diff --git a/compiler/rustc_expand/src/proc_macro.rs b/compiler/rustc_expand/src/proc_macro.rs
index aec401a041ca3..8e1966a0711d6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_expand/src/proc_macro.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_expand/src/proc_macro.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use rustc_data_structures::sync::Lrc;
 use rustc_errors::ErrorGuaranteed;
 use rustc_parse::nt_to_tokenstream;
 use rustc_parse::parser::ForceCollect;
+use rustc_span::profiling::SpannedEventArgRecorder;
 use rustc_span::{Span, DUMMY_SP};
 
 const EXEC_STRATEGY: pm::bridge::server::SameThread = pm::bridge::server::SameThread;
@@ -25,7 +26,10 @@ impl base::ProcMacro for BangProcMacro {
         input: TokenStream,
     ) -> Result<TokenStream, ErrorGuaranteed> {
         let _timer =
-            ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg("expand_proc_macro", ecx.expansion_descr());
+            ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg_recorder("expand_proc_macro", |recorder| {
+                recorder.record_arg_with_span(ecx.expansion_descr(), span);
+            });
+
         let proc_macro_backtrace = ecx.ecfg.proc_macro_backtrace;
         let server = proc_macro_server::Rustc::new(ecx);
         self.client.run(&EXEC_STRATEGY, server, input, proc_macro_backtrace).map_err(|e| {
@@ -51,7 +55,10 @@ impl base::AttrProcMacro for AttrProcMacro {
         annotated: TokenStream,
     ) -> Result<TokenStream, ErrorGuaranteed> {
         let _timer =
-            ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg("expand_proc_macro", ecx.expansion_descr());
+            ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg_recorder("expand_proc_macro", |recorder| {
+                recorder.record_arg_with_span(ecx.expansion_descr(), span);
+            });
+
         let proc_macro_backtrace = ecx.ecfg.proc_macro_backtrace;
         let server = proc_macro_server::Rustc::new(ecx);
         self.client
@@ -103,7 +110,9 @@ impl MultiItemModifier for ProcMacroDerive {
 
         let stream = {
             let _timer =
-                ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg("expand_proc_macro", ecx.expansion_descr());
+                ecx.sess.prof.generic_activity_with_arg_recorder("expand_proc_macro", |recorder| {
+                    recorder.record_arg_with_span(ecx.expansion_descr(), span);
+                });
             let proc_macro_backtrace = ecx.ecfg.proc_macro_backtrace;
             let server = proc_macro_server::Rustc::new(ecx);
             match self.client.run(&EXEC_STRATEGY, server, input, proc_macro_backtrace) {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_span/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_span/src/lib.rs
index b0307cc20d174..f22faef2580a5 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_span/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_span/src/lib.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ pub use symbol::{sym, Symbol};
 mod analyze_source_file;
 pub mod fatal_error;
 
+pub mod profiling;
+
 use rustc_data_structures::stable_hasher::{HashStable, StableHasher};
 use rustc_data_structures::sync::{Lock, Lrc};
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_span/src/profiling.rs b/compiler/rustc_span/src/profiling.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f169007fab43d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/rustc_span/src/profiling.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+use std::borrow::Borrow;
+
+use rustc_data_structures::profiling::EventArgRecorder;
+
+/// Extension trait for self-profiling purposes: allows to record spans within a generic activity's
+/// event arguments.
+pub trait SpannedEventArgRecorder {
+    /// Records the following event arguments within the current generic activity being profiled:
+    /// - the provided `event_arg`
+    /// - a string representation of the provided `span`
+    ///
+    /// Note: when self-profiling with costly event arguments, at least one argument
+    /// needs to be recorded. A panic will be triggered if that doesn't happen.
+    fn record_arg_with_span<A>(&mut self, event_arg: A, span: crate::Span)
+    where
+        A: Borrow<str> + Into<String>;
+}
+
+impl SpannedEventArgRecorder for EventArgRecorder<'_> {
+    fn record_arg_with_span<A>(&mut self, event_arg: A, span: crate::Span)
+    where
+        A: Borrow<str> + Into<String>,
+    {
+        self.record_arg(event_arg);
+
+        let span_arg = crate::with_session_globals(|session_globals| {
+            if let Some(source_map) = &*session_globals.source_map.borrow() {
+                source_map.span_to_embeddable_string(span)
+            } else {
+                format!("{:?}", span)
+            }
+        });
+        self.record_arg(span_arg);
+    }
+}