diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 1e18f9684..5aa848852 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Changes between 2.1.3 and 2.2.0
 - fix compatibility with twisted/trial-11.1.0 use cases
 - simplify Node.listchain
 - simplify junitxml output code by relying on py.xml
+- add support for skip properties on unittest classes and functions
 
 Changes between 2.1.2 and 2.1.3
 ----------------------------------------
diff --git a/_pytest/unittest.py b/_pytest/unittest.py
index 324dab048..2f04f334d 100644
--- a/_pytest/unittest.py
+++ b/_pytest/unittest.py
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ class TestCaseFunction(pytest.Function):
     def setup(self):
         self._testcase = self.parent.obj(self.name)
         self._obj = getattr(self._testcase, self.name)
+        if hasattr(self._testcase, 'skip'):
+            pytest.skip(self._testcase.skip)
+        if hasattr(self._obj, 'skip'):
+            pytest.skip(self._obj.skip)
         if hasattr(self._testcase, 'setup_method'):
             self._testcase.setup_method(self._obj)
 
diff --git a/testing/test_unittest.py b/testing/test_unittest.py
index a0bfe5c78..738408f96 100644
--- a/testing/test_unittest.py
+++ b/testing/test_unittest.py
@@ -232,6 +232,29 @@ def test_module_level_pytestmark(testdir):
     reprec.assertoutcome(skipped=1)
 
 
+def test_testcase_skip_property(testdir):
+    testpath = testdir.makepyfile("""
+        import unittest
+        class MyTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+            skip = 'dont run'
+            def test_func(self):
+                pass
+        """)
+    reprec = testdir.inline_run(testpath, "-s")
+    reprec.assertoutcome(skipped=1)
+
+def test_testfunction_skip_property(testdir):
+    testpath = testdir.makepyfile("""
+        import unittest
+        class MyTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+            def test_func(self):
+                pass
+            test_func.skip = 'dont run'
+        """)
+    reprec = testdir.inline_run(testpath, "-s")
+    reprec.assertoutcome(skipped=1)
+
+
 class TestTrialUnittest:
     def setup_class(cls):
         pytest.importorskip("twisted.trial.unittest")