diff --git a/src/hyperfine/benchmark.rs b/src/hyperfine/benchmark.rs
index ff94bf7..4271366 100644
--- a/src/hyperfine/benchmark.rs
+++ b/src/hyperfine/benchmark.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use ansi_term::Colour::{Cyan, Green, Purple, White, Yellow};
 use statistical::{mean, standard_deviation};
 
 use hyperfine::internal::{get_progress_bar, max, min, HyperfineOptions, Second, Warnings,
-                          MIN_EXECUTION_TIME};
+                          MIN_EXECUTION_TIME, CmdFailureAction};
 use hyperfine::format::{format_duration, format_duration_unit, Unit};
 
 /// Results from timing a single shell command
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ impl TimingResult {
 /// Run the given shell command and measure the execution time
 pub fn time_shell_command(
     shell_cmd: &str,
-    ignore_failure: bool,
+    failure_action: CmdFailureAction,
     shell_spawning_time: Option<Second>,
 ) -> io::Result<TimingResult> {
     let start = Instant::now();
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub fn time_shell_command(
         .stderr(Stdio::null())
         .status()?;
 
-    if !ignore_failure && !status.success() {
+    if failure_action == CmdFailureAction::RaiseError && !status.success() {
         return Err(io::Error::new(
             io::ErrorKind::Other,
             "Command terminated with non-zero exit code. \
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ pub fn mean_shell_spawning_time() -> io::Result<Second> {
     let mut times: Vec<Second> = vec![];
     for _ in 0..COUNT {
         // Just run the shell without any command
-        let res = time_shell_command("", false, None);
+        let res = time_shell_command("", CmdFailureAction::RaiseError, None);
 
         match res {
             Err(_) => {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ pub fn run_benchmark(
         let bar = get_progress_bar(options.warmup_count, "Performing warmup runs");
 
         for _ in 0..options.warmup_count {
-            let _ = time_shell_command(cmd, options.ignore_failure, None)?;
+            let _ = time_shell_command(cmd, options.failure_action, None)?;
             bar.inc(1);
         }
         bar.finish_and_clear();
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@ pub fn run_benchmark(
     // Run init / cleanup command
     let run_preparation_command = || {
         if let Some(ref preparation_command) = options.preparation_command {
-            let _ = time_shell_command(preparation_command, options.ignore_failure, None);
+            let _ = time_shell_command(preparation_command, options.failure_action, None);
         }
     };
     run_preparation_command();
 
     // Initial timing run
-    let res = time_shell_command(cmd, options.ignore_failure, Some(shell_spawning_time))?;
+    let res = time_shell_command(cmd, options.failure_action, Some(shell_spawning_time))?;
 
     // Determine number of benchmark runs
     let runs_in_min_time =
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ pub fn run_benchmark(
         };
         bar.set_message(&msg);
 
-        let res = time_shell_command(cmd, options.ignore_failure, Some(shell_spawning_time))?;
+        let res = time_shell_command(cmd, options.failure_action, Some(shell_spawning_time))?;
 
         execution_times.push(res.execution_time);
         all_succeeded = all_succeeded && res.success;
diff --git a/src/hyperfine/internal.rs b/src/hyperfine/internal.rs
index be3d446..7f1355d 100644
--- a/src/hyperfine/internal.rs
+++ b/src/hyperfine/internal.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,16 @@ pub type Second = f64;
 /// Threshold for warning about fast execution time
 pub const MIN_EXECUTION_TIME: Second = 5e-3;
 
+/// Action to take when an executed command fails.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq)]
+pub enum CmdFailureAction {
+    /// Exit with an error message
+    RaiseError,
+
+    /// Simply ignore the non-zero exit code
+    Ignore,
+}
+
 /// A set of options for hyperfine
 pub struct HyperfineOptions {
     /// Number of warmup runs
@@ -20,7 +30,7 @@ pub struct HyperfineOptions {
     pub min_time_sec: Second,
 
     /// Whether or not to ignore non-zero exit codes
-    pub ignore_failure: bool,
+    pub failure_action: CmdFailureAction,
 
     /// Command to run before each timing run
     pub preparation_command: Option<String>,
@@ -32,7 +42,7 @@ impl Default for HyperfineOptions {
             warmup_count: 0,
             min_runs: 10,
             min_time_sec: 3.0,
-            ignore_failure: false,
+            failure_action: CmdFailureAction::RaiseError,
             preparation_command: None,
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index deee960..439bf22 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use clap::{App, AppSettings, Arg};
 
 mod hyperfine;
 
-use hyperfine::internal::HyperfineOptions;
+use hyperfine::internal::{HyperfineOptions, CmdFailureAction};
 use hyperfine::benchmark::{mean_shell_spawning_time, run_benchmark};
 
 /// Print error message to stderr and terminate
@@ -109,7 +109,9 @@ fn main() {
 
     options.preparation_command = matches.value_of("prepare").map(String::from);
 
-    options.ignore_failure = matches.is_present("ignore-failure");
+    if matches.is_present("ignore-failure") {
+        options.failure_action = CmdFailureAction::Ignore;
+    }
 
     let commands = matches.values_of("command").unwrap().collect();
     let res = run(&commands, &options);