diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5d89c813c7d..9947f3f6576 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ config/oauth_keys.yml
 config/initializers/secret_token.rb
 config/redis.conf
 config/deploy_config.yml
+config/newrelic.yml
 .bundle
 vendor/bundle/*
 config/database.yml
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index c7ab2ddcd99..e21f780acc3 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ gem 'jammit', '0.5.4'
 gem 'rest-client', '1.6.1'
 gem 'typhoeus'
 
+gem 'newrelic_rpm', :require => false
+
 #Backups
 gem 'cloudfiles', '1.4.10', :require => false
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index ce32423ac24..502d9d96e38 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ GEM
     net-ssh (2.0.24)
     net-ssh-gateway (1.1.0)
       net-ssh (>= 1.99.1)
+    newrelic_rpm (3.0.1)
     nokogiri (1.4.3.1)
     oa-basic (0.2.6)
       oa-core (= 0.2.6)
@@ -428,6 +429,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   mini_magick (= 3.2)
   mongrel
   mysql2 (= 0.2.6)
+  newrelic_rpm
   nokogiri
   ohai (= 0.5.8)
   omniauth (= 0.2.6)
diff --git a/config/environment.rb b/config/environment.rb
index 26adfb6b142..7e0fc1c1a07 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb
+++ b/config/environment.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 #   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 #   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
+# use newrelic if configured via config/newrelic.yml
+require 'newrelic_rpm' if File.exists?(Rails.root.to_s << '/config/newrelic.yml')
+
 # Load the rails application
 require File.expand_path('../application', __FILE__)
 Haml::Template.options[:format] = :html5