diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 2335a7c..6424d4b 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ ok - test_fake_exports_faked_in_subshells
 ok - test_fake_transmits_params_to_fake_code
 ok - test_fake_transmits_params_to_fake_code_as_array
 ok - test_should_pretty_format_even_when_LANG_is_unset
+1..30
 ```
 
 == How to write tests
diff --git a/bash_unit b/bash_unit
index 4699fcc..37d84a3 100755
--- a/bash_unit
+++ b/bash_unit
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ GREP="$(type -P grep)"
 RM="$(type -P rm)"
 SHUF="$(type -P sort) -R"
 
+# Store the number of tests run in a file so that the value is available
+# from the parent process. This will become an issue if we start considering
+# parallel test execution in the future.
+TEST_COUNT_FILE="$(mktemp)"
+# shellcheck disable=2064 # Use single quotes, expands now, not when signaled.
+trap "$RM  -f \"$TEST_COUNT_FILE\"" EXIT
+
 fail() {
   local message=${1:-}
   local stdout=${2:-}
@@ -185,16 +192,6 @@ assert_no_diff() {
     "$message expected '${actual}' to be identical to '${expected}' but was different"
 }
 
-skip_if() {
-  local condition="$1"
-  local pattern="$2"
-  if eval "$condition" >/dev/null 2>&1
-  then
-    skip_pattern="${skip_pattern}${skip_pattern_separator}${pattern}"
-    skip_pattern_separator="|"
-  fi
-}
-
 fake() {
   local command=$1
   shift
@@ -245,24 +242,32 @@ maybe_shuffle() {
 run_tests() {
   local failure=0
 
-  for pending_test in $(set | "$GREP"  -E '^(pending|todo).* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" | "$SED" -e 's: .*::')
-  do
-    notify_test_starting "$pending_test"
-    notify_test_pending "$pending_test"
-  done
-
+  local pending_tests=$(set | "$GREP"  -E '^(pending|todo).* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" | "$SED" -e 's: .*::')
   if [[ -n "$skip_pattern" ]]
   then
-    for skipped_test in $(set | "$GREP"  -E '^test.* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" | "$GREP" -E "$skip_pattern" | "$SED" -e 's: .*::')
-    do
-      notify_test_starting "$skipped_test"
-      notify_test_skipped "$skipped_test"
-    done
+    local skipped_tests=$(set | "$GREP"  -E '^test.* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" | "$GREP" -E "$skip_pattern" | "$SED" -e 's: .*::')
     local tests_to_run="$(set | "$GREP"  -E '^test.* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" | "$GREP" -v -E "$skip_pattern" | "$SED" -e 's: .*::' | maybe_shuffle)"
   else
+    local skipped_tests=""
     local tests_to_run="$(set | "$GREP"  -E '^test.* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" |  "$SED" -e 's: .*::' | maybe_shuffle)"
   fi
 
+  local test_count=$(cat "${TEST_COUNT_FILE}")
+  test_count=$((test_count + $(count "$pending_tests") + $(count "$tests_to_run") + $(count "$skipped_tests")))
+  echo "${test_count}" > "${TEST_COUNT_FILE}"
+
+  for pending_test in $pending_tests
+  do
+    notify_test_starting "$pending_test"
+    notify_test_pending "$pending_test"
+  done
+
+  for skipped_test in $skipped_tests
+  do
+    notify_test_starting "$skipped_test"
+    notify_test_skipped "$skipped_test"
+  done
+
   for test in $tests_to_run
   do
     (
@@ -274,6 +279,7 @@ run_tests() {
     )
     failure=$(( $? || failure))
   done
+
   return $failure
 }
 
@@ -455,10 +461,12 @@ tap_format() {
     "$SED" 's:^:# :' | color "$YELLOW"
   }
   notify_suites_succeded() {
-    :
+    local message="$1"
+    echo "1..$message"
   }
   notify_suites_failed() {
-    :
+    local message="$1"
+    echo "1..$message"
   }
 }
 
@@ -477,6 +485,25 @@ quiet_mode() {
   }
 }
 
+skip_if() {
+  local condition="$1"
+  local pattern="$2"
+  if eval "$condition" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  then
+    skip_pattern="${skip_pattern}${skip_pattern_separator}${pattern}"
+    skip_pattern_separator="|"
+  fi
+}
+
+count() {
+  local tests="$1"
+  if [[ -z "$tests" ]]; then
+    echo 0
+  else
+    echo "$tests" | wc -l
+  fi
+}
+
 output_format=text
 verbosity=normal
 test_pattern=""
@@ -540,6 +567,7 @@ fi
 
 #run tests received as parameters
 failure=0
+echo 0 > "${TEST_COUNT_FILE}"
 for test_file in "$@"
 do
   notify_suite_starting "$test_file"
@@ -565,9 +593,9 @@ done
 
 if ((failure))
 then
-  notify_suites_failed
+  notify_suites_failed "$(cat "${TEST_COUNT_FILE}")"
 else
-  notify_suites_succeded
+  notify_suites_succeded "$(cat "${TEST_COUNT_FILE}")"
 fi
 
 exit $failure
diff --git a/tests/test_tap_format b/tests/test_tap_format
index 65b59b5..36015f7 100644
--- a/tests/test_tap_format
+++ b/tests/test_tap_format
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_one_succesfull_test() {
   assert_equals \
 "\
 # Running tests in code
-ok - test_ok\
-" \
+ok - test_ok
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_ok() {
     assert true
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_one_failing_test() {
 "\
 # Running tests in code
 not ok - test_not_ok
-# code:2:test_not_ok()\
-" \
+# code:2:test_not_ok()
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert false
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_one_pending_test() {
    assert_equals \
 "\
 # Running tests in code
-ok - pending_not_yet_implemented # todo test to be written\
-" \
+ok - pending_not_yet_implemented # todo test to be written
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   pending_not_yet_implemented() {
     assert false
@@ -51,6 +51,22 @@ EOF
 )"
 }
 
+test_tap_format_with_skipped_tests() {
+  bash_unit_output="$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
+    test_one() { echo -n ; }
+    test_two() { fail ; }
+    skip_if true two
+EOF
+  )"
+
+  assert_equals "\
+# Running tests in code
+ok - test_two # skip test not run
+ok - test_one
+1..2" \
+  "$bash_unit_output"
+}
+
 test_tap_format_for_failing_test_with_stdout_stderr_outputs() {
    assert_equals \
 "\
@@ -58,8 +74,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_failing_test_with_stdout_stderr_outputs() {
 not ok - test_not_ok
 # out> message on stdout
 # err> message on stderr
-# code:2:test_not_ok()\
-" \
+# code:2:test_not_ok()
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert_fails "echo message on stdout ; echo message on stderr >&2"
@@ -74,8 +90,8 @@ test_assertion_message_is_tap_formatted() {
 # Running tests in code
 not ok - test_not_ok
 # obvious failure
-# code:2:test_not_ok()\
-" \
+# code:2:test_not_ok()
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert_fails true "obvious failure"
@@ -91,8 +107,8 @@ test_multi_lines_assertion_message_is_tap_formatted() {
 not ok - test_not_ok
 # obvious failure
 # on multiple lines
-# code:2:test_not_ok()\
-" \
+# code:2:test_not_ok()
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert_fails true "obvious failure\non multiple lines"