diff --git a/api/service/pprof/service.go b/api/service/pprof/service.go
index e9dd66d94..03794a15e 100644
--- a/api/service/pprof/service.go
+++ b/api/service/pprof/service.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type Service struct {
 var (
 	initOnce sync.Once
 	svc      = &Service{}
+	cpuFile  *os.File
 )
 
 // NewService creates the new pprof service
@@ -61,21 +62,21 @@ func NewService(cfg Config) *Service {
 
 func newService(cfg Config) *Service {
 	if !cfg.Enabled {
-		utils.Logger().Info().Msg("Pprof service disabled...")
+		utils.Logger().Info().Msg("pprof service disabled...")
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	utils.Logger().Debug().Str("cfg", cfg.String()).Msg("Pprof")
+	utils.Logger().Debug().Str("cfg", cfg.String()).Msg("pprof")
 	svc.config = cfg
 
-	if profiles, err := cfg.unpackProfilesIntoMap(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Could not unpack pprof profiles into map")
-	} else {
-		svc.profiles = profiles
+	profiles, err := cfg.unpackProfilesIntoMap()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal("could not unpack pprof profiles into map")
 	}
+	svc.profiles = profiles
 
 	go func() {
-		utils.Logger().Info().Str("address", cfg.ListenAddr).Msg("Starting pprof HTTP service")
+		utils.Logger().Info().Str("address", cfg.ListenAddr).Msg("starting pprof HTTP service")
 		http.ListenAndServe(cfg.ListenAddr, nil)
 	}()
 
@@ -93,8 +94,10 @@ func (s *Service) Start() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if cpuProfile, ok := s.profiles[CPU]; ok {
-		go handleCpuProfile(cpuProfile, dir)
+	if _, ok := s.profiles[CPU]; ok {
+		// The nature of the pprof CPU profile is fundamentally different to the other profiles, because it streams output to a file during profiling.
+		// Thus it has to be started outside of the defined interval.
+		go restartCpuProfile(dir)
 	}
 
 	for _, profile := range s.profiles {
@@ -112,9 +115,12 @@ func (s *Service) Stop() error {
 	}
 	for _, profile := range s.profiles {
 		if profile.Name == CPU {
-			pprof.StopCPUProfile()
+			stopCpuProfile()
 		} else {
-			saveProfile(profile, dir)
+			err := saveProfile(profile, dir)
+			if err != nil {
+				utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("could not save pprof profile: %s", profile.Name))
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -135,9 +141,15 @@ func scheduleProfile(profile Profile, dir string) {
 				select {
 				case <-ticker.C:
 					if profile.Name == CPU {
-						handleCpuProfile(profile, dir)
+						err := restartCpuProfile(dir)
+						if err != nil {
+							utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg("could not start pprof CPU profile")
+						}
 					} else {
-						saveProfile(profile, dir)
+						err := saveProfile(profile, dir)
+						if err != nil {
+							utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("could not save pprof profile: %s", profile.Name))
+						}
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -149,30 +161,39 @@ func scheduleProfile(profile Profile, dir string) {
 func saveProfile(profile Profile, dir string) error {
 	f, err := newTempFile(dir, profile.Name, ".pb.gz")
 	if err != nil {
-		utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("Could not save pprof profile: %s", profile.Name))
 		return err
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
-	if profile.ProfileRef != nil {
-		err = profile.ProfileRef.WriteTo(f, profile.Debug)
-		if err != nil {
-			utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("Could not write pprof profile: %s", profile.Name))
-			return err
-		}
-		utils.Logger().Info().Msg(fmt.Sprintf("Saved pprof profile in: %s", f.Name()))
+	if profile.ProfileRef == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	err = profile.ProfileRef.WriteTo(f, profile.Debug)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	utils.Logger().Info().Msg(fmt.Sprintf("saved pprof profile in: %s", f.Name()))
 	return nil
 }
 
-// handleCpuProfile handles the provided CPU profile
-func handleCpuProfile(profile Profile, dir string) {
+// restartCpuProfile stops the current CPU profile, if any and then starts a new CPU profile. While profiling in the background, the profile will be buffered and written to a file.
+func restartCpuProfile(dir string) error {
+	stopCpuProfile()
+	f, err := newTempFile(dir, CPU, ".pb.gz")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	pprof.StartCPUProfile(f)
+	cpuFile = f
+	utils.Logger().Info().Msg(fmt.Sprintf("saved pprof CPU profile in: %s", f.Name()))
+	return nil
+}
+
+// stopCpuProfile stops the current CPU profile, if any
+func stopCpuProfile() {
 	pprof.StopCPUProfile()
-	f, err := newTempFile(dir, profile.Name, ".pb.gz")
-	if err == nil {
-		pprof.StartCPUProfile(f)
-		utils.Logger().Info().Msg(fmt.Sprintf("Saved pprof CPU profile in: %s", f.Name()))
-	} else {
-		utils.Logger().Error().Err(err).Msg("Could not start pprof CPU profile")
+	if cpuFile != nil {
+		cpuFile.Close()
+		cpuFile = nil
 	}
 }
 
@@ -185,8 +206,8 @@ func (config *Config) unpackProfilesIntoMap() (map[string]Profile, error) {
 	for index, name := range config.ProfileNames {
 		profile := Profile{
 			Name:     name,
-			Interval: 0,
-			Debug:    0,
+			Interval: 0, // 0 saves the profile when stopping the service
+			Debug:    0, // 0 writes the gzip-compressed protocol buffer
 		}
 		// Try set interval value
 		if len(config.ProfileIntervals) == len(config.ProfileNames) {
@@ -203,7 +224,7 @@ func (config *Config) unpackProfilesIntoMap() (map[string]Profile, error) {
 		// Try set the profile reference
 		if profile.Name != CPU {
 			if p := pprof.Lookup(profile.Name); p == nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Pprof profile does not exist: %s", profile.Name)
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("pprof profile does not exist: %s", profile.Name)
 			} else {
 				profile.ProfileRef = p
 			}
@@ -219,7 +240,7 @@ func newTempFile(dir, name, suffix string) (*os.File, error) {
 	currentTime := time.Now().Unix()
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%s%d%s", prefix, currentTime, suffix)), os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0666)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not create file of the form %s%d%s", prefix, currentTime, suffix)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not create file of the form %s%d%s", prefix, currentTime, suffix)
 	}
 	return f, nil
 }
diff --git a/api/service/pprof/service_test.go b/api/service/pprof/service_test.go
index 31389ded5..b3977084a 100644
--- a/api/service/pprof/service_test.go
+++ b/api/service/pprof/service_test.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func TestUnpackProfilesIntoMap(t *testing.T) {
 				ProfileNames: []string{"test"},
 			},
 			expMap: nil,
-			expErr: errors.New("Pprof profile does not exist: test"),
+			expErr: errors.New("pprof profile does not exist: test"),
 		},
 		{
 			input: &Config{
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/config_migrations.go b/cmd/harmony/config_migrations.go
index 3dc08a8d6..3a0a5676d 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/config_migrations.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/config_migrations.go
@@ -177,13 +177,13 @@ func init() {
 			confTree.Set("Pprof.Folder", defaultConfig.Pprof.Folder)
 		}
 		if confTree.Get("Pprof.ProfileNames") == nil {
-			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileNames", make([]interface{}, 0))
+			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileNames", defaultConfig.Pprof.ProfileNames)
 		}
 		if confTree.Get("Pprof.ProfileIntervals") == nil {
-			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileIntervals", make([]interface{}, 0))
+			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileIntervals", defaultConfig.Pprof.ProfileIntervals)
 		}
 		if confTree.Get("Pprof.ProfileDebugValues") == nil {
-			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileDebugValues", make([]interface{}, 0))
+			confTree.Set("Pprof.ProfileDebugValues", defaultConfig.Pprof.ProfileDebugValues)
 		}
 
 		confTree.Set("Version", "2.2.0")
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/default.go b/cmd/harmony/default.go
index b067bb377..395645f40 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/default.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/default.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ var defaultConfig = harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig{
 		ListenAddr:         "127.0.0.1:6060",
 		Folder:             "./profiles",
 		ProfileNames:       []string{},
-		ProfileIntervals:   []int{},
-		ProfileDebugValues: []int{},
+		ProfileIntervals:   []int{600},
+		ProfileDebugValues: []int{0},
 	},
 	Log: harmonyconfig.LogConfig{
 		Folder:     "./latest",
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/flags.go b/cmd/harmony/flags.go
index abaf5de49..db249ec6c 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/flags.go
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ var (
 	}
 	pprofProfileDebugFlag = cli.IntSliceFlag{
 		Name:     "pprof.profile.debug",
-		Usage:    "a list of pprof profile debug integer values (separated by ,) e.g. 0 writes the gzip-compressed protocol buffer and 1 writes the legacy text format",
+		Usage:    "a list of pprof profile debug integer values (separated by ,) e.g. 0 writes the gzip-compressed protocol buffer and 1 writes the legacy text format. Predefined profiles may assign meaning to other debug values: https://golang.org/pkg/runtime/pprof/",
 		DefValue: defaultConfig.Pprof.ProfileDebugValues,
 		Hidden:   true,
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/flags_test.go b/cmd/harmony/flags_test.go
index 343be93af..382ed9917 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/flags_test.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/flags_test.go
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ func TestHarmonyFlags(t *testing.T) {
 					ListenAddr:         "127.0.0.1:6060",
 					Folder:             "./profiles",
 					ProfileNames:       []string{},
-					ProfileIntervals:   []int{},
-					ProfileDebugValues: []int{},
+					ProfileIntervals:   []int{600},
+					ProfileDebugValues: []int{0},
 				},
 				Log: harmonyconfig.LogConfig{
 					Folder:     "./latest",
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7f9c71a91..0c6159092 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr-dns v0.3.1
 	github.com/natefinch/lumberjack v2.0.0+incompatible
 	github.com/pborman/uuid v1.2.0
-	github.com/pelletier/go-toml v1.2.0
+	github.com/pelletier/go-toml v1.9.3
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.8.0
 	github.com/rcrowley/go-metrics v0.0.0-20200313005456-10cdbea86bc0