diff --git a/ipn/ipn_clone.go b/ipn/ipn_clone.go
index 8971b7b90..34b7bc5a7 100644
--- a/ipn/ipn_clone.go
+++ b/ipn/ipn_clone.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ var _PrefsCloneNeedsRegeneration = Prefs(struct {
 	NoSNAT                 bool
 	NetfilterMode          preftype.NetfilterMode
 	OperatorUser           string
+	ProfileName            string
 	Persist                *persist.Persist
 }{})
 
diff --git a/ipn/ipn_view.go b/ipn/ipn_view.go
index c117148da..1cfa0eee9 100644
--- a/ipn/ipn_view.go
+++ b/ipn/ipn_view.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ func (v PrefsView) AdvertiseRoutes() views.IPPrefixSlice {
 func (v PrefsView) NoSNAT() bool                          { return v.ж.NoSNAT }
 func (v PrefsView) NetfilterMode() preftype.NetfilterMode { return v.ж.NetfilterMode }
 func (v PrefsView) OperatorUser() string                  { return v.ж.OperatorUser }
+func (v PrefsView) ProfileName() string                   { return v.ж.ProfileName }
 func (v PrefsView) Persist() *persist.Persist {
 	if v.ж.Persist == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ var _PrefsViewNeedsRegeneration = Prefs(struct {
 	NoSNAT                 bool
 	NetfilterMode          preftype.NetfilterMode
 	OperatorUser           string
+	ProfileName            string
 	Persist                *persist.Persist
 }{})
 
diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/profiles.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/profiles.go
index 2d9c3e42d..e6fada02d 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/profiles.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/profiles.go
@@ -174,9 +174,13 @@ func (pm *profileManager) SetPrefs(prefsIn ipn.PrefsView) error {
 		}
 		cp.LocalUserID = pm.currentUserID
 	}
+	if prefs.ProfileName() != "" {
+		cp.Name = prefs.ProfileName()
+	} else {
+		cp.Name = up.LoginName
+	}
 	cp.UserProfile = newPersist.UserProfile
 	cp.NodeID = newPersist.NodeID
-	cp.Name = up.LoginName
 	pm.knownProfiles[cp.ID] = cp
 	pm.currentProfile = cp
 	if err := pm.writeKnownProfiles(); err != nil {
diff --git a/ipn/prefs.go b/ipn/prefs.go
index bde0d0b34..7ec112150 100644
--- a/ipn/prefs.go
+++ b/ipn/prefs.go
@@ -190,6 +190,11 @@ type Prefs struct {
 	// operate tailscaled without being root or using sudo.
 	OperatorUser string `json:",omitempty"`
 
+	// ProfileName is the desired name of the profile. If empty, then the users
+	// LoginName is used. It is only used for display purposes in the client UI
+	// and CLI.
+	ProfileName string `json:",omitempty"`
+
 	// The Persist field is named 'Config' in the file for backward
 	// compatibility with earlier versions.
 	// TODO(apenwarr): We should move this out of here, it's not a pref.
@@ -222,6 +227,7 @@ type MaskedPrefs struct {
 	NoSNATSet                 bool `json:",omitempty"`
 	NetfilterModeSet          bool `json:",omitempty"`
 	OperatorUserSet           bool `json:",omitempty"`
+	ProfileNameSet            bool `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 // ApplyEdits mutates p, assigning fields from m.Prefs for each MaskedPrefs
@@ -406,7 +412,8 @@ func (p *Prefs) Equals(p2 *Prefs) bool {
 		p.ForceDaemon == p2.ForceDaemon &&
 		compareIPNets(p.AdvertiseRoutes, p2.AdvertiseRoutes) &&
 		compareStrings(p.AdvertiseTags, p2.AdvertiseTags) &&
-		p.Persist.Equals(p2.Persist)
+		p.Persist.Equals(p2.Persist) &&
+		p.ProfileName == p2.ProfileName
 }
 
 func compareIPNets(a, b []netip.Prefix) bool {
diff --git a/ipn/prefs_test.go b/ipn/prefs_test.go
index 9e49f0cc0..0673cc15f 100644
--- a/ipn/prefs_test.go
+++ b/ipn/prefs_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func TestPrefsEqual(t *testing.T) {
 		"NoSNAT",
 		"NetfilterMode",
 		"OperatorUser",
+		"ProfileName",
 		"Persist",
 	}
 	if have := fieldsOf(reflect.TypeOf(Prefs{})); !reflect.DeepEqual(have, prefsHandles) {
@@ -272,6 +273,16 @@ func TestPrefsEqual(t *testing.T) {
 			&Prefs{Persist: &persist.Persist{LoginName: "dave"}},
 			true,
 		},
+		{
+			&Prefs{ProfileName: "work"},
+			&Prefs{ProfileName: "work"},
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			&Prefs{ProfileName: "work"},
+			&Prefs{ProfileName: "home"},
+			false,
+		},
 	}
 	for i, tt := range tests {
 		got := tt.a.Equals(tt.b)