'IntelSkylake', 'Amd', 'Arm', 'Power',
+    'Device',
     'NvidiaDevice', 'AmdDevice', 'IntelDevice',
     # Brand-agnostic
     'ANYCPU', 'ANYGPU',
@@ -646,13 +647,25 @@ def get_m1_llvm_path(language):
 
 
 @memoized_func
-def check_cuda_runtime():
+def load_cudart():
+    """
+    Load the CUDA runtime library.
+    """
     libname = ctypes.util.find_library("cudart")
     if not libname:
+        raise RuntimeError("Unable to find CUDA runtime library `libcudart`")
+
+    return ctypes.CDLL(libname)
+
+
+@memoized_func
+def check_cuda_runtime():
+    try:
+        cuda = load_cudart()
+    except RuntimeError:
         warning("Unable to check compatibility of NVidia driver and runtime")
         return
 
-    cuda = ctypes.CDLL(libname)
     driver_version = ctypes.c_int()
     runtime_version = ctypes.c_int()
 
@@ -1115,11 +1128,10 @@ def max_shm_per_block(self):
         """
         Get the maximum amount of shared memory per thread block
         """
-        # Load libcudart
-        libname = ctypes.util.find_library("cudart")
-        if not libname:
+        try:
+            lib = load_cudart()
+        except RuntimeError:
             return 64 * 1024  # 64 KB default
-        lib = ctypes.CDLL(libname)
 
         cudaDevAttrMaxSharedMemoryPerBlockOptin = 97
         # get current device
diff --git a/devito/operator/__init__.py b/devito/operator/__init__.py
index c11ecb0b75..2a78f2fc6c 100644
--- a/devito/operator/__init__.py
+++ b/devito/operator/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 from .operator import Operator  # noqa
-from .profiling import profiler_registry  # noqa
+from .profiling import NcuProfiling, profiler_registry  # noqa
 from .registry import operator_registry  # noqa
diff --git a/devito/operator/operator.py b/devito/operator/operator.py
index 95b4db0a33..bfba76b593 100644
--- a/devito/operator/operator.py
+++ b/devito/operator/operator.py
@@ -1158,7 +1158,12 @@ def lower_perfentry(v):
                 perf(f"{indent*2}+ {n} ran in {fround(v1.time):.2f} s "
                      f"[{fround(v1.time/v.time*100):.2f}%] {metrics}")
 
-        # Emit performance mode and arguments
+        self._emit_perf_args(args)
+
+        return summary
+
+    def _emit_perf_args(self, args):
+        """Emit performance mode and runtime performance arguments."""
         perf_args = {}
         for i in self.input + self.dimensions:
             if not i.is_PerfKnob:
@@ -1176,8 +1181,6 @@ def lower_perfentry(v):
         perf_args = {k: perf_args[k] for k in sorted(perf_args)}
         perf(f"Performance[mode={self._mode}] arguments: {perf_args}")
 
-        return summary
-
     # Pickling support
 
     def __getstate__(self):
diff --git a/devito/operator/profiling.py b/devito/operator/profiling.py
index 49e4417742..835e8b1b36 100644
--- a/devito/operator/profiling.py
+++ b/devito/operator/profiling.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from devito.symbolics import subs_op_args
 from devito.tools import DefaultOrderedDict, flatten
 
-__all__ = ['create_profile']
+__all__ = ['NcuProfiling', 'create_profile']
 
 
 SectionData = namedtuple('SectionData', 'ops sops points traffic itermaps')
@@ -28,6 +28,28 @@
 PerfEntry = namedtuple('PerfEntry', 'time gflopss gpointss oi ops itershapes')
 
 
+class NcuProfiling(str):
+
+    """
+    String-like profiling mode carrying the Operator selected for NCU.
+
+    The string value is ``'ncu'`` so profiler construction can use this object
+    directly as a key into ``profiler_registry``. The selected Operator is kept
+    in ``operator_name``.
+    """
+
+    def __new__(cls, operator_name):
+        if not isinstance(operator_name, str) or not operator_name:
+            raise ValueError("Expected DEVITO_PROFILING=ncu:op_name")
+        if ',' in operator_name:
+            raise ValueError("NCU profiling supports one Operator at a time")
+
+        obj = str.__new__(cls, 'ncu')
+        obj.operator_name = operator_name
+
+        return obj
+
+
 class Profiler:
 
     _default_includes = []
@@ -532,6 +554,7 @@ def create_profile(name):
     'advanced': AdvancedProfiler,
     'advanced1': AdvancedProfilerVerbose1,
     'advanced2': AdvancedProfilerVerbose2,
+    'ncu': AdvancedProfilerVerbose2,
     'advisor': AdvisorProfiler
 }
 """Profiling levels."""
diff --git a/devito/parameters.py b/devito/parameters.py
index 0412380533..2aba1112ad 100644
--- a/devito/parameters.py
+++ b/devito/parameters.py
@@ -199,7 +199,14 @@ def init_configuration(configuration=configuration, env_vars_mapper=env_vars_map
             # Env variable format: 'var=k1:v1;k2:v2:k3:v3:...'
             keys, values = zip(*[i.split(':') for i in items], strict=True)
             # Casting
-            values = [eval(i) for i in values]
+            processed = []
+            for i in values:
+                try:
+                    processed.append(eval(i))
+                except (NameError, SyntaxError):
+                    # Allow unquoted strings as `k:v` values.
+                    processed.append(i)
+            values = processed
         except AttributeError:
             # Env variable format: 'var=v', 'v' is not a string
             keys = [v]