diff --git a/cov-core/cov_core.py b/cov-core/cov_core.py
index b9618050..dd5a2b57 100644
--- a/cov-core/cov_core.py
+++ b/cov-core/cov_core.py
@@ -78,8 +78,12 @@ def sep(stream, s, txt):
 
     def summary(self, stream):
         """Produce coverage reports."""
+        total = 0
+
         if self.cov_report == ['']:
-            return
+            with open(os.devnull, 'w') as null:
+                total = self.cov.report(show_missing=True, ignore_errors=True, file=null)
+                return total
 
         # Output coverage section header.
         if len(self.node_descs) == 1:
@@ -92,21 +96,21 @@ def summary(self, stream):
         # Produce terminal report if wanted.
         if 'term' in self.cov_report or 'term-missing' in self.cov_report:
             show_missing = 'term-missing' in self.cov_report
-            self.cov.report(show_missing=show_missing, ignore_errors=True, file=stream)
+            total = self.cov.report(show_missing=show_missing, ignore_errors=True, file=stream)
 
         # Produce annotated source code report if wanted.
         if 'annotate' in self.cov_report:
-            self.cov.annotate(ignore_errors=True)
+            total = self.cov.annotate(ignore_errors=True)
             stream.write('Coverage annotated source written next to source\n')
 
         # Produce html report if wanted.
         if 'html' in self.cov_report:
-            self.cov.html_report(ignore_errors=True)
+            total = self.cov.html_report(ignore_errors=True)
             stream.write('Coverage HTML written to dir %s\n' % self.cov.config.html_dir)
 
         # Produce xml report if wanted.
         if 'xml' in self.cov_report:
-            self.cov.xml_report(ignore_errors=True)
+            total = self.cov.xml_report(ignore_errors=True)
             stream.write('Coverage XML written to file %s\n' % self.cov.config.xml_output)
 
         # Report on any failed slaves.
@@ -117,6 +121,8 @@ def summary(self, stream):
             for node in self.failed_slaves:
                 stream.write('%s\n' % node.gateway.id)
 
+        return total
+
 
 class Central(CovController):
     """Implementation for centralised operation."""
diff --git a/pytest-cov/pytest_cov.py b/pytest-cov/pytest_cov.py
index d9b917b8..edfe73b2 100644
--- a/pytest-cov/pytest_cov.py
+++ b/pytest-cov/pytest_cov.py
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 import cov_core_init
 
 
+class CoverageError(Exception):
+    '''Indicates that our coverage is too low'''
+
+
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     """Add options to control coverage."""
 
@@ -34,6 +38,8 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
                     dest='no_cov_on_fail',
                     help='do not report coverage if test run fails, '
                          'default: False')
+    group.addoption('--cov-min', action='store', metavar='MIN', type='int',
+                    help='Fail if the total coverage is less than MIN.')
 
 
 @pytest.mark.tryfirst
@@ -148,7 +154,13 @@ def pytest_terminal_summary(self, terminalreporter):
         if self.cov_controller is None:
             return
         if not (self.failed and self.options.no_cov_on_fail):
-            self.cov_controller.summary(terminalreporter.writer)
+            total = self.cov_controller.summary(terminalreporter.writer)
+            assert total is not None, 'Test coverage should never be `None`'
+            cov_min = self.options.cov_min
+            if cov_min is not None and total < cov_min:
+                raise CoverageError(('Required test coverage of %d%% not '
+                                     'reached. Total coverage: %.2f%%')
+                                    % (self.options.cov_min, total))
 
     def pytest_runtest_setup(self, item):
         if os.getpid() != self.pid:
diff --git a/pytest-cov/test_pytest_cov.py b/pytest-cov/test_pytest_cov.py
index 6da07dd9..5dacc1c2 100644
--- a/pytest-cov/test_pytest_cov.py
+++ b/pytest-cov/test_pytest_cov.py
@@ -113,6 +113,42 @@ def test_central(testdir):
     assert result.ret == 0
 
 
+def test_cov_min_100(testdir):
+    script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v',
+                               '--cov', '--cov-source=%s' % script.dirpath(),
+                               '--cov-report=term-missing',
+                               '--cov-min=100',
+                               script)
+
+    assert result.ret == 1
+
+
+def test_cov_min_50(testdir):
+    script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v',
+                               '--cov', '--cov-source=%s' % script.dirpath(),
+                               '--cov-report=term-missing',
+                               '--cov-min=50',
+                               script)
+
+    assert result.ret == 0
+
+
+def test_cov_min_no_report(testdir):
+    script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v',
+                               '--cov', '--cov-source=%s' % script.dirpath(),
+                               '--cov-report=',
+                               '--cov-min=50',
+                               script)
+
+    assert result.ret == 0
+
+
 def test_central_nonspecific(testdir):
     script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)