diff --git a/modules/code_coverage.cmake b/modules/code_coverage.cmake
index 0493a8e..90406e2 100644
--- a/modules/code_coverage.cmake
+++ b/modules/code_coverage.cmake
@@ -13,30 +13,54 @@
 #
 # autocmake.yml configuration::
 #
-#   docopt: "--coverage Enable code coverage [default: False]."
+#   docopt: "--coverage Enable code coverage [default: OFF]."
 #   define: "'-DENABLE_CODE_COVERAGE={0}'.format(arguments['--coverage'])"
 
 option(ENABLE_CODE_COVERAGE "Enable code coverage" OFF)
 
 if(ENABLE_CODE_COVERAGE)
-    if(DEFINED CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID)
-        if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
-            set(CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS "${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
-        endif()
-    endif()
+  if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "debug")
+    message(WARNING "Code coverage analysis results with an optimized (non-Debug) build may be misleading")
+  endif()
 
-    if(DEFINED CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID)
-        if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
-            set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
-        endif()
-    endif()
+  find_program(GCOV_PATH gcov)
+  if(NOT GCOV_PATH)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis requires gcov!")
+  endif()
 
-    if(DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID)
-        if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
-            set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
-        endif()
-        if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES Clang)
-            set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
-        endif()
+  if(DEFINED CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID)
+    if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
+      set(CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS "${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+    else()
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis requires the GNU Fortran compiler!")
     endif()
+  endif()
+
+  if(DEFINED CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID)
+    if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "(Apple)?[Cc]lang")
+      if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis on Mac OS X requires Clang version 3.0.0 or greater!")
+      else()
+        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+      endif()
+    elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
+      set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+    else()
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis requires the GNU C compiler!")
+    endif()
+  endif()
+
+  if(DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID)
+    if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "(Apple)?[Cc]lang")
+      if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis on Mac OS X requires Clang version 3.0.0 or greater!")
+      else()
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+      endif()
+    elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES GNU)
+      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+    else()
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Code coverage analysis requires the GNU C++ compiler!")
+    endif()
+  endif()
 endif()