diff --git a/browser/app/profile/firefox.js b/browser/app/profile/firefox.js
index 65186d8769e8..56619a7f4249 100644
--- a/browser/app/profile/firefox.js
+++ b/browser/app/profile/firefox.js
@@ -1443,6 +1443,15 @@ pref("devtools.performance.ui.show-idle-blocks", true);
 pref("devtools.performance.ui.enable-memory", false);
 pref("devtools.performance.ui.enable-framerate", true);
 pref("devtools.performance.ui.show-jit-optimizations", false);
+// If in aurora (40.0, will revert for 40.1), set default
+// to retro mode.
+// TODO bug 1160313
+#if MOZ_UPDATE_CHANNEL == aurora
+  pref("devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode", true);
+#else
+  pref("devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode", false);
+#endif
+
 
 // The default cache UI setting
 pref("devtools.cache.disabled", false);
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/modules/graphs.js b/browser/devtools/performance/modules/graphs.js
index fa23b22c2064..a71b2f13f591 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/modules/graphs.js
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/modules/graphs.js
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ loader.lazyRequireGetter(this, "MarkersOverview",
 loader.lazyRequireGetter(this, "EventEmitter",
   "devtools/toolkit/event-emitter");
 
+// TODO get rid of retro mode in bug 1160313
+loader.lazyRequireGetter(this, "Services");
+
 /**
  * For line graphs
  */
@@ -165,6 +168,24 @@ const GRAPH_DEFINITIONS = {
   }
 };
 
+// TODO get rid of retro mode in bug 1160313
+const GRAPH_DEFINITIONS_RETRO = {
+  memory: {
+    constructor: MemoryGraph,
+    selector: "#memory-overview",
+  },
+  framerate: {
+    constructor: FramerateGraph,
+    selector: "#time-framerate",
+    needsBlueprints: true,
+    primaryLink: true
+  },
+  timeline: {
+    constructor: TimelineGraph,
+    selector: "#markers-overview",
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * A controller for orchestrating the performance's tool overview graphs. Constructs,
  * syncs, toggles displays and defines the memory, framerate and timeline view.
@@ -177,7 +198,9 @@ const GRAPH_DEFINITIONS = {
 function GraphsController ({ definition, root, getBlueprint, getTheme }) {
   this._graphs = {};
   this._enabled = new Set();
-  this._definition = definition || GRAPH_DEFINITIONS;
+  // TODO get rid of retro mode in bug 1160313
+  let RETRO_MODE = Services.prefs.getBoolPref("devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode");
+  this._definition = definition || (RETRO_MODE ? GRAPH_DEFINITIONS_RETRO : GRAPH_DEFINITIONS);
   this._root = root;
   this._getBlueprint = getBlueprint;
   this._getTheme = getTheme;
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/performance-controller.js b/browser/devtools/performance/performance-controller.js
index b3a6629e6619..3a5e8864e574 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/performance-controller.js
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/performance-controller.js
@@ -284,11 +284,16 @@ let PerformanceController = {
    * when the front has started to record.
    */
   startRecording: Task.async(function *() {
+    // Store retro-mode here so we can easily list true/false
+    // values for reverting.
+    // TODO bug 1160313
+    let superMode = !this.getOption("retro-mode");
+
     let options = {
-      withMarkers: true,
-      withMemory: this.getOption("enable-memory"),
+      withMarkers: superMode ? true : false,
+      withMemory: superMode ? this.getOption("enable-memory") : false,
       withTicks: this.getOption("enable-framerate"),
-      withAllocations: this.getOption("enable-memory"),
+      withAllocations: superMode ? this.getOption("enable-memory") : false,
       allocationsSampleProbability: this.getPref("memory-sample-probability"),
       allocationsMaxLogLength: this.getPref("memory-max-log-length"),
       bufferSize: this.getPref("profiler-buffer-size"),
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser.ini b/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser.ini
index e090b38a27e7..a4dcae350106 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser.ini
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser.ini
@@ -124,3 +124,5 @@ support-files =
 [browser_profiler_tree-view-08.js]
 [browser_timeline_blueprint.js]
 [browser_timeline_filters.js]
+# remove in bug 1160313
+[browser_retro-test.js]
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser_retro-test.js b/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser_retro-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ad8265eca4fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/test/browser_retro-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/* Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
+   http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ */
+
+/**
+ * Tests that only js-calltree view is on, default, and many things are hidden
+ * when in retro mode.
+ */
+const HIDDEN_OPTIONS = ["option-enable-memory", "option-invert-flame-graph", "option-show-jit-optimizations", "option-flatten-tree-recursion"];
+
+Services.prefs.setBoolPref("devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode", true);
+
+function spawnTest () {
+  let { panel } = yield initPerformance(SIMPLE_URL);
+  let { EVENTS, DetailsView, PerformanceController, $, $$, JsCallTreeView } = panel.panelWin;
+
+  yield startRecording(panel);
+  yield stopRecording(panel);
+
+  let model = PerformanceController.getCurrentRecording();
+
+  ok(model.getMemory().length === 0, "model did not record memory.");
+  ok(model.getTicks().length !== 0, "model did get ticks.");
+  ok(model.getAllocations().sites.length === 0, "model did get allocation data.");
+  ok(model.getAllocations().timestamps.length === 0, "model did get allocation data.");
+  ok(model.getAllocations().frames.length === 0, "model did get allocation data.");
+  ok(model.getAllocations().counts.length === 0, "model did get allocation data.");
+
+  ok(DetailsView.isViewSelected(JsCallTreeView),
+    "The jscalltree view is selected by default");
+
+  for (let option of $$("#performance-options-menupopup > menuitem")) {
+    if (HIDDEN_OPTIONS.indexOf(option.id) !== -1) {
+      ok(option.hidden === true, `${option.id} should be hidden.`);
+    } else {
+      ok(option.hidden === false, `${option.id} should be visible.`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (let viewbutton of $$("#performance-toolbar-controls-detail-views > toolbarbutton")) {
+    ok (viewbutton.hidden === true, `${viewbutton.id} should be hidden.`);
+  }
+
+  ok($("#markers-overview").hidden, "markers overview should be hidden.");
+  ok($("#memory-overview").hidden, "memory overview should be hidden.");
+  ok(!$("#time-framerate").hidden, "framerate should be shown.");
+
+  yield teardown(panel);
+  finish();
+}
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/test/head.js b/browser/devtools/performance/test/head.js
index b255c6a6238d..871d2b126b84 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/test/head.js
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/test/head.js
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ let DEFAULT_PREFS = [
   "devtools.performance.memory.max-log-length",
   "devtools.performance.profiler.buffer-size",
   "devtools.performance.profiler.sample-frequency-khz",
+  "devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode",
 ].reduce((prefs, pref) => {
   prefs[pref] = Preferences.get(pref);
   return prefs;
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@ Services.prefs.setBoolPref("devtools.performance.enabled", true);
 // be affected by this pref.
 Services.prefs.setBoolPref("devtools.debugger.log", false);
 
+// Disable retro mode.
+// TODO bug 1160313
+Services.prefs.setBoolPref("devtools.performance.ui.retro-mode", false);
+
 /**
  * Call manually in tests that use frame script utils after initializing
  * the tool. Must be called after initializing so we can detect
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/views/details.js b/browser/devtools/performance/views/details.js
index 0ce182594a5d..35c13534031d 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/views/details.js
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/views/details.js
@@ -94,9 +94,12 @@ let DetailsView = {
     let invalidCurrentView = false;
 
     for (let [name, { view }] of Iterator(this.components)) {
-      let isSupported = this._isViewSupported(name, false);
+      // TODO bug 1160313 get rid of retro mode checks.
+      let isRetro = PerformanceController.getOption("retro-mode");
+      let isSupported = isRetro ? name === "js-calltree" : this._isViewSupported(name, false);
 
-      $(`toolbarbutton[data-view=${name}]`).hidden = !isSupported;
+      // TODO bug 1160313 hide all view buttons, but let js-calltree still be "supported"
+      $(`toolbarbutton[data-view=${name}]`).hidden = isRetro ? true : !isSupported;
 
       // If the view is currently selected and not supported, go back to the
       // default view.
diff --git a/browser/devtools/performance/views/toolbar.js b/browser/devtools/performance/views/toolbar.js
index 4df132297bbb..05770b89d5df 100644
--- a/browser/devtools/performance/views/toolbar.js
+++ b/browser/devtools/performance/views/toolbar.js
@@ -21,6 +21,19 @@ let ToolbarView = {
       menupopup: $("#performance-options-menupopup")
     });
 
+    // TODO bug 1160313 get rid of retro mode checks
+    // hide option buttons here, and any other buttons in the toolbar
+    // (details.js takes care of view buttons)
+    if (PerformanceController.getOption("retro-mode")) {
+      let RETRO_ELEMENTS = [
+        "#option-flatten-tree-recursion", "#option-enable-memory", "#option-invert-flame-graph",
+        "#option-show-jit-optimizations", "#filter-button"
+      ];
+      for (let selector of RETRO_ELEMENTS) {
+        $(selector).hidden = true;
+      }
+    }
+
     yield this.optionsView.initialize();
     this.optionsView.on("pref-changed", this._onPrefChanged);