diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/config.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/config.rs
index 44d2be0874f8e..4419d76711cd7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/config.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/config.rs
@@ -143,6 +143,19 @@ pub enum InstrumentCoverage {
     Yes,
 }
 
+/// Individual flag values controlled by `-Z coverage-options`.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+pub struct CoverageOptions {
+    /// Add branch coverage instrumentation (placeholder flag; not yet implemented).
+    pub branch: bool,
+}
+
+impl Default for CoverageOptions {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self { branch: false }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Settings for `-Z instrument-xray` flag.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct InstrumentXRay {
@@ -3168,12 +3181,12 @@ pub enum WasiExecModel {
 /// how the hash should be calculated when adding a new command-line argument.
 pub(crate) mod dep_tracking {
     use super::{
-        BranchProtection, CFGuard, CFProtection, CollapseMacroDebuginfo, CrateType, DebugInfo,
-        DebugInfoCompression, ErrorOutputType, FunctionReturn, InliningThreshold,
-        InstrumentCoverage, InstrumentXRay, LinkerPluginLto, LocationDetail, LtoCli,
-        NextSolverConfig, OomStrategy, OptLevel, OutFileName, OutputType, OutputTypes, Polonius,
-        RemapPathScopeComponents, ResolveDocLinks, SourceFileHashAlgorithm, SplitDwarfKind,
-        SwitchWithOptPath, SymbolManglingVersion, WasiExecModel,
+        BranchProtection, CFGuard, CFProtection, CollapseMacroDebuginfo, CoverageOptions,
+        CrateType, DebugInfo, DebugInfoCompression, ErrorOutputType, FunctionReturn,
+        InliningThreshold, InstrumentCoverage, InstrumentXRay, LinkerPluginLto, LocationDetail,
+        LtoCli, NextSolverConfig, OomStrategy, OptLevel, OutFileName, OutputType, OutputTypes,
+        Polonius, RemapPathScopeComponents, ResolveDocLinks, SourceFileHashAlgorithm,
+        SplitDwarfKind, SwitchWithOptPath, SymbolManglingVersion, WasiExecModel,
     };
     use crate::lint;
     use crate::utils::NativeLib;
@@ -3243,6 +3256,7 @@ pub(crate) mod dep_tracking {
         CodeModel,
         TlsModel,
         InstrumentCoverage,
+        CoverageOptions,
         InstrumentXRay,
         CrateType,
         MergeFunctions,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
index 9ad1c4b2ff19b..ab79e3ecae49b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ mod desc {
     pub const parse_optimization_fuel: &str = "crate=integer";
     pub const parse_dump_mono_stats: &str = "`markdown` (default) or `json`";
     pub const parse_instrument_coverage: &str = parse_bool;
+    pub const parse_coverage_options: &str = "`branch` or `no-branch`";
     pub const parse_instrument_xray: &str = "either a boolean (`yes`, `no`, `on`, `off`, etc), or a comma separated list of settings: `always` or `never` (mutually exclusive), `ignore-loops`, `instruction-threshold=N`, `skip-entry`, `skip-exit`";
     pub const parse_unpretty: &str = "`string` or `string=string`";
     pub const parse_treat_err_as_bug: &str = "either no value or a non-negative number";
@@ -938,6 +939,24 @@ mod parse {
         true
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn parse_coverage_options(slot: &mut CoverageOptions, v: Option<&str>) -> bool {
+        let Some(v) = v else { return true };
+
+        for option in v.split(',') {
+            let (option, enabled) = match option.strip_prefix("no-") {
+                Some(without_no) => (without_no, false),
+                None => (option, true),
+            };
+            let slot = match option {
+                "branch" => &mut slot.branch,
+                _ => return false,
+            };
+            *slot = enabled;
+        }
+
+        true
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn parse_instrument_xray(
         slot: &mut Option<InstrumentXRay>,
         v: Option<&str>,
@@ -1440,11 +1459,9 @@ options! {
         "set the threshold for inlining a function"),
     #[rustc_lint_opt_deny_field_access("use `Session::instrument_coverage` instead of this field")]
     instrument_coverage: InstrumentCoverage = (InstrumentCoverage::No, parse_instrument_coverage, [TRACKED],
-        "instrument the generated code to support LLVM source-based code coverage \
-        reports (note, the compiler build config must include `profiler = true`); \
-        implies `-C symbol-mangling-version=v0`. Optional values are:
-        `=no` `=n` `=off` `=false` (default)
-        `=yes` `=y` `=on` `=true` (implicit value)"),
+        "instrument the generated code to support LLVM source-based code coverage reports \
+        (note, the compiler build config must include `profiler = true`); \
+        implies `-C symbol-mangling-version=v0`"),
     link_arg: (/* redirected to link_args */) = ((), parse_string_push, [UNTRACKED],
         "a single extra argument to append to the linker invocation (can be used several times)"),
     link_args: Vec<String> = (Vec::new(), parse_list, [UNTRACKED],
@@ -1566,6 +1583,8 @@ options! {
         "set option to collapse debuginfo for macros"),
     combine_cgu: bool = (false, parse_bool, [TRACKED],
         "combine CGUs into a single one"),
+    coverage_options: CoverageOptions = (CoverageOptions::default(), parse_coverage_options, [TRACKED],
+        "control details of coverage instrumentation"),
     crate_attr: Vec<String> = (Vec::new(), parse_string_push, [TRACKED],
         "inject the given attribute in the crate"),
     cross_crate_inline_threshold: InliningThreshold = (InliningThreshold::Sometimes(100), parse_inlining_threshold, [TRACKED],
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
index 10251d6d4ce71..9c94fd7027fd7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
@@ -352,6 +352,10 @@ impl Session {
         self.opts.cg.instrument_coverage() != InstrumentCoverage::No
     }
 
+    pub fn instrument_coverage_branch(&self) -> bool {
+        self.instrument_coverage() && self.opts.unstable_opts.coverage_options.branch
+    }
+
     pub fn is_sanitizer_cfi_enabled(&self) -> bool {
         self.opts.unstable_opts.sanitizer.contains(SanitizerSet::CFI)
     }
diff --git a/src/doc/rustc/src/instrument-coverage.md b/src/doc/rustc/src/instrument-coverage.md
index 23cb1e05ed157..7780f2102ba6b 100644
--- a/src/doc/rustc/src/instrument-coverage.md
+++ b/src/doc/rustc/src/instrument-coverage.md
@@ -346,6 +346,14 @@ $ llvm-cov report \
   more fine-grained coverage options are added.
   Using this value is currently not recommended.
 
+## `-Z coverage-options=<options>`
+
+This unstable option provides finer control over some aspects of coverage
+instrumentation. Pass one or more of the following values, separated by commas.
+
+- `branch` or `no-branch`
+  - Placeholder for potential branch coverage support in the future.
+
 ## Other references
 
 Rust's implementation and workflow for source-based code coverage is based on the same library and tools used to implement [source-based code coverage in Clang]. (This document is partially based on the Clang guide.)
diff --git a/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.bad.stderr b/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.bad.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ca82dc5bdb93d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.bad.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+error: incorrect value `bad` for unstable option `coverage-options` - `branch` or `no-branch` was expected
+
diff --git a/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.rs b/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a62e0554f7690
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/instrument-coverage/coverage-options.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//@ needs-profiler-support
+//@ revisions: branch no-branch bad
+//@ compile-flags -Cinstrument-coverage
+
+//@ [branch] check-pass
+//@ [branch] compile-flags: -Zcoverage-options=branch
+
+//@ [no-branch] check-pass
+//@ [no-branch] compile-flags: -Zcoverage-options=no-branch
+
+//@ [bad] check-fail
+//@ [bad] compile-flags: -Zcoverage-options=bad
+
+fn main() {}