diff --git a/compiler.cmake b/compiler.cmake
index 79198c3..b68d2ed 100644
--- a/compiler.cmake
+++ b/compiler.cmake
@@ -127,13 +127,25 @@ if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -mfpmath=sse" )
     endif()
 
-    # -std=c++11 will be supported starting GCC 4.7, older versions need c++0x
-    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -std=c++11 cxxresult )
-
-    if( NOT cxxresult)
-        message(FATAL_ERROR, "Compiler does not support c++11")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "Checking the c++ Standard supported by the compiler" )
+    # Check which version of c++ we can use. We drill down from c++17 to c96
+    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -std=c++17 cxxresult )
+    if( NOT cxxresult )
+        CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -std=c++14 cxxresult )
+        if( NOT cxxresult )
+            CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -std=c++11 cxxresult )
+            if( NOT cxxresult )
+                set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++0x")
+            else()
+                set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
+            endif()
+        else()
+            set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++14")
+        endif()
+    else()
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++17")
     endif()
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "Compiling for ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
 
     # -Wzero-as-null-pointer-constant is disabled for now, since the Qt 4.8.4
     # macro's produce a bucketload of these warnings. Might be useful later on.