diff --git a/cmake/modules/AppTarget.cmake b/cmake/modules/AppTarget.cmake
index 928eea7..cc488eb 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/AppTarget.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/AppTarget.cmake
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ target_compile_definitions(${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX}
     PRIVATE "${META_PRIVATE_SHARED_LIB_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS}"
 )
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX} PROPERTIES
-    CXX_STANDARD 11
+    CXX_STANDARD "${META_CXX_STANDARD}"
     LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
     LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
 )
diff --git a/cmake/modules/BasicConfig.cmake b/cmake/modules/BasicConfig.cmake
index 560c6ee..f40e74b 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/BasicConfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/BasicConfig.cmake
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ if(NOT META_GENERIC_NAME)
     set(META_GENERIC_NAME "${META_APP_NAME}")
 endif()
 
+# set default CXX_STANDARD for all library, application and test targets to 11
+if(NOT META_CXX_STANDARD)
+    set(META_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+endif()
+
 # provide variables for other projects built as part of the same subdirs project
 # to access files from this project
 get_directory_property(HAS_PARENT PARENT_DIRECTORY)
diff --git a/cmake/modules/LibraryTarget.cmake b/cmake/modules/LibraryTarget.cmake
index 8ce3582..dc3a743 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/LibraryTarget.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/LibraryTarget.cmake
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
     set_target_properties(${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX} PROPERTIES
         VERSION "${META_VERSION_MAJOR}.${META_VERSION_MINOR}.${META_VERSION_PATCH}"
         SOVERSION "${META_SOVERSION}"
-        CXX_STANDARD 11
+        CXX_STANDARD "${META_CXX_STANDARD}"
         LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
         LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
     )
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ if(BUILD_STATIC_LIBS)
         VERSION "${META_VERSION_MAJOR}.${META_VERSION_MINOR}.${META_VERSION_PATCH}"
         SOVERSION "${META_SOVERSION}"
         OUTPUT_NAME "${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX}"
-        CXX_STANDARD 11
+        CXX_STANDARD "${META_CXX_STANDARD}"
     )
     foreach(DEPENDENCY ${${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX}_static_LIB_DEPENDS})
         if(NOT ${DEPENDENCY} IN_LIST META_PUBLIC_STATIC_LIB_DEPENDS)
diff --git a/cmake/modules/TestTarget.cmake b/cmake/modules/TestTarget.cmake
index 5c430f7..d6407bd 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/TestTarget.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/TestTarget.cmake
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ if(CPP_UNIT_LIB)
         PRIVATE "${META_PRIVATE_SHARED_LIB_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS}"
     )
     set_target_properties(${TARGET_PREFIX}${META_PROJECT_NAME}${TARGET_SUFFIX}_tests PROPERTIES
-        CXX_STANDARD 11
+        CXX_STANDARD "${META_CXX_STANDARD}"
         LINK_SEARCH_START_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
         LINK_SEARCH_END_STATIC ${STATIC_LINKAGE}
     )