diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 255d852..89a246b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Usage
 
     $ go test -coverprofile=coverage.txt -covermode count github.com/gorilla/mux
     $ gocover-cobertura < coverage.txt > coverage.xml
-    
+
 Note that you should run this from the directory which holds your `go.mod` file.
 
 Some flags can be passed (each flag should only be used once):
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ Some flags can be passed (each flag should only be used once):
   indicating that the file has been automatically generated. See
   `genCodeRe` regexp in [ignore.go](ignore.go).
 
+- `-report-total-coverage-to-stderr`
+
+  write the total coverage percentage to stderr.
+  This is usefull when working with CI pipelines (i.e. Gitlab) that search the
+  logs to retrieve the coverage number for reporting.
+
 ~~Authors~~Merger
 -------
 
diff --git a/gocover-cobertura.go b/gocover-cobertura.go
index 06fa9a3..e9be86a 100644
--- a/gocover-cobertura.go
+++ b/gocover-cobertura.go
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ func fatal(format string, a ...interface{}) {
 
 func main() {
 	var ignore Ignore
+	var reportTotalCoverageToStdErr bool
 
 	flag.BoolVar(&byFiles, "by-files", false, "code coverage by file, not class")
 	flag.BoolVar(&ignore.GeneratedFiles, "ignore-gen-files", false, "ignore generated files")
+	flag.BoolVar(&reportTotalCoverageToStdErr, "report-total-coverage-to-stderr", false, "write the total coverage percentage to stderr")
 	ignoreDirsRe := flag.String("ignore-dirs", "", "ignore dirs matching this regexp")
 	ignoreFilesRe := flag.String("ignore-files", "", "ignore files matching this regexp")
 
@@ -51,12 +53,17 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := convert(os.Stdin, os.Stdout, &ignore); err != nil {
+	outErr := io.Discard
+	if reportTotalCoverageToStdErr {
+		outErr = os.Stderr
+	}
+
+	if err := convert(os.Stdin, os.Stdout, outErr, &ignore); err != nil {
 		fatal("code coverage conversion failed: %s", err)
 	}
 }
 
-func convert(in io.Reader, out io.Writer, ignore *Ignore) error {
+func convert(in io.Reader, out, outErr io.Writer, ignore *Ignore) error {
 	profiles, err := ParseProfiles(in, ignore)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -89,6 +96,8 @@ func convert(in io.Reader, out io.Writer, ignore *Ignore) error {
 	}
 
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(out)
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(outErr, "Total test coverage is %.2f%% of lines\n", coverage.LineRate*100)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/gocover-cobertura_test.go b/gocover-cobertura_test.go
index 2a529a5..ebd7728 100644
--- a/gocover-cobertura_test.go
+++ b/gocover-cobertura_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestConvertParseProfilesError(t *testing.T) {
 		err = pipe2wr.Close()
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}()
-	err := convert(strings.NewReader("invalid data"), pipe2wr, &Ignore{})
+	err := convert(strings.NewReader("invalid data"), pipe2wr, io.Discard, &Ignore{})
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "bad mode line: invalid data", err.Error())
 }
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func TestConvertOutputError(t *testing.T) {
 	err := pipe2wr.Close()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer func() { err := pipe2rd.Close(); require.NoError(t, err) }()
-	err = convert(strings.NewReader("mode: set"), pipe2wr, &Ignore{})
+	err = convert(strings.NewReader("mode: set"), pipe2wr, io.Discard, &Ignore{})
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "io: read/write on closed pipe", err.Error())
 }
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func TestConvertEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 
 	pipe2rd, pipe2wr := io.Pipe()
 	go func() {
-		err := convert(strings.NewReader(data), pipe2wr, &Ignore{})
+		err := convert(strings.NewReader(data), pipe2wr, io.Discard, &Ignore{})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}()
 
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func TestConvertSetMode(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	go func() {
-		err := convert(pipe1rd, convwr, &Ignore{
+		err := convert(pipe1rd, convwr, io.Discard, &Ignore{
 			GeneratedFiles: true,
 			Files:          regexp.MustCompile(`[\\/]func[45]\.go$`),
 		})