diff --git a/coverage/config.py b/coverage/config.py
index 30f46e589..7c8c1e0c1 100644
--- a/coverage/config.py
+++ b/coverage/config.py
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.extra_css = None
         self.html_dir = "htmlcov"
         self.html_title = "Coverage report"
+        self.html_docstr = False
 
         # Defaults for [xml]
         self.xml_output = "coverage.xml"
@@ -353,6 +354,7 @@ def from_file(self, filename, our_file):
         ('extra_css', 'html:extra_css'),
         ('html_dir', 'html:directory'),
         ('html_title', 'html:title'),
+        ('html_docstr', 'html:docstring_display'),
 
         # [xml]
         ('xml_output', 'xml:output'),
diff --git a/coverage/html.py b/coverage/html.py
index d5edd5f7a..c411dcffd 100644
--- a/coverage/html.py
+++ b/coverage/html.py
@@ -252,6 +252,13 @@ def html_file(self, fr, analysis):
                     )
             elif lineno in analysis.statements:
                 line_class.append(c_run)
+            elif self.config.html_docstr:
+                # count docstring line as "executed"
+                # doctest SKIP directives will not
+                # prevent a line from being marked
+                # as executed, but will influence
+                # the associated source code proper
+                line_class.append(c_run)
 
             # Build the HTML for the line.
             html = []