diff --git a/coverage/cmdline.py b/coverage/cmdline.py
index 62edc2074..1fbcf3a12 100644
--- a/coverage/cmdline.py
+++ b/coverage/cmdline.py
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ class Opts(object):
             "which isn't done by default."
         ),
     )
+    sort = optparse.make_option(
+        '--sort', action='store', metavar='COLUMN',
+        help="Sort the report by the named column"
+    )
     show_missing = optparse.make_option(
         '-m', '--show-missing', action='store_true',
         help="Show line numbers of statements in each module that weren't executed.",
@@ -405,6 +409,7 @@ def get_prog_name(self):
             Opts.include,
             Opts.omit,
             Opts.precision,
+            Opts.sort,
             Opts.show_missing,
             Opts.skip_covered,
             Opts.skip_empty,
@@ -579,6 +584,7 @@ def command_line(self, argv):
             omit=omit,
             include=include,
             contexts=contexts,
+            sort=options.sort
             )
 
         # We need to be able to import from the current directory, because
diff --git a/coverage/config.py b/coverage/config.py
index 6d336d1f9..84d9758bf 100644
--- a/coverage/config.py
+++ b/coverage/config.py
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.show_missing = False
         self.skip_covered = False
         self.skip_empty = False
+        self.sort = None
 
         # Defaults for [html]
         self.extra_css = None
diff --git a/coverage/control.py b/coverage/control.py
index 14c22eb1d..c505a8e45 100644
--- a/coverage/control.py
+++ b/coverage/control.py
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ def _get_file_reporters(self, morfs=None):
     def report(
         self, morfs=None, show_missing=None, ignore_errors=None,
         file=None, omit=None, include=None, skip_covered=None,
-        contexts=None, skip_empty=None, precision=None,
+        contexts=None, skip_empty=None, precision=None, sort=None
     ):
         """Write a textual summary report to `file`.
 
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ def report(
             ignore_errors=ignore_errors, report_omit=omit, report_include=include,
             show_missing=show_missing, skip_covered=skip_covered,
             report_contexts=contexts, skip_empty=skip_empty, precision=precision,
+            sort=sort
         ):
             reporter = SummaryReporter(self)
             return reporter.report(morfs, outfile=file)