diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 53f7fc34..37c20a85 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ test:
 	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) uninstall
 	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check
 	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) install
-	IGNORE_COVERAGE=1 $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) installcheck
+	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) installcheck
 fullcheck:
 	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) test
-	IGNORE_COVERAGE=1 $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) distcheck
+	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) distcheck
 
 @MOO_PO_SUBDIRS_RULE@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 53d034ee..866a50ee 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ if $MOO_OS_UNIX; then
   AC_DEFINE(MOO_BUILD_CTAGS, 1, [build ctags plugin])
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(coverage,
+  AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-coverage],[check test coverage]),[
+  MOO_ENABLE_COVERAGE="$enable_coverage"
+  ],[
+  MOO_ENABLE_COVERAGE="no"
+])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(MOO_ENABLE_COVERAGE, test "x$MOO_ENABLE_COVERAGE" = "xyes")
+
 if $MOO_OS_WIN32; then
   AC_SUBST(MEDIT_WIN32_APP_UID,"7F9F899F-EE8A-47F0-9981-8C525AF78E4D")
   AC_SUBST(MEDIT_INNO_TOP_SRCDIR,"Z:`cd $srcdir && pwd`")
diff --git a/moo/medit-app/Makefile.incl b/moo/medit-app/Makefile.incl
index 4eec1269..013410e4 100644
--- a/moo/medit-app/Makefile.incl
+++ b/moo/medit-app/Makefile.incl
@@ -14,13 +14,17 @@ EXTRA_DIST +=					\
 TESTS = medit-app/run-tests-uninstalled.sh
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = top_srcdir=$(top_srcdir) bindir=$(bindir) PYTHON=$(PYTHON) print_functions=$(srcdir)/medit-app/print-functions.py
 
+if !MOO_ENABLE_COVERAGE
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT += IGNORE_COVERAGE=1
+endif
+
 installcheck-local: run-tests-installed
 run-tests-installed:
 	$(TESTS_ENVIRONMENT) srcdir=$(srcdir) $(srcdir)/medit-app/run-tests-installed.sh
 	@echo 'PASS: medit-app/run-tests-installed.sh'
-	@echo '============='
-	@echo '1 test passed'
-	@echo '============='
+	@echo '==========='
+	@echo 'test passed'
+	@echo '==========='
 
 if MOO_OS_UNIX
 AM_CFLAGS += -DMOO_UNIT_TEST_DATA_DIR=\"${MOO_TOP_SRCDIR}/moo/medit-app/data\"