diff --git a/features/minitest_basic.feature b/features/minitest_basic.feature
index 89e38393..23c6a754 100644
--- a/features/minitest_basic.feature
+++ b/features/minitest_basic.feature
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+@minitest
+
 Feature:
+  "Working with minitest"
 
   Background:
     Given I'm working on the project "faked_project"
@@ -15,12 +18,12 @@ Feature:
     When I open the coverage report generated with `bundle exec rake minitest`
     Then I should see the groups:
       | name      | coverage | files |
-      | All Files | 87.5%   | 2     |
+      | All Files | 87.5%    | 2     |
 
     And I should see the source files:
       | name                                    | coverage |
-      | lib/faked_project/some_class.rb         | 80.00 %   |
-      | minitest/some_test.rb                   | 100.00 %  |
+      | lib/faked_project/some_class.rb         | 80.00 %  |
+      | minitest/some_test.rb                   | 100.00 % |
 
   Scenario:
     Given SimpleCov for Minitest is configured with:
@@ -36,4 +39,19 @@ Feature:
 
     And I should see the source files:
       | name                                    | coverage |
-      | lib/faked_project/some_class.rb         | 80.00 %   |
+      | lib/faked_project/some_class.rb         | 80.00 %  |
+
+  Scenario: Not having simplecov loaded/enabled it does not crash #877
+    Given SimpleCov for Minitest is configured with:
+      """
+      # nothing
+      """
+    # What's this? Path requirements in the Gemfile evaluate the gemspec,
+    # which normally loads the version, which defined SimpleCov which leads
+    # to a different failure. This works around that issue.
+    And I set the environment variables to:
+      | variable                     | value   |
+      | SIMPLECOV_NO_REQUIRE_VERSION | 100.0.0 |
+
+    When I successfully run `bundle exec rake minitest`
+    Then no coverage report should have been generated
diff --git a/lib/minitest/simplecov_plugin.rb b/lib/minitest/simplecov_plugin.rb
index 16270fe4..fbb49c44 100644
--- a/lib/minitest/simplecov_plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/minitest/simplecov_plugin.rb
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 # https://github.com/seattlerb/minitest#writing-extensions
 module Minitest
   def self.plugin_simplecov_init(_options)
-    SimpleCov.external_at_exit = true
+    if defined?(SimpleCov)
+      SimpleCov.external_at_exit = true
 
-    Minitest.after_run do
-      SimpleCov.at_exit_behavior if SimpleCov.respond_to?(:at_exit_behavior)
+      Minitest.after_run do
+        SimpleCov.at_exit_behavior
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/simplecov.gemspec b/simplecov.gemspec
index 5a6181c2..4b609af0 100644
--- a/simplecov.gemspec
+++ b/simplecov.gemspec
@@ -1,11 +1,23 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 $LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("lib", __dir__)
-require "simplecov/version"
+
+# Why oh why oh what is this?
+# See the cuke that is setting this.
+# Basically to really reproduce #877 we needed a gemspec that doesn't
+# (indirectly) define a SimpleCov module... so this is the workaround.
+# No one ever but hat test should set that environment variable. Please.
+version =
+  if ENV["SIMPLECOV_NO_REQUIRE_VERSION"]
+    ENV["SIMPLECOV_NO_REQUIRE_VERSION"]
+  else
+    require "simplecov/version"
+    SimpleCov::VERSION
+  end
 
 Gem::Specification.new do |gem|
   gem.name        = "simplecov"
-  gem.version     = SimpleCov::VERSION
+  gem.version     = version
   gem.platform    = Gem::Platform::RUBY
   gem.authors     = ["Christoph Olszowka"]
   gem.email       = ["christoph at olszowka de"]