diff --git a/helm/README.md b/helm/README.md
index 283fc9ea..a3c75f68 100644
--- a/helm/README.md
+++ b/helm/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,38 @@ data:
 
 Rendering fails with a clear error when `existingConfigmap` is not set.
 
+### Custom catalog profile
+
+The catalog profile (queryables, record type, xsd) is a plugin built into the
+image. To serve a different one, e.g. an older profile version on a newer
+image, set `profile.name` and `profile.schemaFile` and add the keys
+`profile.py` and `profile.xsd` to the team ConfigMap. They are mounted over
+`pycsw/plugins/profiles/<name>/`.
+
+The profile reads `mappings['pycsw:X']` keys that `mappings.py` must define,
+or pycsw crashes at startup with `KeyError`. Validate them together where the
+ConfigMap is built:
+
+```yaml
+# wrapper values.yaml
+pycsw:
+  profile:
+    name: mc_dem
+    schemaFile: mcdem-record.xsd
+```
+
+```yaml
+# wrapper templates/configmap.yaml
+{{- include "pycsw.profile.validate" (dict "profile" (.Files.Get "config/profile.py") "mappings" (.Files.Get "config/mappings.py") "schemaFile" .Values.pycsw.profile.schemaFile) }}
+data:
+  # ...pycsw.cfg, mappings.py as above
+  profile.py: {{ .Files.Get "config/profile.py" | quote }}
+  profile.xsd: {{ .Files.Get "config/profile.xsd" | quote }}
+```
+
+The render fails when the profile references a key missing from `mappings.py`,
+or when `schemaFile` is not the xsd the profile references.
+
 ### Environment variables available to pycsw.cfg
 
 pycsw expands `${VAR}` placeholders in `pycsw.cfg` at runtime, so the team config
diff --git a/helm/templates/_helpers.tpl b/helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 79e0dcf0..f25fda63 100644
--- a/helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -143,6 +143,33 @@ Fails rendering when not provided.
 {{- required "existingConfigmap is required: set it to the name of a ConfigMap containing the keys pycsw.cfg and mappings.py (provided by the consuming chart)" $name -}}
 {{- end -}}
 
+{{/*
+A profile key missing from mappings.py only fails at runtime (KeyError); this
+fails the render instead. A subchart can't read its parent's files, so the
+consuming chart must call it where it builds the ConfigMap.
+*/}}
+{{- define "pycsw.profile.validate" -}}
+{{- $profile := regexReplaceAll "(?m)^\\s*#.*$" (required "pycsw.profile.validate: profile content is empty" .profile) "" -}}
+{{- $mappings := regexReplaceAll "(?m)^\\s*#.*$" (required "pycsw.profile.validate: mappings content is empty" .mappings) "" -}}
+{{- $defined := list -}}
+{{- range regexFindAll "'pycsw:[A-Za-z0-9_]+'\\s*:" $mappings -1 -}}
+{{- $defined = append $defined (regexFind "pycsw:[A-Za-z0-9_]+" .) -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- $missing := list -}}
+{{- range regexFindAll "\\[\\s*'pycsw:[A-Za-z0-9_]+'\\s*\\]" $profile -1 -}}
+{{- $key := regexFind "pycsw:[A-Za-z0-9_]+" . -}}
+{{- if not (has $key $defined) -}}
+{{- $missing = append $missing $key -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- if $missing -}}
+{{- fail (printf "pycsw profile references keys missing from mappings.py: %s" (join ", " ($missing | uniq))) -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- if not (contains (printf "'%s'" (required "pycsw.profile.validate: schemaFile is required" .schemaFile)) $profile) -}}
+{{- fail (printf "pycsw profile does not reference schemaFile '%s' in its schemas_paths" .schemaFile) -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
 {{/*
 Returns the postgres connection string as an environment variable value.
 Uses Kubernetes dependent-variable syntax $(VAR) so it is resolved at container
diff --git a/helm/templates/deployment.yaml b/helm/templates/deployment.yaml
index 2bc70bd4..9a7ab306 100644
--- a/helm/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/helm/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -89,6 +89,14 @@ spec:
             - name: pyscw-mappings
               mountPath: /etc/pycsw/mappings.py
               subPath: mappings.py
+            {{- with .Values.profile.name }}
+            - name: pycsw-profile
+              mountPath: {{ printf "/home/pycsw/pycsw/plugins/profiles/%s/%s.py" . . }}
+              subPath: profile.py
+            - name: pycsw-profile
+              mountPath: {{ printf "/home/pycsw/pycsw/plugins/profiles/%s/schemas/%s" . (required "profile.schemaFile is required when profile.name is set" $.Values.profile.schemaFile) }}
+              subPath: profile.xsd
+            {{- end }}
             - mountPath: "/pycsw/uwsgi.ini"
               name: uwsgi-config
               subPath: uwsgi.ini
@@ -184,6 +192,16 @@ spec:
               items:
               - key: "mappings.py"
                 path: "mappings.py"
+        {{- if .Values.profile.name }}
+        - name: pycsw-profile
+          configMap:
+              name: {{ $existingConfigmapName }}
+              items:
+              - key: "profile.py"
+                path: "profile.py"
+              - key: "profile.xsd"
+                path: "profile.xsd"
+        {{- end }}
         - name: uwsgi-config
           configMap:
             name: {{ $configmapName }}
diff --git a/helm/values.yaml b/helm/values.yaml
index 11728751..a5e50685 100644
--- a/helm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/values.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ nameOverride: ""
 # The value may be a template, e.g. '{{ .Release.Name }}-pycsw-config'
 existingConfigmap: ""
 
+# When name is set, existingConfigmap must also hold profile.py and profile.xsd;
+# build it with "pycsw.profile.validate" so a mappings mismatch fails the render.
+profile:
+  # must match "profiles=" in pycsw.cfg; "" keeps the image's built-in profile
+  name: ""
+  # must match the xsd file name in the profile's schemas_paths
+  schemaFile: ""
+
 enabled: true
 environment: development
 replicaCount: 1