diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 024f6b5..1c2d0ae 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 include(ABICheck)
 include(SourceFormat)
 include(GenDoc)
+include(GenCoverage)
 
 # set default build type if not specified by user
 if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
@@ -215,43 +216,30 @@
 set(PLUGINS_DIR_EXTENSIONS "${PLUGINS_DIR}/extensions" CACHE STRING "Directory with libyang user extensions plugins")
 set(PLUGINS_DIR_TYPES "${PLUGINS_DIR}/types" CACHE STRING "Directory with libyang user types plugins")
 
-if(ENABLE_COVERAGE)
-    if(NOT ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
-        message(WARNING "you cannot generage coverage when tests are disabled. Enable test by additing parameter -DENABLE_BUILD_TESTS=ON or run cmake in some debug mode")
-        set(ENABLE_COVERAGE OFF)
-    endif()
-
-    find_program(PATH_GCOV NAMES gcov)
-    if(NOT PATH_GCOV)
-        message(WARNING "'gcov' executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
-        set(ENABLE_COVERAGE OFF)
-    endif()
-
-    find_program(PATH_LCOV NAMES lcov)
-    if(NOT PATH_LCOV)
-        message(WARNING "'lcov' executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
-        set(ENABLE_COVERAGE OFF)
-    endif()
-
-    find_program(PATH_GENHTML NAMES genhtml)
-    if(NOT PATH_GENHTML)
-        message(WARNING "'genhtml' executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
-        set(ENABLE_COVERAGE OFF)
-    endif()
-
-    if(NOT CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
-        message(WARNING "Compiler is not gcc! Coverage may break the tests!")
-    endif()
-
-    if(ENABLE_COVERAGE)
-        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} --coverage -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
-    endif()
-endif()
-
 # by default build shared library
 # static build requires static libpcre2 library
 option(ENABLE_STATIC "Build static (.a) library" OFF)
 
+#
+# checks
+#
+if(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
+    find_package(CMocka 1.0.0)
+    if(NOT CMOCKA_FOUND)
+        message(STATUS "Disabling tests because of missing CMocka")
+        set(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS OFF)
+    endif()
+endif(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
+
+if(ENABLE_COVERAGE)
+    gen_coverage_enable(${ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS})
+endif()
+
+if ("${BUILD_TYPE_UPPER}" STREQUAL "DEBUG")
+    # enable before adding tests to let them detect that format checking is available - one of the tests is format checking
+    source_format_enable()
+endif()
+
 # generate files
 configure_file(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/config.h.in ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src/config.h @ONLY)
 configure_file(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/version.h.in ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src/version.h @ONLY)
@@ -325,8 +313,8 @@
     # check that pkg-config includes the used path
     execute_process(COMMAND ${PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --variable pc_path pkg-config RESULT_VARIABLE RETURN OUTPUT_VARIABLE PC_PATH ERROR_QUIET)
     if(RETURN EQUAL 0)
-	string(STRIP "${PC_PATH}" PC_PATH)
-	set(PC_PATH "${PC_PATH}:$ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH}")
+    string(STRIP "${PC_PATH}" PC_PATH)
+    set(PC_PATH "${PC_PATH}:$ENV{PKG_CONFIG_PATH}")
         string(REGEX MATCH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig" SUBSTR "${PC_PATH}")
         string(LENGTH "${SUBSTR}" SUBSTR_LEN)
         if(SUBSTR_LEN EQUAL 0)
@@ -335,28 +323,14 @@
     endif()
 endif()
 
-if(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
-    find_package(CMocka 1.0.0)
-endif(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
-
-if ("${BUILD_TYPE_UPPER}" STREQUAL "DEBUG")
-    # enable before adding tests to let them detect that format checking is available - one of the tests is format checking
-    source_format_enable()
-endif()
-
 # tests
 if(ENABLE_VALGRIND_TESTS)
     set(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS ON)
 endif()
 
 if(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS)
-    if(CMOCKA_FOUND)
-        enable_testing()
-        add_subdirectory(tests)
-    else()
-        message(STATUS "Disabling tests because of missing CMocka")
-        set(ENABLE_BUILD_TESTS OFF)
-    endif()
+    enable_testing()
+    add_subdirectory(tests)
 endif()
 
 if(ENABLE_FUZZ_TARGETS)
@@ -369,6 +343,9 @@
     endif()
 endif()
 
+# create coverage target for generating coverage reports
+gen_coverage("utest_.*" "utest_.*_valgrind")
+
 # tools - yanglint, yangre
 add_subdirectory(tools)
 
diff --git a/CMakeModules/GenCoverage.cmake b/CMakeModules/GenCoverage.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43a576b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeModules/GenCoverage.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# generate test code coverage report
+
+# check that coverage tools are available - always use before GEN_COVERAGE
+macro(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLE ENABLE_TESTS)
+    # make into normal variable
+    set(TESTS_ENABLED ${ENABLE_TESTS})
+
+    set(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED ON)
+    if(NOT TESTS_ENABLED)
+        message(WARNING "You cannot generate coverage when tests are disabled. Enable test by additing parameter -DENABLE_BUILD_TESTS=ON or run cmake with Debug build target.")
+        set(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED OFF)
+    endif()
+
+    if(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED)
+        find_program(PATH_GCOV NAMES gcov)
+        if(NOT PATH_GCOV)
+            message(WARNING "gcov executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
+            set(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED OFF)
+        endif()
+    endif()
+
+    if(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED)
+        find_program(PATH_LCOV NAMES lcov)
+        if(NOT PATH_LCOV)
+            message(WARNING "lcov executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
+            set(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED OFF)
+        endif()
+    endif()
+
+    if(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED)
+        find_program(PATH_GENHTML NAMES genhtml)
+        if(NOT PATH_GENHTML)
+            message(WARNING "genhtml executable not found! Disabling building code coverage report.")
+            set(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED OFF)
+        endif()
+    endif()
+
+    if(GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED)
+        if(NOT CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
+            message(WARNING "Compiler is not gcc! Coverage may break the tests!")
+        endif()
+
+        # add specific required compile flags
+        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} --coverage -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
+    endif()
+endmacro()
+
+# tests are always expected to be in ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests
+function(GEN_COVERAGE MATCH_TEST_REGEX EXCLUDE_TEST_REGEX)
+    if(NOT GEN_COVERAGE_ENABLED)
+        return()
+    endif()
+
+    # destination
+    set(COVERAGE_DIR        "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/code_coverage/")
+    set(COVERAGE_FILE_RAW   "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/coverage_raw.info")
+    set(COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/coverage_clean.info")
+
+    # test match/exclude
+    if(MATCH_TEST_REGEX)
+        set(MATCH_TEST_ARGS -R \"${MATCH_TEST_REGEX}\")
+    endif()
+    if(EXCLUDE_TEST_REGEX)
+        set(EXCLUDE_TEST_ARGS -E \"${EXCLUDE_TEST_REGEX}\")
+    endif()
+
+    # coverage target
+    add_custom_target(coverage
+        COMMENT "Generating code coverage..."
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+        # Cleanup code counters
+        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}" --directory . --zerocounters --quiet
+
+        # Run tests
+        COMMAND "${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND}" --quiet ${MATCH_TEST_ARGS} ${EXCLUDE_TEST_ARGS}
+
+        # Capture the counters
+        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}"
+            --directory .
+            --rc lcov_branch_coverage=1
+            --rc 'lcov_excl_line=assert'
+            --capture --quiet
+            --output-file "${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW}"
+        # Remove coverage of tests, system headers, etc.
+        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}"
+            --remove "${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW}" '${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/*'
+            --rc lcov_branch_coverage=1
+            --quiet --output-file "${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}"
+        # Generate HTML report
+        COMMAND "${PATH_GENHTML}"
+            --branch-coverage --function-coverage --quiet --title "${PROJECT_NAME}"
+            --legend --show-details --output-directory "${COVERAGE_DIR}"
+            "${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}"
+        # Delete the counters
+        COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E remove
+            ${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW} ${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}
+    )
+
+    add_custom_command(TARGET coverage POST_BUILD
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests"
+        COMMENT "To see the code coverage report, open ${COVERAGE_DIR}index.html"
+        COMMAND ;
+    )
+endfunction()
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index db544d5..4b9c924 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -209,9 +209,11 @@
 
 ### Code Coverage
 
-Based on the tests run, it is possible to generate code coverage report via the
-make's `coverage` target:
+Based on the tests run, it is possible to generate code coverage report. But
+it must be enabled and these commands are needed to generate the report:
 ```
+$ cmake -DENABLE_COVERAGE=ON ..
+$ make
 $ make coverage
 ```
 
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 6c58cc9..7516a90 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,51 +43,6 @@
     endif(ENABLE_VALGRIND_TESTS)
 endfunction(ly_add_utest)
 
-if(ENABLE_COVERAGE)
-    # Destination
-    set(COVERAGE_DIR        "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests/code_coverage/")
-    set(COVERAGE_FILE_RAW   "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests/coverage_raw.info")
-    set(COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests/coverage_clean.info")
-
-    # Add coverage target
-    add_custom_target(coverage
-        COMMENT "Generating code coverage..."
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
-        # Cleanup code counters
-        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}" --directory . --zerocounters --quiet
-
-        # Run tests
-        COMMAND "${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND}" --quiet
-
-        # Capture the counters
-        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}"
-            --directory .
-            --rc lcov_branch_coverage=1
-            --rc 'lcov_excl_line=assert'
-            --capture --quiet
-            --output-file "${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW}"
-        # Remove coverage of tests, system headers, etc.
-        COMMAND "${PATH_LCOV}"
-            --remove "${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW}" '${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/*'
-            --rc lcov_branch_coverage=1
-            --quiet --output-file "${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}"
-        # Generate HTML report
-        COMMAND "${PATH_GENHTML}"
-            --branch-coverage --function-coverage --quiet --title "libyang"
-            --legend --show-details --output-directory "${COVERAGE_DIR}"
-            "${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}"
-        # Delete the counters
-        COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E remove
-            ${COVERAGE_FILE_RAW} ${COVERAGE_FILE_CLEAN}
-        )
-
-    add_custom_command(TARGET coverage POST_BUILD
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests"
-        COMMENT "To see the code coverage report, open ${COVERAGE_DIR}index.html"
-        COMMAND ;
-        )
-endif()
-
 add_subdirectory(style)
 add_subdirectory(plugins)
 add_subdirectory(utests)