diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 65a94fe..aa15aac 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,11 +63,12 @@ $ jest-it-up --help
 Usage: jest-it-up [options]
 
 Options:
-  -c, --config <path>    path to a Jest config file (default: 'jest.config.js')
-  -m, --margin <margin>  minimum threshold increase (default: 0)
-  -i, --interactive      ask for confirmation before applying changes
-  -s, --silent           do not output messages
-  -d, --dry-run          process but do not change files
-  -v, --version          output the version number
-  -h, --help             display help for command
+  -c, --config <path>          path to a Jest config file (default: 'jest.config.js')
+  -m, --margin <margin>        minimum threshold increase (default: 0)
+  -t, --tolerance <tolerance>  threshold difference from actual coverage
+  -i, --interactive            ask for confirmation before applying changes
+  -s, --silent                 do not output messages
+  -d, --dry-run                process but do not change files
+  -v, --version                output the version number
+  -h, --help                   display help for command
 ```
diff --git a/bin/jest-it-up b/bin/jest-it-up
index 8197f7a..fef76ed 100755
--- a/bin/jest-it-up
+++ b/bin/jest-it-up
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ const jestItUp = require('../lib')
 program
   .option('-c, --config <path>', 'path to a Jest config file', 'jest.config.js')
   .option('-m, --margin <margin>', 'minimum threshold increase', parseFloat, 0)
+  .option(
+    '-t, --tolerance <tolerance>',
+    'threshold difference from actual coverage',
+    parseFloat,
+    0,
+  )
   .option('-i, --interactive', 'ask for confirmation before applying changes')
   .option('-s, --silent', 'do not output messages')
   .option('-d, --dry-run', 'process but do not change files')
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/getNewThresholds.test.js b/lib/__tests__/getNewThresholds.test.js
index 1b32c32..21ce790 100644
--- a/lib/__tests__/getNewThresholds.test.js
+++ b/lib/__tests__/getNewThresholds.test.js
@@ -20,8 +20,14 @@ it('returns new thresholds if coverages are higher', () => {
     statements: { pct: 50 },
   }
   const margin = 0
+  const tolerance = 0
 
-  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(thresholds, coverages, margin)
+  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(
+    thresholds,
+    coverages,
+    margin,
+    tolerance,
+  )
 
   expect(newThresholds).toStrictEqual({
     branches: { diff: 70, next: 80, prev: 10 },
@@ -45,11 +51,74 @@ it('only returns new thresholds if coverages are above the margin', () => {
     statements: { pct: 50 },
   }
   const margin = 50
+  const tolerance = 0
 
-  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(thresholds, coverages, margin)
+  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(
+    thresholds,
+    coverages,
+    margin,
+    tolerance,
+  )
 
   expect(newThresholds).toStrictEqual({
     branches: { diff: 70, next: 80, prev: 10 },
     functions: { diff: 50, next: 70, prev: 20 },
   })
 })
+
+it('should return new thresholds if coverage - tolerance is higher than the current threshold', () => {
+  const thresholds = {
+    branches: 10,
+    functions: 20,
+    lines: 30,
+    statements: 40,
+  }
+  const coverages = {
+    branches: { pct: 80 },
+    functions: { pct: 70 },
+    lines: { pct: 60 },
+    statements: { pct: 50 },
+  }
+  const margin = 0
+  const tolerance = 10
+
+  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(
+    thresholds,
+    coverages,
+    margin,
+    tolerance,
+  )
+
+  expect(newThresholds).toStrictEqual({
+    branches: { diff: 60, next: 70, prev: 10 },
+    functions: { diff: 40, next: 60, prev: 20 },
+    lines: { diff: 20, next: 50, prev: 30 },
+    statements: { diff: 0, next: 40, prev: 40 },
+  })
+})
+
+it('should not return new thresholds if coverage - tolerance is lower than the current threshold', () => {
+  const thresholds = {
+    branches: 10,
+    functions: 20,
+    lines: 30,
+    statements: 40,
+  }
+  const coverages = {
+    branches: { pct: 80 },
+    functions: { pct: 70 },
+    lines: { pct: 60 },
+    statements: { pct: 50 },
+  }
+  const margin = 0
+  const tolerance = 100
+
+  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(
+    thresholds,
+    coverages,
+    margin,
+    tolerance,
+  )
+
+  expect(newThresholds).toStrictEqual({})
+})
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/index.test.js b/lib/__tests__/index.test.js
index 68b0e5d..09cd5aa 100644
--- a/lib/__tests__/index.test.js
+++ b/lib/__tests__/index.test.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ it('runs with with default options', async () => {
   expect(getData).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/workingDir/jest.config.js')
 
   expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledWith('thresholds', 'coverages', 0)
+  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledWith('thresholds', 'coverages', 0, 0)
 
   expect(getChanges).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   expect(getChanges).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -71,7 +71,12 @@ it('runs with custom margin', async () => {
   await jestItUp({ margin: 10 })
 
   expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledWith('thresholds', 'coverages', 10)
+  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    'thresholds',
+    'coverages',
+    10,
+    0,
+  )
 })
 
 it.each([true, false])(
@@ -124,3 +129,15 @@ it('runs with custom config', async () => {
   expect(getData).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   expect(getData).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/workingDir/customDir/jest.config.js')
 })
+
+it('runs with custom tolerance', async () => {
+  await jestItUp({ tolerance: 10 })
+
+  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  expect(getNewThresholds).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    'thresholds',
+    'coverages',
+    0,
+    10,
+  )
+})
diff --git a/lib/getNewThresholds.js b/lib/getNewThresholds.js
index 279452d..a0be152 100644
--- a/lib/getNewThresholds.js
+++ b/lib/getNewThresholds.js
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
-const getNewThresholds = (thresholds, coverages, margin) =>
+const getNewThresholds = (thresholds, coverages, margin, tolerance) =>
   Object.entries(thresholds).reduce((acc, [type, threshold]) => {
     const { pct: coverage } = coverages[type]
 
+    const desiredCoverage = coverage - tolerance
+
     // Only update threshold if new coverage is higher than
     // current threshold + margin
-    if (coverage >= threshold + margin) {
+    if (desiredCoverage >= threshold + margin) {
       acc[type] = {
         prev: threshold,
-        next: coverage,
-        diff: +(coverage - threshold).toFixed(2),
+        next: desiredCoverage,
+        diff: +(desiredCoverage - threshold).toFixed(2),
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 4b1b003..1cd1417 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -14,12 +14,18 @@ module.exports = async ({
   dryRun = false,
   interactive = false,
   margin = 0,
+  tolerance = 0,
   silent = false,
 } = {}) => {
   const configPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), config)
 
   const { thresholds, coverages } = await getData(configPath)
-  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(thresholds, coverages, margin)
+  const newThresholds = getNewThresholds(
+    thresholds,
+    coverages,
+    margin,
+    tolerance,
+  )
   const { changes, data } = getChanges(configPath, newThresholds)
 
   if (!silent) {