diff --git a/cmake/Modules/LauraCompilerFlags.cmake b/cmake/Modules/LauraCompilerFlags.cmake
index ec8580f..f84adb6 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/LauraCompilerFlags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/LauraCompilerFlags.cmake
@@ -1,58 +1,66 @@
 
 # Set the build type (if not already specified)
 if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE AND NOT CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
     message(STATUS "Laura++: Setting build type to 'Release' as none was specified")
     set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release" CACHE STRING "Choose the type of build, options are: Release, MinSizeRel, Debug, RelWithDebInfo" FORCE)
     set_property(CACHE CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE PROPERTY STRINGS "Debug" "Release" "MinSizeRel" "RelWithDebInfo")
 elseif(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE AND NOT CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
     message(STATUS "Laura++: Build type '${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}'")
 endif()
 
 # Set the warning/optimise/debug flags for each build type
 if( ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "GNU" OR ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "Clang" )
     message(STATUS "Laura++: Customising warning/optimise/debug flags for each build type")
 
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fsigned-char -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -Woverloaded-virtual")
 
     if( ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "GNU" )
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "-Og -g3")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "-Os -DNDEBUG")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "-O3 -DNDEBUG")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-O2 -g3")
     elseif( ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "Clang" )
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "-O0 -g")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "-Os -DNDEBUG")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "-O3 -DNDEBUG")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-O2 -g")
     endif()
 else()
     message(WARNING "Laura++: No customisation of warning/optimise/debug flags implemented for compiler: ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}")
 endif()
 
 # Make sure our project's include directories always come first
 set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_PROJECT_BEFORE ON)
 
 # Control verbosity of the build
 set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE OFF CACHE BOOL "Control verbosity of generated Makefiles")
 
 # Control verbosity of the install - suppresses 'up-to-date' messages
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_MESSAGE LAZY)
 
 # C++ standard settings
 set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17 CACHE STRING "C++ standard")
+set(LAURA_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+if(DEFINED ENV{CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD})
+    if($ENV{CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} GREATER ${LAURA_CXX_STANDARD})
+        set(LAURA_CXX_STANDARD $ENV{CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD})
+    elseif($ENV{CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} LESS ${LAURA_CXX_STANDARD})
+        message(WARNING "Laura++: Version of C++ standard requested via CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD environment variable, C++$ENV{CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}, is below required minimum of C++${LAURA_CXX_STANDARD}, not changing it")
+    endif()
+endif()
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD ${LAURA_CXX_STANDARD} CACHE STRING "C++ standard")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 message(STATUS "Laura++: Using C++${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD} standard")
 
 # Special linker flags for MacOSX
 if (APPLE)
     set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS} -single_module -undefined dynamic_lookup")
 endif()
 
 # RPATH handling
 set(CMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH TRUE)
 set(CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH FALSE)
 set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH FALSE)
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}")
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)