diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 68dec0f7586c573e0125b120ddda794f50d4afa4..75996f777bfb8b496faac9fc7a740a51266d03f4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ SET( ILCSOFT_CMAKE_MODULES_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/cmakemodules )
 
 include( ExternalProject )
 
+if(NOT "${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+endif()
+
+MESSAGE(STATUS "CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD set to ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}")
 
 ExternalProject_Add( cmakemodules
     SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules"
@@ -31,21 +36,21 @@ ExternalProject_Add( cmakemodules
 
 ExternalProject_Add( streamlog
     SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/streamlog"
-    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
+    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
     INSTALL_COMMAND ${CMAKE_BUILD_TOOL} install
 )
 
 ExternalProject_Add( ilctest
     DEPENDS cmakemodules
     SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/ilctest"
-    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
+    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
     INSTALL_COMMAND ${CMAKE_BUILD_TOOL} install
 )
 
 ExternalProject_Add( example
     DEPENDS ilctest streamlog
     SOURCE_DIR "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/example"
-    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
+    CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmakemodules -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} -DUSE_CXX11=${USE_CXX11}
     INSTALL_COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "no install step needed"
     TEST_COMMAND ${CMAKE_BUILD_TOOL} test
 )