diff --git a/testing/raptor/raptor/manifest.py b/testing/raptor/raptor/manifest.py
index 31488e222e3e..fc236c23ad10 100644
--- a/testing/raptor/raptor/manifest.py
+++ b/testing/raptor/raptor/manifest.py
@@ -172,8 +172,18 @@ def get_raptor_test_list(args, oskey):
                 # subtest comes from matching test ini file name, so add it
                 tests_to_run.append(next_test)
 
+    # if geckoProfile is enabled, turn it on in test settings and limit pagecycles to 3
+    if args.gecko_profile is True:
+        for next_test in tests_to_run:
+            next_test['gecko_profile'] = True
+            if next_test['page_cycles'] > 3:
+                LOG.info("gecko profiling enabled, limiting pagecycles "
+                         "to 3 for test %s" % next_test['name'])
+                next_test['page_cycles'] = 3
+
     # if --page-cycles command line arg was provided, override the page_cycles value
     # that was in the manifest/test INI with the command line arg value instead
+    # also allow the cmd line opt to override pagecycles auto set when gecko profiling is on
     if args.page_cycles is not None:
         LOG.info("setting page-cycles to %d as specified on the command line" % args.page_cycles)
         next_test['page_cycles'] = args.page_cycles
@@ -184,15 +194,6 @@ def get_raptor_test_list(args, oskey):
         LOG.info("setting page-timeout to %d as specified on the command line" % args.page_timeout)
         next_test['page_timeout'] = args.page_timeout
 
-    # if geckoProfile is enabled, turn it on in test settings and limit pagecycles to 2
-    if args.gecko_profile is True:
-        for next_test in tests_to_run:
-            next_test['gecko_profile'] = True
-            if next_test['page_cycles'] > 2:
-                LOG.info("gecko profiling enabled, limiting pagecycles "
-                         "to 2 for test %s" % next_test['name'])
-                next_test['page_cycles'] = 2
-
     # write out .json test setting files for the control server to read and send to web ext
     if len(tests_to_run) != 0:
         for test in tests_to_run: