diff --git a/bash_unit b/bash_unit
index 4699fcc..2454c7f 100755
--- a/bash_unit
+++ b/bash_unit
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ SED="$(type -P sed)"
 GREP="$(type -P grep)"
 RM="$(type -P rm)"
 SHUF="$(type -P sort) -R"
+TEMPFILE="$(pwd)/$$.tmp"
 
 fail() {
   local message=${1:-}
@@ -185,16 +186,6 @@ assert_no_diff() {
     "$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=$1
   shift
@@ -263,6 +254,7 @@ run_tests() {
     local tests_to_run="$(set | "$GREP"  -E '^test.* \(\)' | "$GREP" -E "$test_pattern" |  "$SED" -e 's: .*::' | maybe_shuffle)"
   fi
 
+  test_count=$(cat "${TEMPFILE}")
   for test in $tests_to_run
   do
     (
@@ -273,7 +265,10 @@ run_tests() {
       exit $status
     )
     failure=$(( $? || failure))
+    ((test_count++))
   done
+  echo "${test_count}" > "${TEMPFILE}"
+
   return $failure
 }
 
@@ -455,10 +450,12 @@ 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 +474,16 @@ 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
+}
+
 output_format=text
 verbosity=normal
 test_pattern=""
@@ -540,6 +547,7 @@ fi
 
 #run tests received as parameters
 failure=0
+echo 0 > "${TEMPFILE}"
 for test_file in "$@"
 do
   notify_suite_starting "$test_file"
@@ -562,12 +570,13 @@ do
   )
   failure=$(( $? || failure))
 done
-
+  
 if ((failure))
 then
-  notify_suites_failed
+  notify_suites_failed $(cat "${TEMPFILE}")
 else
-  notify_suites_succeded
+  notify_suites_succeded $(cat "${TEMPFILE}")
 fi
 
+unlink $TEMPFILE
 exit $failure
diff --git a/tests/test_tap_format b/tests/test_tap_format
index 65b59b5..e7d641e 100644
--- a/tests/test_tap_format
+++ b/tests/test_tap_format
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_one_succesfull_test() {
   assert_equals \
 "\
 # Running tests in code
-ok - test_ok\
-" \
+ok - test_ok
+1..1" \
 "$(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" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert false
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ test_tap_format_for_one_pending_test() {
    assert_equals \
 "\
 # Running tests in code
-ok - pending_not_yet_implemented # todo test to be written\
-" \
+ok - pending_not_yet_implemented # todo test to be written
+1..0" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   pending_not_yet_implemented() {
     assert false
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ 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" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert_fails "echo message on stdout ; echo message on stderr >&2"
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ test_assertion_message_is_tap_formatted() {
 # Running tests in code
 not ok - test_not_ok
 # obvious failure
-# code:2:test_not_ok()\
-" \
+# code:2:test_not_ok()
+1..1" \
 "$(bash_unit_out_for_code <<EOF
   test_not_ok() {
     assert_fails true "obvious failure"
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ 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"