diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMD.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMD.java
index 0eda16cd36..40a29a537f 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMD.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMD.java
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ public class PMD {
                                 // already been initialized at this point
         try {
             int violations = PMD.doPMD(configuration);
-            if (violations > 0) {
+            if (violations > 0 && configuration.isFailOnViolation()) {
                 status = PMDCommandLineInterface.VIOLATIONS_FOUND;
             } else {
                 status = 0;
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
index e85b5ea475..c8774fa28d 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public class PMDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     private boolean reportShortNames = false;
     private Properties reportProperties = new Properties();
     private boolean showSuppressedViolations = false;
+    private boolean failOnViolation = true;
 
     private boolean stressTest;
     private boolean benchmark;
@@ -493,4 +494,22 @@ public class PMDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     public void setBenchmark(boolean benchmark) {
         this.benchmark = benchmark;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Whether PMD should exit with status 4 (the default behavior, true) if violations
+     * are found or just with 0 (to not break the build, e.g.).
+     * @return failOnViolation
+     */
+    public boolean isFailOnViolation() {
+        return failOnViolation;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets whether PMD should exit with status 4 (the default behavior, true) if violations
+     * are found or just with 0 (to not break the build, e.g.).
+     * @param failOnViolation failOnViolation
+     */
+    public void setFailOnViolation(boolean failOnViolation) {
+        this.failOnViolation = failOnViolation;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
index d523eb11d0..44a693bd39 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ public class PMDParameters {
     @Parameter(names = "-auxclasspath", description = "Specifies the classpath for libraries used by the source code. This is used by the type resolution. Alternatively, a 'file://' URL to a text file containing path elements on consecutive lines can be specified.")
     private String auxclasspath;
 
+    @Parameter(names = {"-failOnViolation", "--failOnViolation"}, arity = 1, description = "By default PMD exits with status 4 if violations are found. Disable this option with '-failOnViolation false' to exit with 0 instead and just write the report.")
+    private boolean failOnViolation = true;
+
     // this has to be a public static class, so that JCommander can use it!
     public static class PropertyConverter implements IStringConverter<Properties> {
 
@@ -135,6 +138,7 @@ public class PMDParameters {
         configuration.setStressTest(params.isStress());
         configuration.setSuppressMarker(params.getSuppressmarker());
         configuration.setThreads(params.getThreads());
+        configuration.setFailOnViolation(params.isFailOnViolation());
 
         LanguageVersion languageVersion = LanguageRegistry.findLanguageVersionByTerseName(params.getLanguage() + " " + params.getVersion());
         if(languageVersion != null) {
@@ -224,6 +228,10 @@ public class PMDParameters {
         return format;
     }
 
+    public boolean isFailOnViolation() {
+        return failOnViolation;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return the uri alternative to source directory.
      */
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterface.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterface.java
index f0edb03fe3..7edabf1c00 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterface.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterface.java
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ public class CPDCommandLineInterface {
             cpd.go();
             if (cpd.getMatches().hasNext()) {
                 System.out.println(arguments.getRenderer().render(cpd.getMatches()));
-                setStatusCodeOrExit(DUPLICATE_CODE_FOUND);
+                if (arguments.isFailOnViolation()) {
+                    setStatusCodeOrExit(DUPLICATE_CODE_FOUND);
+                } else {
+                    setStatusCodeOrExit(0);
+                }
             } else {
                 setStatusCodeOrExit(0);
             }
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
index 91c4564e96..06de46bd32 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ public class CPDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     @Parameter(names = { "--help", "-h" }, description = "Print help text", required = false, help = true)
     private boolean help;
 
+    @Parameter(names = {"--failOnViolation", "-failOnViolation"}, arity = 1, description = "By default CPD exits with status 4 if code duplications are found. Disable this option with '-failOnViolation false' to exit with 0 instead and just write the report.")
+    private boolean failOnViolation = true;
+
     // this has to be a public static class, so that JCommander can use it!
     public static class LanguageConverter implements IStringConverter<Language> {
 
@@ -402,4 +405,12 @@ public class CPDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
     public void setSkipBlocksPattern(String skipBlocksPattern) {
         this.skipBlocksPattern = skipBlocksPattern;
     }
+
+    public boolean isFailOnViolation() {
+        return failOnViolation;
+    }
+
+    public void setFailOnViolation(boolean failOnViolation) {
+        this.failOnViolation = failOnViolation;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
index ea71a7ffce..857bfbbc83 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@ public class CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest {
         Assert.assertEquals(4, Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty(CPDCommandLineInterface.STATUS_CODE_PROPERTY)));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test ignore identifiers argument with failOnViolation=false
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testIgnoreIdentifiersFailOnViolationFalse() throws Exception {
+        runCPD("--minimum-tokens", "34", "--language", "java",
+               "--files", "src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/clitest/",
+               "--ignore-identifiers",
+               "--failOnViolation", "false");
+
+        String out = bufferStdout.toString("UTF-8");
+        Assert.assertTrue(out.contains("Found a 7 line (36 tokens) duplication"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(0, Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty(CPDCommandLineInterface.STATUS_CODE_PROPERTY)));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test excludes option.
      */
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
index 7d6e02c1d9..4b3ad93c29 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
+++ b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 
 *   [#1344](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1344/): AbstractNaming should check reverse
 *   [#1361](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1361/): ShortVariable and ShortMethodName configuration
+*   [#1414](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1414/): Command line parameter to disable "failOnViolation" behavior
+    PMD and CPD Command Line Interfaces have a new optional parameter: `failOnViolation`. Executing PMD with the option
+    `-failOnViolation false` will perform the PMD checks but won't fail the build and still exit with status 0.
+    This is useful if you only want to generate the report with violations but don't want to fail your build.
 
 
 **New Rules:**
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/usage/cpd-usage.md b/src/site/markdown/usage/cpd-usage.md
index 22813eb7b8..729d14804f 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/usage/cpd-usage.md
+++ b/src/site/markdown/usage/cpd-usage.md
@@ -129,6 +129,13 @@ The options "minimum-tokens" and "files" are the two required options; there are
         <td>no</td>
         <td></td>
     </tr>
+    <tr>
+        <td>--failOnViolation {true|false}</td>
+        <td>By default CPD exits with status 4 if code duplications are found.
+            Disable this option with '--failOnViolation false' to exit with 0 instead and just write the report.</td>
+        <td>no</td>
+        <td></td>
+    </tr>
     <tr>
         <td>--ignore-literals</td>
         <td>Ignore number values and string contents when comparing text</td>
@@ -231,7 +238,7 @@ This behavior has been introduced to ease CPD integration into scripts or hooks,
 <table>
 <tr><td>0</td><td>Everything is fine, now code duplications found</td></tr>
 <tr><td>1</td><td>Couldn't understand command line parameters or CPD exited with an exception</td></tr>
-<tr><td>4</td><td>At least one code duplication has been detected</td></tr>
+<tr><td>4</td><td>At least one code duplication has been detected unless '--failOnViolation false' is used.</td></tr>
 </table>
 
 
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/usage/running.md.vm b/src/site/markdown/usage/running.md.vm
index b95f0e9e0c..28f0158a40 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/usage/running.md.vm
+++ b/src/site/markdown/usage/running.md.vm
@@ -190,6 +190,14 @@ The tool comes with a rather extensive help text, simply running with `-help`!
         <td>no</td>
         <td></td>
     </tr>
+    <tr>
+        <td>-failOnViolation {true|false}</td>
+        <td>By default PMD exits with status 4 if violations are found.
+            Disable this option with '-failOnViolation false' to exit with 0 instead and just write the report.
+        </td>
+        <td>no</td>
+        <td></td>
+    </tr>
 </table>
 
 
@@ -202,7 +210,7 @@ This behavior has been introduced to ease PMD integration into scripts or hooks,
 <table>
 <tr><td>0</td><td>Everything is fine, now violations found</td></tr>
 <tr><td>1</td><td>Couldn't understand command line parameters or PMD exited with an exception</td></tr>
-<tr><td>4</td><td>At least one violation has been detected</td></tr>
+<tr><td>4</td><td>At least one violation has been detected unless '-failOnViolation false' is set.</td></tr>
 </table>