diff --git a/hspec-meta.cabal b/hspec-meta.cabal
--- a/hspec-meta.cabal
+++ b/hspec-meta.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:             hspec-meta
-version:          1.6.1
+version:          1.6.2
 license:          MIT
 license-file:     LICENSE
 copyright:        (c) 2011-2013 Simon Hengel,
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec.hs b/src/Test/Hspec.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec.hs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 , example
 , pending
 , pendingWith
+, before
 , parallel
 
 -- * Running a spec
@@ -145,9 +146,16 @@
 
 -- | Run examples of given spec in parallel.
 parallel :: Spec -> Spec
-parallel = fromSpecList . map go . runSpecM
+parallel = mapSpecItem $ \_ r e -> SpecItem True r e
+
+-- | Run a custom action before every spec item.
+before :: IO () -> Spec -> Spec
+before action = mapSpecItem $ \b r e -> SpecItem b r (\params -> (action >> (e params)))
+
+mapSpecItem :: (Bool -> String -> (Params -> IO Result) -> SpecTree) -> Spec -> Spec
+mapSpecItem f = fromSpecList . map go . runSpecM
   where
     go :: SpecTree -> SpecTree
     go spec = case spec of
-      SpecItem _ r e -> SpecItem True r e
+      SpecItem b r e -> f b r e
       SpecGroup d es -> SpecGroup d (map go es)
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Config.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Config.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Config.hs
@@ -68,15 +68,25 @@
   , configHandle          = maybe (configHandle defaultConfig) Right (optionsOutputFile opts)
   }
   where
-    qcArgs = maybe id setSeed mSeed args
-      where
-        args = maybe id setMaxSuccess mMaxSuccess QC.stdArgs
+    qcArgs = (
+        maybe id setSeed mSeed
+      . maybe id setMaxDiscardRatio mMaxDiscardRatio
+      . maybe id setMaxSize mMaxSize
+      . maybe id setMaxSuccess mMaxSuccess) QC.stdArgs
 
     mSeed = optionsSeed opts <|> (failureReportSeed <$> mFailureReport)
     mMaxSuccess = optionsMaxSuccess opts <|> (failureReportMaxSuccess <$> mFailureReport)
+    mMaxSize = optionsMaxSize opts <|> (failureReportMaxSize <$> mFailureReport)
+    mMaxDiscardRatio = optionsMaxDiscardRatio opts <|> (failureReportMaxDiscardRatio <$> mFailureReport)
 
     setMaxSuccess :: Int -> QC.Args -> QC.Args
     setMaxSuccess n args = args {QC.maxSuccess = n}
+
+    setMaxSize :: Int -> QC.Args -> QC.Args
+    setMaxSize n args = args {QC.maxSize = n}
+
+    setMaxDiscardRatio :: Int -> QC.Args -> QC.Args
+    setMaxDiscardRatio n args = args {QC.maxDiscardRatio = n}
 
     setSeed :: Integer -> QC.Args -> QC.Args
     setSeed n args = args {QC.replay = Just (stdGenFromInteger n, 0)}
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/FailureReport.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/FailureReport.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/FailureReport.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/FailureReport.hs
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 data FailureReport = FailureReport {
   failureReportSeed :: Integer
 , failureReportMaxSuccess :: Int
+, failureReportMaxSize :: Int
+, failureReportMaxDiscardRatio :: Int
 , failureReportPaths :: [Path]
 } deriving (Eq, Show, Read)
 
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Options.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Options.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Options.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Options.hs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 , optionsMatch        :: [String]
 , optionsMaxSuccess   :: Maybe Int
 , optionsSeed         :: Maybe Integer
+, optionsMaxSize      :: Maybe Int
+, optionsMaxDiscardRatio :: Maybe Int
 , optionsColorMode    :: ColorMode
 , optionsFormatter    :: Formatter
 , optionsHtmlOutput   :: Bool
@@ -38,6 +40,12 @@
 setMaxSuccess :: Int -> Options -> Options
 setMaxSuccess n c = c {optionsMaxSuccess = Just n}
 
+setMaxSize :: Int -> Options -> Options
+setMaxSize n c = c {optionsMaxSize = Just n}
+
+setMaxDiscardRatio :: Int -> Options -> Options
+setMaxDiscardRatio n c = c {optionsMaxDiscardRatio = Just n}
+
 setSeed :: Integer -> Options -> Options
 setSeed n c = c {optionsSeed = Just n}
 
@@ -45,7 +53,7 @@
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
 defaultOptions :: Options
-defaultOptions = Options False False False False [] Nothing Nothing ColorAuto specdoc False Nothing
+defaultOptions = Options False False False False [] Nothing Nothing Nothing Nothing ColorAuto specdoc False Nothing
 
 formatters :: [(String, Formatter)]
 formatters = [
@@ -88,6 +96,8 @@
   , mkOption "f"  "format"            (Arg "FORMATTER" readFormatter setFormatter) formatHelp
   , mkOption "o"  "out"               (Arg "FILE" return setOutputFile)   (h "write output to a file instead of STDOUT")
   , mkOption "a"  "qc-max-success"    (Arg "N" readMaybe setMaxSuccess)   (h "maximum number of successful tests before a QuickCheck property succeeds")
+  , mkOption ""   "qc-max-size"       (Arg "N" readMaybe setMaxSize)      (h "size to use for the biggest test cases")
+  , mkOption ""   "qc-max-discard"    (Arg "N" readMaybe setMaxDiscardRatio) (h "maximum number of discarded tests per successful test before giving up")
   , mkOption []   "seed"              (Arg "N" readMaybe setSeed)         (h "used seed for QuickCheck properties")
   , Option   []  ["print-cpu-time"]   (NoArg setPrintCpuTime)             (h "include used CPU time in summary")
   , Option   []  ["dry-run"]          (NoArg setDryRun)                   (h "pretend that everything passed; don't verify anything")
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@
       liftIO $ writeFailureReport FailureReport {
           failureReportSeed = seed
         , failureReportMaxSuccess = QC.maxSuccess (configQuickCheckArgs c)
+        , failureReportMaxSize = QC.maxSize (configQuickCheckArgs c)
+        , failureReportMaxDiscardRatio = QC.maxDiscardRatio (configQuickCheckArgs c)
         , failureReportPaths = xs
         }