diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 18fb4188c..947b3fb40 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1529,7 +1529,10 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
     else()
         set(DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5 "")
     endif()
-
+    set(ARMADILLO_CXX_VERSION "")
+    if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 4.8.3)
+        set(ARMADILLO_CXX_VERSION -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-std=c++11)
+    endif()
     if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.2)
         ExternalProject_Add(armadillo-${armadillo_RELEASE}
             PREFIX ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/armadillo-${armadillo_RELEASE}
@@ -1539,7 +1542,7 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
             BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/armadillo-${armadillo_RELEASE}
             CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}
                 -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
-                -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-std=c++11
+                ${ARMADILLO_CXX_VERSION}
                 ${DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5}
                 ${ARMADILLO_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}
                 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Release>:Release>$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:MinSizeRel>$<$<CONFIG:NoOptWithASM>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Coverage>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:O2WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:O3WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:ASAN>:Debug>
@@ -1559,7 +1562,7 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
             BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/armadillo-${armadillo_RELEASE}
             CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}
                 -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
-                -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-std=c++11
+                ${ARMADILLO_CXX_VERSION}
                 ${DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5}
                 ${ARMADILLO_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}
                 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Release>:Release>$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:MinSizeRel>$<$<CONFIG:NoOptWithASM>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Coverage>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:O2WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:O3WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:ASAN>:Debug>