diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6970602d..18b2b2f5 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ macro(upm_SWIG_NODE)
       endif()
       set_property (TARGET jsupm_${libname} PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD 11)
       set_property (TARGET jsupm_${libname} PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+
+      if (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.1")
+        if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
+          if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS "4.7")
+            message (FATAL_ERROR " FATAL ERROR: GNU gcc compiler is also too old (need 4.7+, but ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION}) and does not support C++11 standard.")
+          endif ()
+          set (UPM_CXX11_WORKAROUND_OPTION "-std=gnu++11")
+        else ()
+          set (UPM_CXX11_WORKAROUND_OPTION "-std=c++11")
+        endif ()
+        set (CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${UPM_CXX11_WORKAROUND_OPTION} ")
+      endif ()
+
     endif()
     createpackagejson(${libname})
     set (NODE_MODULE_INSTALL_PATH ${NODE_ROOT_DIR}/lib/node_modules/jsupm_${libname}/)