diff --git a/ci/build_cpp.sh b/ci/build_cpp.sh
index db4ef0469a..32fb90bcfa 100755
--- a/ci/build_cpp.sh
+++ b/ci/build_cpp.sh
@@ -73,6 +73,17 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+if test -d "${source_dir}/lib/papi"
+then
+    { echo "papi already in lib... not downloading, building, and installing"; } 2>/dev/null
+else
+    cd "${source_dir}/lib"
+    git clone https://github.com/icl-utk-edu/papi.git
+    cd papi/src
+    ./configure --prefix=${source_dir}/lib/papi/install
+    make && make install
+fi
+
 if test "${VT_ZOLTAN_ENABLED:-0}" -eq 1
 then
     export Zoltan_DIR=${ZOLTAN_DIR:-""}
diff --git a/cmake/FindPAPI.cmake b/cmake/FindPAPI.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ccab46b3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindPAPI.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Set minimum CMake version
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.23 FATAL_ERROR)
+
+set(PAPI_ROOT "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/papi/install")
+
+# Find the PAPI include directory and library
+find_path(PAPI_INCLUDE_DIR NAMES papi.h HINTS ${PAPI_ROOT}/include)
+find_library(PAPI_LIBRARY NAMES papi HINTS ${PAPI_ROOT}/lib)
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(PAPI DEFAULT_MSG PAPI_LIBRARY PAPI_INCLUDE_DIR)
+
+if(PAPI_FOUND AND NOT TARGET PAPI::PAPI)
+    add_library(PAPI::PAPI UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(PAPI::PAPI PROPERTIES
+        IMPORTED_LOCATION "{PAPI_LIBRARY}"
+        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${PAPI_INCLUDE_DIR}"
+    )
+endif()
+
+mark_as_advanced(PAPI_INCLUDE_DIR PAPI_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/cmake/link_vt.cmake b/cmake/link_vt.cmake
index 8b6303404b..26d25b8298 100644
--- a/cmake/link_vt.cmake
+++ b/cmake/link_vt.cmake
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ function(link_target_with_vt)
     LINK_FORT
     LINK_JSON
     LINK_BROTLI
+    LINK_PAPI
   )
   set(
     multiValueArg
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ function(link_target_with_vt)
   set(allKeywords ${noValOption} ${singleValArg} ${multiValueArg})
 
   cmake_parse_arguments(
-    ARG "${noValOption}" "${singleValArg}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN}
+    ARG "${noValOption}" "${singleValArg}" "${multiValueArg}" ${ARGN}
   )
 
   if (${ARG_DEBUG_LINK})
@@ -211,6 +212,15 @@ function(link_target_with_vt)
     )
   endif()
 
+  if (NOT DEFINED ARG_LINK_PAPI AND ${ARG_DEFAULT_LINK_SET} OR ARG_LINK_PAPI)
+    if (${ARG_DEBUG_LINK})
+      message(STATUS "link_target_with_vt: papi=${ARG_LINK_PAPI}")
+    endif()
+    target_link_libraries(
+      ${ARG_TARGET} PUBLIC ${ARG_BUILD_TYPE} ${PAPI_LIBRARY}
+    )
+  endif()
+
   if (${vt_mimalloc_enabled})
     if (${ARG_DEBUG_LINK})
       message(STATUS "link_target_with_vt: mimalloc=${vt_mimalloc_enabled}")
diff --git a/cmake/load_packages.cmake b/cmake/load_packages.cmake
index 7bf97150c9..eaa9566e45 100644
--- a/cmake/load_packages.cmake
+++ b/cmake/load_packages.cmake
@@ -18,5 +18,8 @@ include(cmake/load_doxygen.cmake)
 # Optionally link with Zoltan
 include(cmake/load_zoltan_package.cmake)
 
+# Link with PAPI
+include(cmake/load_papi.cmake)
+
 # Tests
 include(cmake/test_vt.cmake)
diff --git a/cmake/load_papi.cmake b/cmake/load_papi.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82eff87c61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/load_papi.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+find_package(PAPI REQUIRED)
+message(STATUS: "FOUND PAPI: PAPI LIBRARY: ${PAPI_LIBRARY}\n       PAPI INCLUDE DIR: ${PAPI_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+set(vt_papi_found "1")