diff --git a/runtime/Cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/runtime/Cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 826ef0b63..06ca1a5d0 100644
--- a/runtime/Cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/runtime/Cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- mode:cmake -*-
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.1)
-# 3.1 needed to allow enabling C++11
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 2.8)
+# 2.8 needed because of ExternalProject
 
 # Detect build type, fallback to release and throw a warning if use didn't specify any
 if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
@@ -60,8 +60,17 @@ endif(WITH_DEMO)
 set(MY_CXX_WARNING_FLAGS "  -Wall -pedantic -W")
 
 # Initialize CXXFLAGS.
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+if("${CMAKE_VERSION}" VERSION_GREATER 3.1.0)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+else()
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS                "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -std=c++11")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL} -std=c++11")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -std=c++11")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO} -std=c++11")
+endif()
+
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS                "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall ${MY_CXX_WARNING_FLAGS}")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -O0 -g ${MY_CXX_WARNING_FLAGS}")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL} -Os -DNDEBUG ${MY_CXX_WARNING_FLAGS}")