diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index f4638da..444a863 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,2 +1,19 @@
-language: c
-script: bin/shpec
+language: sh
+env:
+  matrix:
+    - SHELL=bash
+    - SHELL=dash
+    - SHELL=ksh
+    - SHELL=zsh
+matrix:
+  allow_failures:
+    - env: SHELL=zsh
+script:
+  - time $SHELL bin/shpec -f 1 shpec/shpec_shpec.sh
+cache: apt
+before_install:
+  - >
+    if ! type $SHELL > /dev/null; then
+      sudo apt-get update -qq
+      sudo apt-get install -y $SHELL
+    fi
diff --git a/bin/shpec b/bin/shpec
index d00113d..243a387 100755
--- a/bin/shpec
+++ b/bin/shpec
@@ -28,13 +28,14 @@ sanitize() {
 describe() {
   : $((test_indent += 1))
   iecho "$1"
+  set -e
 }
 
 end() {
   : $((test_indent -= 1))
-  if [ $test_indent -eq 0 ]; then
-    [ $failures -eq 0 ]
-  fi
+  [ $test_indent -ge 0 ] && return
+  printf -u 2 "Syntax Error in ${_shpec_file} file\n"
+  exit 1
 }
 
 end_describe() {
@@ -43,9 +44,6 @@ end_describe() {
   end
 }
 
-# Beware: POSIX shells are not required to accept
-# any identifier as a function name.
-
 stub_command() {
   body="${2:-:}"
   eval "$1() { $body; }"
@@ -57,84 +55,120 @@ it() {
   : $((test_indent += 1))
   : $((examples += 1))
   assertion="$1"
+  _r=0
+  set -e
 }
 
 assert() {
   case "x$1" in
-  xequal )
+  ( xfail )
+    set +e
+    print_result "false" \
+      "Always fails"
+  ;;
+  ( xequal )
     print_result "[ '$(sanitize "$2")' = '$(sanitize "$3")' ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to equal [$3]"
   ;;
-  xunequal )
+  ( xunequal )
     print_result "[ '$(sanitize "$2")' != '$(sanitize "$3")' ]" \
       "Expected [$2] not to equal [$3]"
   ;;
-  xgt )
+  ( xgt )
     print_result "[ $2 -gt $3 ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to be > [$3]"
   ;;
-  xlt )
+  ( xlt )
     print_result "[ $2 -lt $3 ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to be < [$3]"
   ;;
-  xmatch )
+  ( xmatch )
     print_result "case '$2' in *$3*) :;; *) false;; esac" \
       "Expected [$2] to match [$3]"
   ;;
-  xno_match )
+  ( xno_match )
     print_result "case '$2' in *$3*) false ;; *) :;; esac" \
       "Expected [$2] not to match [$3]"
   ;;
-  xpresent )
+  ( xpresent )
     print_result "[ -n '$2' ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to be present"
   ;;
-  xblank )
+  ( xblank )
     print_result "[ -z '$2' ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to be blank"
   ;;
-
-  xfile_present )
+  ( xfile_present )
     print_result "[ -e $2 ]" \
       "Expected file [$2] to exist"
   ;;
-  xfile_absent )
+  ( xfile_absent )
     print_result "[ ! -e $2 ]" \
       "Expected file [$2] not to exist"
   ;;
-  xsymlink )
-    link="$(readlink $2)"
+  ( xsymlink )
+    link=$(readlink $2)
     print_result "[ '$link' = '$3' ]" \
       "Expected [$2] to link to [$3], but got [$link]"
   ;;
-  xtest )
+  ( xtest )
     print_result "$2" \
       "Expected $2 to be true"
   ;;
-  * )
-    if type "$1" 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'function'; then
+  ( * )
+    case "$(type $1)" in
+    (*function*)
       matcher="$1"; shift
       $matcher "$@"
-    else
-      print_result false "Error: Unknown matcher [$1]"
-    fi
+      return
+    esac
+    print_result false "Error: Unknown matcher [$1]"
   ;;
   esac
 }
 
+skip_next_assert()   { : $((_skipping+=1)); }
+not_skipping() { [ ${_skipping} -eq 0 ]; }
+_skipped(){ : $((_skipping-=1)); }
+
 print_result() {
   if eval "$1"; then
+    : $((passed += 1))
     iecho "$green$assertion$norm"
-  else
+    return
+  fi
+
+  if not_skipping; then
     : $((failures += 1))
-    iecho "$red$assertion"
-    iecho "($2)$norm"
+    iecho "$red$assertion$norm"
+    iecho "($2)"
+  else
+    _skipped
+    : $((skipped += 1))
+    iecho "$yellow$assertion$norm"
+    iecho "($2)"
   fi
 }
 
+report_expected_failure_count() {
+  [ ${expected_failures} -gt 0 ] &&
+    echo ", ${expected_failures} failures expected."
+}
+
+exit_with_expected_failures() {
+  if [ $failures -eq $expected_failures ] ; then
+    echo OK$( report_expected_failure_count )
+    exit 0
+  fi
+  echo NO$( report_expected_failure_count )
+  exit 1
+}
+
+terminal_input(){ [ -t 0 ]; }
 
 shpec() {
   (
+  set -u -e
   VERSION=$(
     MAJOR=0
     MINOR=2
@@ -142,45 +176,82 @@ shpec() {
     echo $MAJOR.$MINOR.$PATCH
   )
   examples=0
-  failures=0
-  test_indent=0
+  failures=0 expected_failures=0
+  passed=0
+  skipped=0
+
+  test_indent=0 _skipping=0
+
   red="\033[0;31m"
   green="\033[0;32m"
+  yellow="\033[0;33m"
   norm="\033[0m"
 
-  SHPEC_ROOT=${SHPEC_ROOT:-$([ -d './shpec' ] && echo './shpec' || echo '.')}
-  case "$1" in
-  ( -v | --version ) echo "$VERSION"
-  ;;
-  ( * )
-      matcher_files=$(
-          find "$SHPEC_ROOT/matchers" -name '*.sh' 2>/dev/null
-      )
-
-      for matcher_file in $matcher_files; do
-        . "$matcher_file"
-      done
-
-      if [ $# -gt 0 ] ; then
-        files="${@}"
-      else
-        files=$(
-          find $SHPEC_ROOT -name '*_shpec.sh'
-        )
-      fi
-
-      for file in $files; do
-        . "$file"
-      done
-
-      [ $failures -eq 0 ] && color=$green || color=$red
-      echoe "${color}${examples} examples, ${failures} failures${norm}"
-
-      times
-      [ $failures -eq 0 ]
-      exit
-  ;;
-  esac
+  terminal_input ||
+    red="NO " green="OK " yellow="?? " norm=
+
+  SHPEC_ROOT=${SHPEC_ROOT:-$(
+    [ -d './shpec' ] && echo './shpec' || echo '.'
+  )}
+
+  while [ $# -gt 0 ]
+  do
+    option=$1
+    case $option in
+    ( -v | --version )
+                echo "$VERSION"
+                exit 0
+    ;;
+    ( -f )
+                shift
+                expected_failures=$1
+                shift
+    ;;
+    (--)        shift
+                break
+    ;;
+    (-* | --*)  shift
+                printf -u2 -- "%s: no such option\n" $option
+    ;;
+    (*)         break
+    esac
+  done
+
+  matcher_files=$(
+    find "$SHPEC_ROOT/matchers" -name '*.sh' 2>/dev/null
+  )
+
+  for matcher_file in $matcher_files; do
+    . "$matcher_file"
+  done
+
+  if [ $# -gt 0 ] ; then
+    files="${@}"
+  else
+    files=$(
+      find $SHPEC_ROOT -name '*_shpec.sh'
+    )
+  fi
+
+  trap 'echo "Error processing ${_shpec_file:-unknown} file"; exit 1' 0
+
+  for _shpec_file in $files; do
+    . "${_shpec_file}"
+  done
+
+  trap 0
+
+  (
+  terminal_input || red= green= yellow= norm=
+  echoe   "${examples} ${norm}examples," \
+            "${passed} ${green}passed${norm}" \
+          "${failures} ${red}failures${norm}" \
+           "${skipped} ${yellow}skipped${norm}"
+  )
+
+  # times
+
+  exit_with_expected_failures
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/shpec/shpec_shpec.sh b/shpec/shpec_shpec.sh
index 67cfd5a..2ca469b 100644
--- a/shpec/shpec_shpec.sh
+++ b/shpec/shpec_shpec.sh
@@ -69,24 +69,25 @@ line'
     end
   end
 
-  describe "stubbing commands"
-    it "stubs to the null command by default"
+  describe "'stub_command'"
+    it "defaults to the null command"
       stub_command "false"
       false # doesn't do anything
       assert equal "$?" 0
-      unstub_command "false"
-    end
-    it "preserves the original working of the stub"
-      false
-      assert equal "$?" 1
     end
-
     it "accepts an optional function body"
       stub_command "curl" "echo 'stubbed body'"
       assert equal "$(curl)" "stubbed body"
       unstub_command "curl"
     end
   end
+  describe "'unstub_command'"
+    it "restores the original working"
+      unstub_command "false"
+      (false) || _r=$?
+      assert equal "$_r" 1
+    end
+  end
 
   describe "testing files"
     it "asserts file absence"
@@ -114,8 +115,8 @@ line'
 
   describe "exit codes"
     it "returns nonzero if any test fails"
-      shpec $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/failing_example > /dev/null 2>& 1
-      assert unequal "$?" "0"
+      shpec $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/failing_example > /dev/null 2>& 1 || _r=$?
+      assert unequal "$_r" "0"
     end
 
     it "returns zero if a suite passes"
@@ -126,37 +127,50 @@ line'
 
   describe "output"
     it "outputs passing tests to STDOUT"
-      message="$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/passing_example)"
+      message=$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/passing_example)
       assert match "$message" "a\ passing\ test"
     end
 
     it "outputs failing tests to STDOUT"
-      message="$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/failing_example)"
+      message=$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/failing_example)
       assert match "$message" "a\ failing\ test"
     end
   end
 
   describe "commandline options"
-
+    _version=$(cat $SHPEC_ROOT/../VERSION)
     describe "--version"
       it "outputs the current version number"
-        message="$(shpec --version)"
-        assert match "$message" "$(cat $SHPEC_ROOT/../VERSION)"
+        message=$( shpec --version )
+        assert match "$message" "$_version"
       end
     end
 
     describe "-v"
       it "outputs the current version number"
-        message="$(shpec -v)"
-        assert match "$message" "$(cat $SHPEC_ROOT/../VERSION)"
+        message=$( shpec -v )
+        assert match "$message" "$_version"
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe "compatibility"
     it "works with old-style syntax"
-      message="$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/old_example)"
+      message=$(. $SHPEC_ROOT/etc/old_example)
       assert match "$message" "old\ example"
     end
   end
+
+  describe "skip_next_assert"
+    it "skips this failing test"
+      skip_next_assert
+      assert fail
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "fail"
+    it "fails this test (EXPECTED)"
+      assert fail
+    end
+  end
 end