diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index fe2ed898..902d606c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 - Fix loading packages from capitalised package on Windows
   Patch by Thomas Kluyver
+- Add option to suppress printing of coverage report
+  Patch by Eric Larson.
 
 1.3.6
 
@@ -883,4 +885,3 @@
 - Increased compatibility with python 2.3 (and maybe earlier)
 - Increased compatibility with tests written for py.test: now calls
   module.setup_module(module) if module.setup_module() fails
-
diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 67b8f29f..2047e4e3 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -393,6 +393,10 @@ Options
 
    Location of coverage config file [NOSE_COVER_CONFIG_FILE]
 
+--cover-no-print
+
+   Suppress printing of coverage information
+
 --pdb
 
    Drop into debugger on failures or errors
diff --git a/nose/plugins/cover.py b/nose/plugins/cover.py
index 0276f2dc..4bae004e 100644
--- a/nose/plugins/cover.py
+++ b/nose/plugins/cover.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class Coverage(Plugin):
     coverInstance = None
     coverErase = False
     coverMinPercentage = None
+    coverPrint = True
     score = 200
     status = {}
 
@@ -85,7 +86,8 @@ def options(self, parser, env):
                           dest="cover_xml",
                           help="Produce XML coverage information")
         parser.add_option("--cover-xml-file", action="store",
-                          default=env.get('NOSE_COVER_XML_FILE', 'coverage.xml'),
+                          default=env.get('NOSE_COVER_XML_FILE',
+                                          'coverage.xml'),
                           dest="cover_xml_file",
                           metavar="FILE",
                           help="Produce XML coverage information in file")
@@ -94,6 +96,10 @@ def options(self, parser, env):
                           dest="cover_config_file",
                           help="Location of coverage config file "
                           "[NOSE_COVER_CONFIG_FILE]")
+        parser.add_option("--cover-no-print", action="store_true",
+                          default=env.get('NOSE_COVER_NO_PRINT'),
+                          dest="cover_no_print",
+                          help="Suppress printing of coverage information")
 
     def configure(self, options, conf):
         """
@@ -144,6 +150,7 @@ def configure(self, options, conf):
         self.coverConfigFile = True
         if options.cover_config_file:
             self.coverConfigFile = options.cover_config_file
+        self.coverPrint = not options.cover_no_print
         if self.enabled:
             self.status['active'] = True
             self.coverInstance = coverage.coverage(auto_data=False,
@@ -164,7 +171,6 @@ def configure(self, options, conf):
                 self.coverInstance.load()
                 self.coverInstance.start()
 
-
     def beforeTest(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         Begin recording coverage information.
@@ -183,7 +189,6 @@ def afterTest(self, *args, **kwargs):
             self.coverInstance.stop()
             self.coverInstance.save()
 
-
     def report(self, stream):
         """
         Output code coverage report.
@@ -193,10 +198,11 @@ def report(self, stream):
         self.coverInstance.combine()
         self.coverInstance.save()
         modules = [module
-                    for name, module in sys.modules.items()
-                    if self.wantModuleCoverage(name, module)]
+                   for name, module in sys.modules.items()
+                   if self.wantModuleCoverage(name, module)]
         log.debug("Coverage report will cover modules: %s", modules)
-        self.coverInstance.report(modules, file=stream)
+        if self.coverPrint:
+            self.coverInstance.report(modules, file=stream)
 
         import coverage
         if self.coverHtmlDir:
@@ -237,7 +243,6 @@ def report(self, stream):
                 log.error("No total percentage was found in coverage output, "
                           "something went wrong.")
 
-
     def wantModuleCoverage(self, name, module):
         if not hasattr(module, '__file__'):
             log.debug("no coverage of %s: no __file__", name)
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_cover_plugin.py b/unit_tests/test_cover_plugin.py
index b95c590f..59994130 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_cover_plugin.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_cover_plugin.py
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 import os
-import sys
 from optparse import OptionParser
 from nose.config import Config
 from nose.plugins.cover import Coverage
 from nose.tools import eq_
-import unittest
 
 
 class TestCoveragePlugin(object):
@@ -14,6 +12,11 @@ def test_cover_options_packages(self):
                              ['pkg1', 'pkg2', 'pkg3'], [],
                              'pkg1,pkg2,pkg3', 'NOSE_COVER_PACKAGE')
 
+    def test_cover_options_noprint(self):
+        _test_options_helper('--cover-no-print', 'coverPrint',
+                             False, True,
+                             env_key='NOSE_COVER_NO_PRINT')
+
     def test_cover_options_erase(self):
         _test_options_helper('--cover-erase', 'coverErase',
                              True, False,
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ def get_config_files(cov_info):
         finally:
             os.unlink('not_default_config_file')
 
+
 def _test_options_helper(arg_option, cover_option,
                          expected_set, expected_not_set,
                          arg_value=None, env_key=None):