diff --git a/example_shared_isort_profile/example_shared_isort_profile.py b/example_shared_isort_profile/example_shared_isort_profile.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..986ddd5de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example_shared_isort_profile/example_shared_isort_profile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PROFILE = {
+    "multi_line_output": 3,
+    "include_trailing_comma": True,
+    "force_grid_wrap": 0,
+    "use_parentheses": True,
+    "line_length": 100,
+}
diff --git a/example_shared_isort_profile/poetry.lock b/example_shared_isort_profile/poetry.lock
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12fbad913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example_shared_isort_profile/poetry.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package = []
+
+[metadata]
+content-hash = "8165d934e932435bf4742b9198674202413b43524911713d5c7c55cb8d314618"
+python-versions = "^3.5"
+
+[metadata.files]
diff --git a/example_shared_isort_profile/pyproject.toml b/example_shared_isort_profile/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a290ddc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example_shared_isort_profile/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+[tool.poetry]
+name = "example_shared_isort_profile"
+version = "0.0.1"
+description = "An example shared isort profile"
+authors = ["Timothy Crosley <timothy.crosley@gmail.com>"]
+license = "MIT"
+
+[tool.poetry.plugins."isort.profiles"]
+example = "example_shared_isort_profile:PROFILE"
+
+[tool.poetry.dependencies]
+python = "^3.6"
+
+[tool.poetry.dev-dependencies]
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["poetry>=0.12"]
+build-backend = "poetry.masonry.api"
diff --git a/isort/main.py b/isort/main.py
index 3ccf0d14d..c90b824ad 100644
--- a/isort/main.py
+++ b/isort/main.py
@@ -569,9 +569,9 @@ def _build_arg_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     parser.add_argument(
         "--profile",
         dest="profile",
-        choices=list(profiles.keys()),
         type=str,
-        help="Base profile type to use for configuration.",
+        help="Base profile type to use for configuration. "
+        f"Profiles include: {', '.join(profiles.keys())}. As well as any shared profiles.",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--interactive",
diff --git a/isort/settings.py b/isort/settings.py
index 09255c819..b6eebb237 100644
--- a/isort/settings.py
+++ b/isort/settings.py
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ def __init__(
                 import pkg_resources
 
                 for plugin in pkg_resources.iter_entry_points("isort.profiles"):
-                    profiles.setdefault(plugin.name, plugin.load().PROFILE)  # pragma: no cover
+                    profiles.setdefault(plugin.name, plugin.load())
 
             if profile_name not in profiles:
                 raise ProfileDoesNotExist(profile_name)
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index b1bdaa498..1e81bd69d 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -259,6 +259,14 @@ toml = "*"
 [package.extras]
 pipenv = ["pipenv"]
 
+[[package]]
+category = "dev"
+description = "An example shared isort profile"
+name = "example-shared-isort-profile"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.6,<4.0"
+version = "0.0.1"
+
 [[package]]
 category = "dev"
 description = "Tests and Documentation Done by Example."
@@ -1532,7 +1540,7 @@ pipfile_deprecated_finder = ["pipreqs", "tomlkit", "requirementslib"]
 requirements_deprecated_finder = ["pipreqs", "pip-api"]
 
 [metadata]
-content-hash = "ace34d56082ee3f0ccfa77f6c8b6a6e8a6449a1e51a0e31a69368c697af7384b"
+content-hash = "4db91d831e91eff8a42ff63d3ba2683d3575886c5d23c09cd27dc4196d41b28b"
 python-versions = "^3.6"
 
 [metadata.files]
@@ -1657,6 +1665,10 @@ dparse = [
     {file = "dparse-0.5.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:e953a25e44ebb60a5c6efc2add4420c177f1d8404509da88da9729202f306994"},
     {file = "dparse-0.5.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:a1b5f169102e1c894f9a7d5ccf6f9402a836a5d24be80a986c7ce9eaed78f367"},
 ]
+example-shared-isort-profile = [
+    {file = "example_shared_isort_profile-0.0.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:3fa3e2d093e68285fc7893704b727791ed3e0969d07bdd2733e366303d1a2582"},
+    {file = "example_shared_isort_profile-0.0.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:fc2a0fa892611d6c1c2060dc0ca8e511e3f65fad8e4e449e8a375ef49549e710"},
+]
 examples = [
     {file = "examples-1.0.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:372fefd15d5a17bda3b003cf26edbc2d29632bc63f29c816b55ed33dcccb3e65"},
     {file = "examples-1.0.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:f29ba443f158bb47913ac21f098306a9749ed459a2290540ff1f86baac074597"},
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 464e8f059..43b71a910 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ pip-shims = "^0.5.2"
 smmap2 = "^3.0.1"
 gitdb2 = "^4.0.2"
 httpx = "^0.13.3"
+example_shared_isort_profile = "^0.0.1"
 
 [tool.poetry.scripts]
 isort = "isort.main:main"
diff --git a/tests/test_ticketed_features.py b/tests/test_ticketed_features.py
index e57b32d91..cfb586e47 100644
--- a/tests/test_ticketed_features.py
+++ b/tests/test_ticketed_features.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 import isort
-from isort import Config
+from isort import Config, exceptions
 
 
 def test_semicolon_ignored_for_dynamic_lines_after_import_issue_1178():
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ def test_isort_warns_when_known_sections_dont_match_issue_1331():
         )
 
 
-def test_isort_supports_append_only_imports_727():
+def test_isort_supports_append_only_imports_issue_727():
     """Test to ensure isort provides a way to only add imports as an append.
     See: https://github.com/timothycrosley/isort/issues/727.
     """
@@ -212,3 +212,13 @@ def test_isort_supports_append_only_imports_727():
 import os
 """
     )
+
+
+def test_isort_supports_shared_profiles_issue_970():
+    """Test to ensure isort provides a way to use shared profiles.
+    See: https://github.com/timothycrosley/isort/issues/970.
+    """
+    assert isort.code("import a", profile="example") == "import a\n"  # shared profile
+    assert isort.code("import a", profile="black") == "import a\n"  # bundled profile
+    with pytest.raises(exceptions.ProfileDoesNotExist):
+        assert isort.code("import a", profile="madeupfake") == "import a\n"  # non-existent profile