diff --git a/pytest_cov.py b/pytest_cov.py
index 476c784a..b4c504f1 100644
--- a/pytest_cov.py
+++ b/pytest_cov.py
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
     group.addoption('--cov', action='append', default=[], metavar='path',
                     dest='cov_source',
                     help='measure coverage for filesystem path '
-                    '(multi-allowed)')
+                    '(multi-allowed, implies --cov-enabled)')
+    group.addoption('--cov-enabled', action='store_true', default=False,
+                    dest='cov_enabled',
+                    help='enable coverage measurements')
     group.addoption('--cov-report', action='append', default=[],
                     metavar='type', dest='cov_report',
                     choices=['term', 'term-missing', 'annotate', 'html',
@@ -32,17 +35,25 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
                          'default: False')
 
 
+def postprocess(options):
+    """Avoid making a custom action by editing options after parsing."""
+    if options.cov_source:
+        options.cov_enabled = True
+
+
 @pytest.mark.try_last
 def pytest_load_initial_conftests(early_config, parser, args):
-    ns = parser.parse_known_args(args)
-    if ns.cov_source:
-        plugin = CovPlugin(ns, early_config.pluginmanager)
+    options = parser.parse_known_args(args)
+    postprocess(options)
+    if options.cov_enabled:
+        plugin = CovPlugin(options, early_config.pluginmanager)
         early_config.pluginmanager.register(plugin, '_cov')
 
 
 def pytest_configure(config):
     """Activate coverage plugin if appropriate."""
-    if config.getvalue('cov_source'):
+    postprocess(config.option)
+    if config.getvalue('cov_enabled'):
         if not config.pluginmanager.hasplugin('_cov'):
             plugin = CovPlugin(config.option, config.pluginmanager,
                                start=False)
@@ -91,7 +102,7 @@ class Config(object):
             config = Config()
 
         self.cov_controller = controller_cls(
-            self.options.cov_source,
+            self.options.cov_source or None,
             self.options.cov_report or ['term'],
             self.options.cov_config,
             config,
diff --git a/test_pytest_cov.py b/test_pytest_cov.py
index a1e61edd..177601c6 100644
--- a/test_pytest_cov.py
+++ b/test_pytest_cov.py
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ def test_foo():
         assert False
 '''
 
+COVERAGERC_SOURCE = '''\
+[run]
+source = .
+'''
+
 SCRIPT_CHILD = '''
 import sys
 
@@ -58,7 +63,7 @@ def test_foo(idx):
 import coverage
 
 def test_foo(cov):
-    assert isinstance(cov, coverage.control.coverage)
+    assert isinstance(cov, coverage.coverage)
 '''
 
 SCRIPT_FUNCARG_NOT_ACTIVE = '''
@@ -107,6 +112,47 @@ def test_central(testdir):
     assert result.ret == 0
 
 
+def test_central_nonspecific(testdir):
+    script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v',
+                               '--cov-enabled',
+                               '--cov-report=term-missing',
+                               script)
+
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+        '*- coverage: platform *, python * -*',
+        'test_central_nonspecific * %s *' % SCRIPT_RESULT,
+        '*10 passed*'
+        ])
+
+    # multi-module coverage report
+    assert result.stdout.lines[-3].startswith('TOTAL ')
+
+    assert result.ret == 0
+
+
+def test_central_coveragerc(testdir):
+    script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT)
+    testdir.tmpdir.join('.coveragerc').write(COVERAGERC_SOURCE)
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v',
+                               '--cov-enabled',
+                               '--cov-report=term-missing',
+                               script)
+
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+        '*- coverage: platform *, python * -*',
+        'test_central_coveragerc * %s *' % SCRIPT_RESULT,
+        '*10 passed*',
+        ])
+
+    # single-module coverage report
+    assert result.stdout.lines[-3].startswith('test_central_coveragerc ')
+
+    assert result.ret == 0
+
+
 def test_no_cov_on_fail(testdir):
     script = testdir.makepyfile(SCRIPT_FAIL)
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 6a2af645..fe0acfa6 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ usedevelop = True
 setenv =
     PYTHONHASHSEED = random
 deps =
+    #FIXME: delete next line after merging https://github.com/schlamar/cov-core/pull/5
+    git+git://github.com/bukzor/cov-core.git
     pytest
     pytest-xdist
     virtualenv