diff --git a/gates/profiles.py b/gates/profiles.py
index 6e4525e..ff8798f 100644
--- a/gates/profiles.py
+++ b/gates/profiles.py
@@ -46,3 +46,14 @@ def find_by_id(reg, pid):
 
 def find_by_name(reg, name):
     return next((p for p in reg["profiles"] if p["name"] == name), None)
+
+
+def create_profile(base, name, pid, ts=0):
+    reg = read_registry(base)
+    if find_by_name(reg, name):
+        raise ValueError(f"profile name already exists: {name}")
+    (Path(base) / pid).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    entry = {"id": pid, "name": name, "created": ts}
+    reg["profiles"].append(entry)
+    write_registry(base, reg)
+    return entry
diff --git a/tests/test_profiles.py b/tests/test_profiles.py
index b17e899..3448b92 100644
--- a/tests/test_profiles.py
+++ b/tests/test_profiles.py
@@ -22,3 +22,15 @@ def test_find_helpers():
     assert pr.find_by_id(reg, "b")["name"] == "y"
     assert pr.find_by_name(reg, "x")["id"] == "a"
     assert pr.find_by_id(reg, "z") is None
+
+def test_create_profile(tmp_path):
+    e = pr.create_profile(str(tmp_path), "setA", "id1", ts=10)
+    assert e == {"id": "id1", "name": "setA", "created": 10}
+    assert (tmp_path / "id1").is_dir()
+    assert pr.find_by_name(pr.read_registry(str(tmp_path)), "setA")["id"] == "id1"
+
+def test_create_duplicate_name_raises(tmp_path):
+    import pytest
+    pr.create_profile(str(tmp_path), "setA", "id1")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        pr.create_profile(str(tmp_path), "setA", "id2")