diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 03ad72e8a..155ceb28b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ project(libtorrent
 set (SOVERSION "9")
 
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${libtorrent_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Modules)
-include(FeatureSummary)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(GeneratePkgConfig)
+include(LibtorrentMacros)
 
 set(sources
 	web_connection_base
@@ -165,55 +165,14 @@ set(ed25519_sources
 
 set(includes include ed25519/src)
 
-function(list_prepend _listName _prefix)
-  string(REGEX REPLACE "([^;]+)" "${_prefix}\\1" _tmp_list "${${_listName}}")
-  set (${_listName} "${_tmp_list}" PARENT_SCOPE)
-endfunction()
-
 list_prepend(sources "src/")
 list_prepend(kademlia_sources "src/kademlia/")
 list_prepend(ed25519_sources "ed25519/src/")
 
-function(target_optional_compile_definitions _target _scope)
-	set(options FEATURE)
-	set(oneValueArgs NAME DESCRIPTION DEFAULT)
-	set(multiValueArgs ENABLED DISABLED)
-	cmake_parse_arguments(TOCD ${options} "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN})
-	option(${TOCD_NAME} "${TOCD_DESCRIPTION}" ${TOCD_DEFAULT})
-	if (${${TOCD_NAME}})
-		target_compile_definitions(${_target} ${_scope} ${TOCD_ENABLED})
-	else()
-		target_compile_definitions(${_target} ${_scope} ${TOCD_DISABLED})
-	endif()
-	if(${TOCD_FEATURE})
-		add_feature_info(${TOCD_NAME} ${TOCD_NAME} "${TOCD_DESCRIPTION}")
-	endif()
-endfunction()
-
-macro(feature_option _name _description _default)
-	option(${_name} "${_description}" ${_default})
-	add_feature_info(${_name} ${_name} "${_description}")
-endmacro()
-
 # these options control target creation and thus have to be declared before the add_library() call
 feature_option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "build libtorrent as a shared library" ON)
 feature_option(static_runtime "build libtorrent with static runtime" OFF)
 
-macro(find_public_dependency _name)
-	find_package(${_name} ${ARGN})
-	string(TOUPPER "${_name}" _name_uppercased)
-	if (${_name}_FOUND OR ${_name_uppercased}_FOUND)
-		# Dependencies to be used below for generating Config.cmake file
-		# We don't need the 'REQUIRED' argument there
-		set(_args "${_name}")
-		list(APPEND _args "${ARGN}")
-		list(REMOVE_ITEM _args "REQUIRED")
-		list(REMOVE_ITEM _args "") # just in case
-		string(REPLACE ";" " " _args "${_args}")
-		list(APPEND _package_dependencies "${_args}")
-	endif()
-endmacro()
-
 find_public_dependency(Threads REQUIRED)
 
 if(static_runtime)
@@ -319,6 +278,7 @@ option(tcmalloc "link against google performance tools tcmalloc" OFF)
 # 1. With C++11 onward, we require Boost system component, with C++03 we need chrono and random components too
 # 2. When building against boost 1.66 and newer, C++11 is required.
 
+set(minimal_required_cxx_standard 98)
 # For the first requirement we do:
 set(required_boost_components system)
 if (NOT cxx_std_11 IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES)
@@ -331,20 +291,14 @@ target_link_libraries(torrent-rasterbar PUBLIC ${Boost_SYSTEM_LIBRARY})
 
 # now test the second requirement:
 if (Boost_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 106600)
+	set(minimal_required_cxx_standard 11)
 	if (NOT cxx_std_11 IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES)
 		message(FATAL_ERROR "When building against boost 1.66 and newer, C++11 is required,\n"
 		                    "and your compiler does not support that")
 	endif()
 endif()
 
-# selecting C++14/11 mode if available
-if (cxx_std_14 IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES)
-	target_compile_features(torrent-rasterbar PUBLIC cxx_std_14)
-	message(STATUS "Building in C++14 mode")
-elseif(cxx_std_11 IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES)
-	target_compile_features(torrent-rasterbar PUBLIC cxx_std_11)
-	message(STATUS "Building in C++11 mode")
-endif()
+select_cxx_standard(torrent-rasterbar ${minimal_required_cxx_standard})
 
 target_link_libraries(torrent-rasterbar PUBLIC ${Boost_LIBRARIES})
 
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 4aa50bcf3..49c3f97e0 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
   README.rst \
   cmake/Modules/FindLibGcrypt.cmake \
   cmake/Modules/GeneratePkgConfig.cmake \
+  cmake/Modules/LibtorrentMacros.cmake \
   cmake/Modules/ucm_flags.cmake \
   cmake/Modules/GeneratePkgConfig/generate-pkg-config.cmake.in \
   cmake/Modules/GeneratePkgConfig/pkg-config.cmake.in \
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/LibtorrentMacros.cmake b/cmake/Modules/LibtorrentMacros.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6690efe67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/Modules/LibtorrentMacros.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+# Various helper function and macros for building libtorrent
+
+include(FeatureSummary)
+
+# macro for issuing option() and add_feature_info() in a single call.
+# Synopsis:
+# feature_option(<option_and_feature_name> <option_and_feature_description> <default_option_value>)
+macro(feature_option _name _description _default)
+	option(${_name} "${_description}" ${_default})
+	add_feature_info(${_name} ${_name} "${_description}")
+endmacro()
+
+# function to add a simple build option which controls compile definition(s) for a target.
+# Synopsis:
+# target_optional_compile_definitions(<target> [FEATURE]
+#   NAME <name> DESCRIPTION <description> DEFAULT <default_value>
+#   [ENABLED [enabled_compile_definitions...]]
+#   [DISABLED [disabled_compile_defnitions...]]
+# )
+# NAME, DESCRIPTION and DEFAULT are passed to option() call
+# if FEATURE is given, they are passed to add_feature_info()
+# ENABLED lists compile definitions that will be set on <target> when option is enabled,
+# DISABLED lists definitions that will be set otherwise
+function(target_optional_compile_definitions _target _scope)
+	set(options FEATURE)
+	set(oneValueArgs NAME DESCRIPTION DEFAULT)
+	set(multiValueArgs ENABLED DISABLED)
+	cmake_parse_arguments(TOCD ${options} "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN})
+	option(${TOCD_NAME} "${TOCD_DESCRIPTION}" ${TOCD_DEFAULT})
+	if (${${TOCD_NAME}})
+		target_compile_definitions(${_target} ${_scope} ${TOCD_ENABLED})
+	else()
+		target_compile_definitions(${_target} ${_scope} ${TOCD_DISABLED})
+	endif()
+	if(${TOCD_FEATURE})
+		add_feature_info(${TOCD_NAME} ${TOCD_NAME} "${TOCD_DESCRIPTION}")
+	endif()
+endfunction()
+
+# a helper macro that calls find_package() and appends the package (if found) to the
+# _package_dependencies list, which can be used later to generate package config file
+macro(find_public_dependency _name)
+	find_package(${_name} ${ARGN})
+	string(TOUPPER "${_name}" _name_uppercased)
+	if (${_name}_FOUND OR ${_name_uppercased}_FOUND)
+		# Dependencies to be used below for generating Config.cmake file
+		# We don't need the 'REQUIRED' argument there
+		set(_args "${_name}")
+		list(APPEND _args "${ARGN}")
+		list(REMOVE_ITEM _args "REQUIRED")
+		list(REMOVE_ITEM _args "") # just in case
+		string(REPLACE ";" " " _args "${_args}")
+		list(APPEND _package_dependencies "${_args}")
+	endif()
+endmacro()
+
+function(_cxx_standard_to_year _yearVar _std)
+	if (${_std} GREATER 97)
+		math(EXPR _year "1900 + ${_std}")
+	else()
+		math(EXPR _year "2000 + ${_std}")
+	endif()
+	set(${_yearVar} ${_year} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
+function(select_cxx_standard _target _minimal_supported_version)
+	message(STATUS "Compiler default is C++${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_DEFAULT}")
+	# make the CXX_STANDARD property public to ensure it makes it into the pkg-config file
+	get_target_property(_std ${_target} CXX_STANDARD)
+	# RC_1_1 still supports C++98, which is lower version than C++11. Thus we convert std
+	# version to year value and compare years
+	_cxx_standard_to_year(minimal_supported_version_year ${_minimal_supported_version})
+	# if it is unset, select the default if it is sufficient or the ${_minimal_supported_version}
+	if (NOT ${_std})
+		_cxx_standard_to_year(std_default_year ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_DEFAULT})
+		if (${std_default_year} GREATER_EQUAL ${minimal_supported_version_year})
+			set(_std ${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_DEFAULT})
+		else()
+			set(_std ${_minimal_supported_version})
+		endif()
+	else()
+		_cxx_standard_to_year(std_year ${_std})
+		if (${std_year} LESS ${minimal_supported_version_year})
+			message(SEND_ERROR "Sorry, C++${_std} is not supported by libtorrent with the given Boost version")
+			message(FATAL_ERROR "The minimal supported C++ standard version is C++${_minimal_supported_version}")
+		endif()
+	endif()
+
+	if (cxx_std_${_std} IN_LIST CMAKE_CXX_COMPILE_FEATURES)
+		# force this standard
+		target_compile_features(${_target} PUBLIC cxx_std_${_std})
+		else()
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "Requested C++ standard version (${_std}) is not supported by the compiler")
+	endif()
+
+	message(STATUS "Building in C++${_std} mode")
+endfunction()
+
+function(list_prepend _listName _prefix)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "([^;]+)" "${_prefix}\\1" _tmp_list "${${_listName}}")
+  set (${_listName} "${_tmp_list}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()