diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 2a90a7f6..312c2bb0 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ plugins {
     id 'idea'
     id 'se.patrikerdes.use-latest-versions' version '0.2.18'
     id 'com.github.ben-manes.versions' version '0.51.0'
+    id 'jacoco'
 }
 
 // Add ability to test with upcoming versions of Groovy
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ allprojects {
     apply plugin: 'idea'
     apply plugin: 'groovy'
     apply plugin: 'java-library'
+    apply plugin: 'jacoco'
 
     java {
         toolchain {
@@ -88,6 +90,48 @@ allprojects {
         maven { url 'https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots' }
     }
 
+    test {
+        useJUnitPlatform()
+        finalizedBy jacocoTestReport // report is always generated after tests run
+    }
+
+    jacoco {
+        toolVersion = "0.8.12"
+        reportsDirectory = layout.buildDirectory.dir('reports/jacoco')
+    }
+
+    jacocoTestReport {
+        dependsOn test // tests are required to run before generating the report
+        reports {
+            xml.required = false
+            csv.required = false
+            html.outputLocation = layout.buildDirectory.dir('jacocoHtml')
+        }
+    }
+
+    jacocoTestCoverageVerification {
+        violationRules {
+            rule {
+                limit {
+                    minimum = 0.5
+                }
+            }
+
+            rule {
+                enabled = false
+                element = 'CLASS'
+                includes = ['org.gradle.*']
+
+                limit {
+                    counter = 'LINE'
+                    value = 'TOTALCOUNT'
+                    maximum = 0.3
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+
     configurations {
         // see https://docs.gradle.org/4.1/userguide/dependency_management.html#sub:exclude_transitive_dependencies
         all*.exclude group: 'org.codehaus.groovy', module: 'groovy-all'
diff --git a/plugins/nf-quilt/build.gradle b/plugins/nf-quilt/build.gradle
index 840650a2..e4bbba97 100644
--- a/plugins/nf-quilt/build.gradle
+++ b/plugins/nf-quilt/build.gradle
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@ plugins {
     id 'idea'
     id 'se.patrikerdes.use-latest-versions' version '0.2.18'
     id 'com.github.ben-manes.versions' version '0.51.0'
+    id 'jacoco'
 }
 
 useLatestVersions {
-   // A blacklist of dependencies to update, in the format of group:name
+   // A blacklist of dependencies to not update, in the format of group:name
    updateBlacklist = [
         'com.quiltdata:quiltcore',
         'org.codehaus.groovy:groovy',
@@ -113,5 +114,41 @@ dependencies {
 // use JUnit 5 platform
 test {
     useJUnitPlatform()
+    finalizedBy jacocoTestReport // report is always generated after tests run
 }
 
+jacoco {
+    toolVersion = "0.8.12"
+    reportsDirectory = layout.buildDirectory.dir('reports/jacoco')
+}
+
+jacocoTestReport {
+    dependsOn test // tests are required to run before generating the report
+    reports {
+        xml.required = false
+        csv.required = false
+        html.outputLocation = layout.buildDirectory.dir('jacocoHtml')
+    }
+}
+
+jacocoTestCoverageVerification {
+    violationRules {
+        rule {
+            limit {
+                minimum = 0.5
+            }
+        }
+
+        rule {
+            enabled = false
+            element = 'CLASS'
+            includes = ['org.gradle.*']
+
+            limit {
+                counter = 'LINE'
+                value = 'TOTALCOUNT'
+                maximum = 0.3
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}