diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index dedd8d2ff8..27c49280c4 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@
 ## License along with this library.  If not, see
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+LCOV = lcov
+GENHTML = genhtml
+
 SUBDIRS = . gnulib/lib include/libvirt src tools docs gnulib/tests \
   tests po examples
 
 XZ_OPT ?= -v -T0
 export XZ_OPT
 
-# have gnulib 'make coverage' output to 'cov' dir
-COVERAGE_OUT = "cov"
-
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
@@ -87,6 +87,20 @@ check-local: all tests
 check-access: all
 	@($(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -C tests check-access)
 
+cov: clean-cov
+	$(MKDIR_P) $(top_builddir)/coverage
+	$(LCOV) -c -o $(top_builddir)/coverage/libvirt.info.tmp \
+	  -d $(top_builddir)/src \
+	  -d $(top_builddir)/tests
+	$(LCOV) -r $(top_builddir)/coverage/libvirt.info.tmp \
+	  -o $(top_builddir)/coverage/libvirt.info
+	rm $(top_builddir)/coverage/libvirt.info.tmp
+	$(GENHTML) --show-details -t "libvirt" -o $(top_builddir)/coverage \
+	  --legend $(top_builddir)/coverage/libvirt.info
+
+clean-cov:
+	rm -rf $(top_builddir)/coverage
+
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = .git-module-status
 
 dist-hook: gen-AUTHORS
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ebb2e24e21..f41c6d5d86 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -726,6 +726,23 @@ fi
 AC_SUBST([VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE_DEFAULT])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_EXPENSIVE_TESTS], [test $VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE_DEFAULT = 1])
 
+LIBVIRT_ARG_ENABLE([TEST_COVERAGE], [turn on code coverage instrumentation], [no])
+case "$enable_test_coverage" in
+  yes|no) ;;
+  *) AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value ${enable_test_coverga} for test-coverage option]) ;;
+esac
+
+if test "$enable_test_coverage" = yes; then
+  save_WARN_CFLAGS=$WARN_CFLAGS
+  WARN_CFLAGS=
+  gl_WARN_ADD([-fprofile-arcs])
+  gl_WARN_ADD([-ftest-coverage])
+  COVERAGE_FLAGS=$WARN_CFLAGS
+  AC_SUBST([COVERAGE_CFLAGS], [$COVERAGE_FLAGS])
+  AC_SUBST([COVERAGE_LDFLAGS], [$COVERAGE_FLAGS])
+  WARN_CFLAGS=$save_WARN_CFLAGS
+fi
+
 LIBVIRT_ARG_ENABLE([TEST_OOM], [memory allocation failure checking], [no])
 case "$enable_test_oom" in
   yes|no) ;;
@@ -1011,6 +1028,7 @@ LIBVIRT_WIN_RESULT_WINDRES
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Test suite])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([         Coverage: $enable_test_coverage])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([        Alloc OOM: $enable_test_oom])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Miscellaneous])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index d02d4deb6d..3ae4b87abb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ AM_CFLAGS =	$(LIBXML_CFLAGS) \
 		$(WARN_CFLAGS) \
 		$(LOCK_CHECKING_CFLAGS) \
 		$(WIN32_EXTRA_CFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
 AM_LDFLAGS =	$(DRIVER_MODULES_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(RELRO_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NO_INDIRECT_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(CYGWIN_EXTRA_LDFLAGS) \
diff --git a/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am b/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
index 09535ee6bb..aca0b40140 100644
--- a/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
+++ b/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ REMOTE_DAEMON_CFLAGS = \
 	$(LIBNL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS) \
 	$(PIE_CFLAGS) \
+	$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
 	-I$(srcdir)/access \
 	-I$(srcdir)/conf \
 	-I$(srcdir)/rpc \
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ REMOTE_DAEMON_LD_FLAGS = \
 	$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(NO_INDIRECT_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(NO_UNDEFINED_LDFLAGS) \
+	$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
 REMOTE_DAEMON_LD_ADD = \
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 31a22ebefd..6b5d05bbed 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(SELINUX_CFLAGS) \
 	$(APPARMOR_CFLAGS) \
 	$(YAJL_CFLAGS) \
+	$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(XDR_CFLAGS) \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS)
 
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ endif WITH_SECDRIVER_SELINUX
 
 # This is a fake SSH we use from virnetsockettest
 ssh_SOURCES = ssh.c
+ssh_LDADD = $(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS)
 
 if WITH_LIBXL
 test_programs += xlconfigtest \
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 35b442d975..29fdbfe846 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ WARN_CFLAGS += $(STRICT_FRAME_LIMIT_CFLAGS)
 
 AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS) \
+	$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(PIE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(LIBXML_CFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ libvirt_shell_la_CFLAGS = \
 libvirt_shell_la_LDFLAGS = \
 		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
 libvirt_shell_la_LIBADD = \
 		../src/libvirt.la \
@@ -188,6 +190,7 @@ endif ! WITH_BHYVE
 virt_host_validate_LDFLAGS = \
 		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
 
 virt_host_validate_LDADD = \
@@ -213,6 +216,7 @@ virt_login_shell_helper_SOURCES = \
 virt_login_shell_helper_LDFLAGS = \
 		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
 virt_login_shell_helper_LDADD = \
 		../src/libvirt.la \
@@ -256,6 +260,7 @@ virsh_SOURCES = \
 virsh_LDFLAGS = \
 		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
 virsh_LDADD = \
 		$(STATIC_BINARIES) \
@@ -273,6 +278,7 @@ virt_admin_SOURCES = \
 
 virt_admin_LDFLAGS = \
 		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
+		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(STATIC_BINARIES) \
 		$(PIE_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)