diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 77f4d1896..2b3149d04 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ ocamlz3
 # Emacs temp files
 \#*\#
 # Directories with generated code and documentation
+release/*
 build/*
 build-dist/*
 dist/*
diff --git a/src/opt/opt_params.pyg b/src/opt/opt_params.pyg
index 983c3ed73..63c4d534a 100644
--- a/src/opt/opt_params.pyg
+++ b/src/opt/opt_params.pyg
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ def_module_params('opt',
                   export=True,
                   params=(('timeout', UINT, UINT_MAX, 'set timeout'),
                           ('engine', SYMBOL, 'basic', "select optimization engine: 'basic', 'farkas', 'symba'"),
-	                  ('maxsat_engine', SYMBOL, 'fu_malik', "select engine for non-weighted maxsat: 'fu_malik', 'core_maxsat'"),
+	                      ('maxsat_engine', SYMBOL, 'fu_malik', "select engine for non-weighted maxsat: 'fu_malik', 'core_maxsat'"),
                           ('pareto', BOOL, False, 'return a Pareto front (as opposed to a bounding box)'),
+                          ('dump_benchmarks', BOOL, False, 'dump benchmarks for profiling'),
                           ))
 
 
diff --git a/src/opt/opt_solver.cpp b/src/opt/opt_solver.cpp
index 750b8d700..02b01912e 100644
--- a/src/opt/opt_solver.cpp
+++ b/src/opt/opt_solver.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ Notes:
 #include"theory_arith.h"
 #include"theory_diff_logic.h"
 #include "ast_pp.h"
+#include "ast_smt_pp.h"
+#include "pp_params.hpp"
 
 namespace opt {
 
@@ -32,7 +34,8 @@ namespace opt {
         m_params(p),
         m_context(mgr, m_params),
         m(mgr),
-        m_objective_enabled(false) {
+        m_objective_enabled(false),
+        m_is_dump(false) {
         m_logic = l;
         if (m_logic != symbol::null)
             m_context.set_logic(m_logic);
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@ namespace opt {
     }
 
     void opt_solver::updt_params(params_ref const & p) {
+        m_is_dump = p.get_bool("dump_benchmarks", false);
         m_params.updt_params(p);
         m_context.updt_params(p);
     }
@@ -93,7 +97,8 @@ namespace opt {
         }
     }
 
-    
+    static unsigned g_checksat_count = 0;
+
     lbool opt_solver::check_sat_core(unsigned num_assumptions, expr * const * assumptions) {
         TRACE("opt_solver_na2as", {
             tout << "opt_opt_solver::check_sat_core: " << m_context.size() << "\n";            
@@ -103,6 +108,11 @@ namespace opt {
         });
 
         lbool r = m_context.check(num_assumptions, assumptions);
+        if (m_is_dump) {
+            std::stringstream buffer;
+            buffer << "opt_solver" << ++g_checksat_count << ".smt2";
+            to_smt2_benchmark(buffer.str().c_str(), "benchmark", "QF_BV");       
+        }
         if (r == l_true && m_objective_enabled) {
             m_objective_values.reset();
             smt::theory_opt& opt = get_optimizer();
@@ -201,6 +211,23 @@ namespace opt {
         }
         return dynamic_cast<opt_solver&>(s);
     }
+    
+    void opt_solver::to_smt2_benchmark(char const * file_name, char const * name, char const * logic, 
+                                       char const * status, char const * attributes) {
+        std::ofstream buffer(file_name);
+        ast_smt_pp pp(m);
+        pp.set_benchmark_name(name);
+        pp.set_logic(logic);
+        pp.set_status(status);
+        pp.add_attributes(attributes);
+        pp_params params;
+        pp.set_simplify_implies(params.simplify_implies());
+        for (unsigned i = 0; i < get_num_assertions(); ++i) {
+            pp.add_assumption(to_expr(get_assertion(i)));
+        }
+        pp.display_smt2(buffer, to_expr(m.mk_true()));
+        buffer.close();
+    }
 
     opt_solver::toggle_objective::toggle_objective(opt_solver& s, bool new_value): s(s), m_old_value(s.m_objective_enabled) {
         s.m_objective_enabled = new_value;
@@ -210,5 +237,4 @@ namespace opt {
         s.m_objective_enabled = m_old_value;
     }
 
-
 }
diff --git a/src/opt/opt_solver.h b/src/opt/opt_solver.h
index 1fffa1b5b..90ebe3251 100644
--- a/src/opt/opt_solver.h
+++ b/src/opt/opt_solver.h
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ namespace opt {
         symbol              m_logic;
         bool                m_objective_enabled;
         svector<smt::theory_var>  m_objective_vars;
-        vector<inf_eps>         m_objective_values;
+        vector<inf_eps>     m_objective_values;
+        bool                m_is_dump;        
     public:
         opt_solver(ast_manager & m, params_ref const & p, symbol const & l);
         virtual ~opt_solver();
@@ -88,6 +89,9 @@ namespace opt {
         smt::context& get_context() { return m_context.get_context(); } // used by weighted maxsat.
         
         smt::theory_opt& get_optimizer();
+
+        void to_smt2_benchmark(char const * file_name, char const * name = "benchmarks", 
+                           char const * logic = "", char const * status = "unknown", char const * attributes = "");
     };
 }