--- a/bitten/build/javatools.py
+++ b/bitten/build/javatools.py
@@ -149,9 +149,16 @@
 
                     result = list(testcase.children())
                     if result:
-                        test.attr['status'] = result[0].name
+                        junit_status = result[0].name
                         test.append(xmlio.Element('traceback')[_fix_traceback(result)])
-                        failed += 1
+                        if junit_status == 'skipped':
+                            test.attr['status'] = 'ignore'
+                        elif junit_status == 'error':
+                            test.attr['status'] = 'error'
+                            failed += 1
+                        else:
+                            test.attr['status'] = 'failure'
+                            failed += 1
                     else:
                         test.attr['status'] = 'success'
 

--- a/bitten/build/tests/javatools.py
+++ b/bitten/build/tests/javatools.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import unittest
 
 from bitten.build import javatools
-from bitten.recipe import Context
+from bitten.recipe import Context, Recipe
 
 class CoberturaTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     xml_template="""<?xml version="1.0"?>
@@ -182,6 +182,34 @@
         self.assertEqual(1, len(trace.children))
         self.assertEqual('request = <FuncargRequest for <Function...', trace.children[0])
 
+        type, category, generator, xml = self.ctxt.output.pop()
+        self.assertEqual(Recipe.ERROR, type)
+
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(self.ctxt.output))
+
+    def test_skipped_tests(self):
+        """Check that skipped tests (here: xfail in py.test) are not considered an error"""
+        body = '<testcase classname="_test.test_event" name="test_simple" time="0.06">' \
+             + '<skipped/></testcase>'
+        filename = self._xml_file(body, skips=1)
+        javatools.junit(self.ctxt, file_=filename)
+        type, category, generator, xml = self.ctxt.output.pop()
+        self.assertEqual('report', type)
+        self.assertEqual('test', category)
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(xml.children))
+
+        elem = xml.children[0]
+        self.assertEqual('test', elem.name)
+        self.assertEqual('test_simple', elem.attr['name'])
+        self.assertEqual('ignore', elem.attr['status'])
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(elem.children))
+
+        trace = elem.children[0]
+        self.assertEqual('traceback', trace.name)
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(trace.children))
+
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(self.ctxt.output))
+
 def suite():
     suite = unittest.TestSuite()
     suite.addTest(unittest.makeSuite(CoberturaTestCase, 'test'))