diff --git a/Lib/unittest/case.py b/Lib/unittest/case.py
--- a/Lib/unittest/case.py
+++ b/Lib/unittest/case.py
@@ -555,18 +555,21 @@ class TestCase(object):
             # If the class or method was skipped.
             try:
                 skip_why = (getattr(self.__class__, '__unittest_skip_why__', '')
                             or getattr(testMethod, '__unittest_skip_why__', ''))
                 self._addSkip(result, self, skip_why)
             finally:
                 result.stopTest(self)
             return
-        expecting_failure = getattr(testMethod,
-                                    "__unittest_expecting_failure__", False)
+        expecting_failure_method = getattr(testMethod,
+                                           "__unittest_expecting_failure__", False)
+        expecting_failure_class = getattr(self,
+                                          "__unittest_expecting_failure__", False)
+        expecting_failure = expecting_failure_class or expecting_failure_method
         outcome = _Outcome(result)
         try:
             self._outcome = outcome
 
             with outcome.testPartExecutor(self):
                 self.setUp()
             if outcome.success:
                 outcome.expecting_failure = expecting_failure
diff --git a/Lib/unittest/test/test_skipping.py b/Lib/unittest/test/test_skipping.py
--- a/Lib/unittest/test/test_skipping.py
+++ b/Lib/unittest/test/test_skipping.py
@@ -115,16 +115,49 @@ class Test_TestSkipping(unittest.TestCas
         result = LoggingResult(events)
         test = Foo("test_die")
         test.run(result)
         self.assertEqual(events,
                          ['startTest', 'addExpectedFailure', 'stopTest'])
         self.assertEqual(result.expectedFailures[0][0], test)
         self.assertTrue(result.wasSuccessful())
 
+    def test_expected_failure_with_wrapped_class(self):
+        @unittest.expectedFailure
+        class Foo(unittest.TestCase):
+            def test_1(self):
+                self.assertTrue(False)
+
+        events = []
+        result = LoggingResult(events)
+        test = Foo("test_1")
+        test.run(result)
+        self.assertEqual(events,
+                         ['startTest', 'addExpectedFailure', 'stopTest'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.expectedFailures[0][0], test)
+        self.assertTrue(result.wasSuccessful())
+
+    def test_expected_failure_with_wrapped_subclass(self):
+        class Foo(unittest.TestCase):
+            def test_1(self):
+                self.assertTrue(False)
+
+        @unittest.expectedFailure
+        class Bar(Foo):
+            pass
+
+        events = []
+        result = LoggingResult(events)
+        test = Bar("test_1")
+        test.run(result)
+        self.assertEqual(events,
+                         ['startTest', 'addExpectedFailure', 'stopTest'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.expectedFailures[0][0], test)
+        self.assertTrue(result.wasSuccessful())
+
     def test_expected_failure_subtests(self):
         # A failure in any subtest counts as the expected failure of the
         # whole test.
         class Foo(unittest.TestCase):
             @unittest.expectedFailure
             def test_die(self):
                 with self.subTest():
                     # This one succeeds