diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e0b9c3ef2..6b5fab40cb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ LYX_OPTION(DEBUG_GLIBC_PEDANTIC "Enable libstdc++pedantic debug mode" OFF GCC)
 LYX_OPTION(STDLIB_DEBUG         "Use debug stdlib" OFF GCC)
 LYX_OPTION(CONCEPT_CHECKS       "Enable concept-checks" OFF GCC)
 LYX_OPTION(PROFILE              "Build with options for gprof" OFF GCC)
+LYX_OPTION(ENABLE_CXX11         "Build with options for c++11-mode" OFF GCC)
 
 # MSVC specific
 LYX_OPTION(CONSOLE               "Show console on Windows, enforce with =FORCE" ON MSVC)
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 
+set(LYX_GCC11_MODE)
 if(UNIX OR MINGW)
 	execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} -dumpversion OUTPUT_VARIABLE GCC_VERSION)
 	message(STATUS "Using GCC version ${GCC_VERSION}")
@@ -202,6 +204,13 @@ if(UNIX OR MINGW)
 		# http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/manual/status.html#status.iso.tr1
 		set(LYX_USE_TR1_REGEX 0)
 	endif()
+	if (LYX_ENABLE_CXX11)
+		if(GCC_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.7)
+			set(LYX_GCC11_MODE "-std=gnu++11")
+		elseif(GCC_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.2)
+			set(LYX_GCC11_MODE "-std=gnu++0x")
+		endif()
+	endif()
 else()
 	if(MSVC10)
 		set(LYX_USE_TR1 1)
@@ -429,7 +438,7 @@ if(NOT MSVC)
 	if(NOT LYX_QUIET)
 		set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)
 	endif()
-	set(LYX_CXX_FLAGS "-Wall -Wunused-parameter")
+	set(LYX_CXX_FLAGS "-Wall -Wunused-parameter ${LYX_GCC11_MODE}")
 	if(LYX_STDLIB_DEBUG)
 		set(LYX_CXX_FLAGS "${LYX_CXX_FLAGS} -D_GLIBCXX_DEBUG -D_GLIBCXX_DEBUG_PEDANTIC")
 	endif()