diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MapperGenerationVisitor.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MapperGenerationVisitor.java
index 58a1beaa9..c36d6efee 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MapperGenerationVisitor.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MapperGenerationVisitor.java
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public class MapperGenerationVisitor extends ElementKindVisitor6<Void, Void> {
         //2.) build up aggregated "target" model
         List<BeanMapping> mappings = getMappings(
             methods,
-            ReportingPolicy.valueOf( MapperPrism.getInstanceOn( element ).unmappedTargetPolicy() )
+            getEffectiveUnmappedTargetPolicy( element )
         );
         List<Type> usedMapperTypes = getUsedMapperTypes( element );
 
@@ -157,6 +157,31 @@ public class MapperGenerationVisitor extends ElementKindVisitor6<Void, Void> {
         return mapper;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the effective policy for reporting unmapped target properties. If
+     * explicitly set via {@code Mapper}, this value will be returned. Otherwise
+     * the value from the corresponding processor option will be returned. If
+     * that is not set either, the default value from
+     * {@code Mapper#unmappedTargetPolicy()} will be returned.
+     *
+     * @param element The type declaring the generated mapper type
+     *
+     * @return The effective policy for reporting unmapped target properties.
+     */
+    private ReportingPolicy getEffectiveUnmappedTargetPolicy(TypeElement element) {
+        MapperPrism mapperPrism = MapperPrism.getInstanceOn( element );
+        boolean setViaAnnotation = mapperPrism.values.unmappedTargetPolicy() != null;
+        ReportingPolicy annotationValue = ReportingPolicy.valueOf( mapperPrism.unmappedTargetPolicy() );
+
+        if ( setViaAnnotation ||
+            options.getUnmappedTargetPolicy() == null ) {
+            return annotationValue;
+        }
+        else {
+            return options.getUnmappedTargetPolicy();
+        }
+    }
+
     private List<BeanMapping> getMappings(List<Method> methods,
                                           ReportingPolicy unmappedTargetPolicy) {
         Conversions conversions = new Conversions( elementUtils, typeUtils, typeUtil );
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MappingProcessor.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MappingProcessor.java
index d9608abbf..60715995e 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MappingProcessor.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/MappingProcessor.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.Mapper;
 import org.mapstruct.Mapping;
 import org.mapstruct.Mappings;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.Options;
+import org.mapstruct.ap.model.ReportingPolicy;
 
 @SupportedAnnotationTypes("org.mapstruct.Mapper")
 @GeneratePrisms({
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.ap.model.Options;
     @GeneratePrism(value = Mapping.class, publicAccess = true),
     @GeneratePrism(value = Mappings.class, publicAccess = true)
 })
-@SupportedOptions(MappingProcessor.SUPPRESS_GENERATOR_TIMESTAMP)
+@SupportedOptions({ MappingProcessor.SUPPRESS_GENERATOR_TIMESTAMP, MappingProcessor.UNMAPPED_TARGET_POLICY })
 public class MappingProcessor extends AbstractProcessor {
 
     /**
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ public class MappingProcessor extends AbstractProcessor {
     private static final boolean ANNOTATIONS_CLAIMED_EXCLUSIVELY = false;
 
     protected static final String SUPPRESS_GENERATOR_TIMESTAMP = "suppressGeneratorTimestamp";
+    protected static final String UNMAPPED_TARGET_POLICY = "unmappedTargetPolicy";
 
     private Options options;
 
@@ -88,6 +90,11 @@ public class MappingProcessor extends AbstractProcessor {
     }
 
     private Options createOptions() {
-        return new Options( Boolean.valueOf( processingEnv.getOptions().get( SUPPRESS_GENERATOR_TIMESTAMP ) ) );
+        String unmappedTargetPolicy = processingEnv.getOptions().get( UNMAPPED_TARGET_POLICY );
+
+        return new Options(
+            Boolean.valueOf( processingEnv.getOptions().get( SUPPRESS_GENERATOR_TIMESTAMP ) ),
+            unmappedTargetPolicy != null ? ReportingPolicy.valueOf( unmappedTargetPolicy ) : null
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/Options.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/Options.java
index 02c673ed1..12b3ad205 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/Options.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/model/Options.java
@@ -22,15 +22,22 @@ package org.mapstruct.ap.model;
  * The options passed to the code generator.
  *
  * @author Andreas Gudian
+ * @autor Gunnar Morling
  */
 public class Options {
     private final boolean suppressGeneratorTimestamp;
+    private final ReportingPolicy unmappedTargetPolicy;
 
-    public Options(boolean suppressGeneratorTimestamp) {
+    public Options(boolean suppressGeneratorTimestamp, ReportingPolicy unmappedTargetPolicy) {
         this.suppressGeneratorTimestamp = suppressGeneratorTimestamp;
+        this.unmappedTargetPolicy = unmappedTargetPolicy;
     }
 
     public boolean isSuppressGeneratorTimestamp() {
         return suppressGeneratorTimestamp;
     }
+
+    public ReportingPolicy getUnmappedTargetPolicy() {
+        return unmappedTargetPolicy;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/unmappedtarget/UnmappedTargetTest.java b/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/unmappedtarget/UnmappedTargetTest.java
index 2cc4051d6..6a54a27a8 100644
--- a/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/unmappedtarget/UnmappedTargetTest.java
+++ b/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/unmappedtarget/UnmappedTargetTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.mapstruct.ap.testutil.WithClasses;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.testutil.compilation.annotation.CompilationResult;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.testutil.compilation.annotation.Diagnostic;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.testutil.compilation.annotation.ExpectedCompilationOutcome;
+import org.mapstruct.ap.testutil.compilation.annotation.ProcessorOption;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;
 
 import static org.fest.assertions.Assertions.assertThat;
@@ -81,4 +82,23 @@ public class UnmappedTargetTest extends MapperTestBase {
     )
     public void shouldRaiseErrorDueToUnsetTargetProperty() {
     }
+
+    @Test
+    @WithClasses({ Source.class, Target.class, SourceTargetMapper.class })
+    @ProcessorOption(name = "unmappedTargetPolicy", value = "ERROR")
+    @ExpectedCompilationOutcome(
+        value = CompilationResult.FAILED,
+        diagnostics = {
+            @Diagnostic(type = SourceTargetMapper.class,
+                kind = Kind.ERROR,
+                line = 29,
+                messageRegExp = "Unmapped target property: \"bar\""),
+            @Diagnostic(type = SourceTargetMapper.class,
+                kind = Kind.ERROR,
+                line = 31,
+                messageRegExp = "Unmapped target property: \"qux\"")
+        }
+    )
+    public void shouldRaiseErrorDueToUnsetTargetPropertyWithPolicySetViaProcessorOption() {
+    }
 }