diff --git a/integration_tests/__tests__/__snapshots__/show_config.test.js.snap b/integration_tests/__tests__/__snapshots__/show_config.test.js.snap
index 7875beebe54d..aea80b32ebea 100644
--- a/integration_tests/__tests__/__snapshots__/show_config.test.js.snap
+++ b/integration_tests/__tests__/__snapshots__/show_config.test.js.snap
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ exports[`jest --showConfig outputs config info and exits 1`] = `
   "framework": "jasmine2",
   "globalConfig": {
     "bail": false,
+    "coverageDirectory": "/mocked/root/path/jest/integration_tests/verbose_reporter/coverage",
     "coverageReporters": [
       "json",
       "text",
diff --git a/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/__tests__/is_valid_path.test.js b/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/__tests__/is_valid_path.test.js
index e84168d28d4c..973e9b385212 100644
--- a/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/__tests__/is_valid_path.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/__tests__/is_valid_path.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 const path = require('path');
 const isValidPath = require('../is_valid_path');
+const {normalize} = require('jest-config');
 
 const rootDir = path.resolve(path.sep, 'root');
 
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ it('is not valid when it is a snapshot file', () => {
 it('is not valid when it is a file in the coverage dir', () => {
   expect(
     isValidPath(
-      {},
+      normalize({rootDir}, {}).options,
       config,
       path.resolve(rootDir, 'coverage', 'lib', 'index.js'),
     ),
diff --git a/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/is_valid_path.js b/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/is_valid_path.js
index cad082e6727b..15e5ca51553a 100644
--- a/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/is_valid_path.js
+++ b/packages/jest-cli/src/lib/is_valid_path.js
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 
 import type {GlobalConfig, ProjectConfig} from 'types/Config';
 
-import path from 'path';
-
 const SNAPSHOT_EXTENSION = 'snap';
 
 function isValidPath(
@@ -19,11 +17,8 @@ function isValidPath(
   config: ProjectConfig,
   filePath: string,
 ) {
-  const coverageDirectory =
-    globalConfig.coverageDirectory || path.resolve(config.rootDir, 'coverage');
-
   return (
-    !filePath.includes(coverageDirectory) &&
+    !filePath.includes(globalConfig.coverageDirectory) &&
     !filePath.endsWith(`.${SNAPSHOT_EXTENSION}`)
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
index c26c291df90e..8f7a7f630aea 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
@@ -513,6 +513,19 @@ describe('testRunner', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('coverageDirectory', () => {
+  it('defaults to <rootDir>/coverage', () => {
+    const {options} = normalize(
+      {
+        rootDir: '/root/path/foo',
+      },
+      {},
+    );
+
+    expect(options.coverageDirectory).toBe('/root/path/foo/coverage');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('testEnvironment', () => {
   let Resolver;
   beforeEach(() => {
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
index 852358bc35e0..d00075096d8a 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
@@ -301,6 +301,10 @@ function normalize(options: InitialOptions, argv: Argv) {
     options.testRunner = require.resolve('jest-jasmine2');
   }
 
+  if (!options.coverageDirectory) {
+    options.coverageDirectory = path.resolve(options.rootDir, 'coverage');
+  }
+
   const babelJest = setupBabelJest(options);
   const newOptions = Object.assign({}, DEFAULT_CONFIG);
   // Cast back to exact type