diff --git a/lib/results.js b/lib/results.js
index 79ed8746..6ca2df9e 100644
--- a/lib/results.js
+++ b/lib/results.js
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ function encodeResult(res, count) {
     if (res.skip) {
         output += ' # SKIP' + ((typeof res.skip === 'string') ? ' ' + coalesceWhiteSpaces(res.skip) : '');
     } else if (res.todo) {
-        output += ' # TODO';
+        output += ' # TODO' + ((typeof res.todo === 'string') ? ' ' + coalesceWhiteSpaces(res.todo) : '');
     };
 
     output += '\n';
diff --git a/test/todo_explanation.js b/test/todo_explanation.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5269b08f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/todo_explanation.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+var tap = require('tap');
+var tape = require('../');
+var concat = require('concat-stream');
+
+var common = require('./common');
+var stripFullStack = common.stripFullStack;
+
+tap.test('tape todo test', { todo: process.versions.node.match(/0\.8\.\d+/) ? 'Fails on node 0.8': false }, function (assert) {
+    var test = tape.createHarness({ exit: false });
+    assert.plan(1);
+
+    test.createStream().pipe(concat(function (body) {
+        assert.equal(
+            stripFullStack(body.toString('utf8')), [
+                'TAP version 13',
+                '# success',
+                'ok 1 this test runs',
+                '# TODO incomplete test1',
+                'not ok 2 check output # TODO',
+                '  ---',
+                '    operator: equal',
+                '    expected: false',
+                '    actual:   true',
+                '    at: Test.<anonymous> ($TEST/todo_explanation.js:$LINE:$COL)',
+                '  ...',
+                'not ok 3 check vars output # TODO name conflict',
+                '  ---',
+                '    operator: equal',
+                '    expected: 0',
+                '    actual:   1',
+                '    at: Test.<anonymous> ($TEST/todo_explanation.js:$LINE:$COL)',
+                '  ...',
+                '# incomplete test2',
+                'not ok 4 run openssl # TODO installer needs fix',
+                '  ---',
+                '    operator: fail',
+                '    at: Test.<anonymous> ($TEST/todo_explanation.js:$LINE:$COL)',
+                '  ...',
+                '# TODO passing test',
+                '',
+                '1..4',
+                '# tests 4',
+                '# pass  4',
+                '',
+                '# ok',
+                ''
+            ].join('\n')
+        );
+    }));
+
+    test('success', function (t) {
+        t.equal(true, true, 'this test runs');
+        t.end();
+    });
+
+    test('incomplete test1', { todo: true }, function (t) {
+        t.equal(true, false, 'check output');
+        t.equal(1, 0, 'check vars output', { todo: 'name conflict' });
+        t.end();
+    });
+
+    test('incomplete test2', function (t) {
+        t.fail('run openssl', { todo: 'installer needs fix' });
+        t.end();
+    });
+
+    test('passing test', { todo: 'yet incomplete' }, function (t) {
+        t.end();
+    });
+});