diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 93ed8d2..9f57a66 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@
 # under the License.
 #
 
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)
+
+# CMake 3.1 supports C++ standards selection with CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD
+# If you need CMake 3.1+ for Ubuntu 14.04, try
+#   https://launchpad.net/~george-edison55/+archive/ubuntu/cmake-3.x
+# If you need CMake 3.1+ for debian "jessie", get it from jessie-backports
+# Otherwise
+#   http://cmake.org
 
 project("Apache Thrift")
 
diff --git a/build/cmake/DefineCMakeDefaults.cmake b/build/cmake/DefineCMakeDefaults.cmake
index 7073e8e..365c0a4 100644
--- a/build/cmake/DefineCMakeDefaults.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/DefineCMakeDefaults.cmake
@@ -68,3 +68,20 @@
 # locations and running the executables without LD_PRELOAD or similar.
 # This requires the library to be built with rpath support.
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
+
+#
+# C++ Language Level Defaults
+#
+if (NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11) # C++11
+  message(STATUS "Setting C++11 as the default language level.")
+  message(STATUS "To specify a different C++ language level, set CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD")
+endif()
+
+if (NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED OFF) # can degrade to C++98 if compiler does not support C++11
+endif()
+
+if (NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)        # use standards compliant language level for portability
+endif()
diff --git a/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake b/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
index 93fe2c0..63981e9 100644
--- a/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@
 message(STATUS "  Build C++ library:                          ${BUILD_CPP}")
 MESSAGE_DEP(WITH_CPP "Disabled by WITH_CPP=OFF")
 MESSAGE_DEP(Boost_FOUND "Boost headers missing")
+message(STATUS "    C++ Language Level:                       ${CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL}")
 message(STATUS "  Build C (GLib) library:                     ${BUILD_C_GLIB}")
 MESSAGE_DEP(WITH_C_GLIB "Disabled by WITH_C_GLIB=OFF")
 MESSAGE_DEP(GLIB_FOUND "GLib missing")
diff --git a/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake b/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
index e8479bc..d5d27e2 100644
--- a/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
@@ -98,12 +98,23 @@
   add_definitions("-DUSE_STD_THREAD=1")
 endif()
 
-# GCC and Clang: use C++11
-if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC OR CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER "4.6.4")
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
+# C++ Language Level
+set(CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL "C++${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}")
+if (CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED)
+  string(CONCAT CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL "${CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL} [compiler must support it]")
+else()
+  string(CONCAT CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL "${CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL} [fallback to earlier if compiler does not support it]")
+endif()
+if (CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS)
+  string(CONCAT CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL "${CXX_LANGUAGE_LEVEL} [with compiler-specific extensions]")
+else()
+  if ((CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU" OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang") AND NOT MINGW)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wno-variadic-macros -Wno-long-long -Wno-c++11-long-long")
   endif()
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -O2 -Wall -Wextra -pedantic")
+endif()
+
+if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wno-deprecated-register")
 endif()
 
 # If gcc older than 4.8 is detected and plugin support was requested, fail fast
diff --git a/build/docker/debian/Dockerfile b/build/docker/debian/Dockerfile
index 155e0af..7bc74fc 100644
--- a/build/docker/debian/Dockerfile
+++ b/build/docker/debian/Dockerfile
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# Apache Thrift Docker build environment for Centos
+# Apache Thrift Docker build environment for Debian
 #
 # Known missing client libraries:
-#  - None
+#  - dotnetcore
+#  - rust
 
 FROM buildpack-deps:jessie-scm
 MAINTAINER Apache Thrift <dev@thrift.apache.org>
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
 
 # Add apt sources
+# jessie-backports for cmake and some ruby bits
+RUN echo "deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian jessie-backports main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jessie-backports.list
+
 # Dart
 RUN curl https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add - && \
     curl https://storage.googleapis.com/download.dartlang.org/linux/debian/dart_stable.list > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dart_stable.list && \
@@ -31,12 +35,12 @@
       bison \
       build-essential \
       clang \
-      cmake \
       debhelper \
       flex \
-      pkg-config
+      pkg-config && \
+    apt-get -t jessie-backports install -y --no-install-recommends cmake
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# C++ dependencies` \
       libboost-dev \
       libboost-filesystem-dev \
@@ -50,14 +54,14 @@
       qtbase5-dev \
       qtbase5-dev-tools
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Java dependencies` \
       ant \
       ant-optional \
       openjdk-7-jdk \
       maven
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Python dependencies` \
       python-all \
       python-all-dbg \
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@
       python3-setuptools \
       python3-pip
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Ruby dependencies` \
       ruby \
       ruby-dev \
@@ -83,9 +87,8 @@
       libio-socket-ssl-perl \
       libnet-ssleay-perl
 
-RUN echo "deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian jessie-backports main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jessie-backports.list
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get -t jessie-backports install -y ruby-bundler
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get -t jessie-backports install -y ruby-bundler
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Php dependencies` \
       php5 \
       php5-dev \
diff --git a/build/docker/ubuntu/Dockerfile b/build/docker/ubuntu/Dockerfile
index 451087f..d1f69d8 100644
--- a/build/docker/ubuntu/Dockerfile
+++ b/build/docker/ubuntu/Dockerfile
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# Apache Thrift Docker build environment for Centos
+# Apache Thrift Docker build environment for Ubuntu
 #
 # Known missing client libraries:
-#  - None
+#  - dotnetcore
+#  - rust
 
 FROM buildpack-deps:trusty-scm
 MAINTAINER Apache Thrift <dev@thrift.apache.org>
@@ -21,9 +22,15 @@
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
 
 # Add apt sources
+# CMAKE
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends software-properties-common && \
+    add-apt-repository -y ppa:george-edison55/cmake-3.x
+
 # Erlang
 RUN echo 'deb http://packages.erlang-solutions.com/debian trusty contrib' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/erlang_solutions.list && \
     curl -sSL https://packages.erlang-solutions.com/debian/erlang_solutions.asc | apt-key add -
+
 # Dart
 RUN curl https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add - && \
     curl https://storage.googleapis.com/download.dartlang.org/linux/debian/dart_stable.list > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dart_stable.list && \
@@ -51,7 +58,7 @@
 `#      libtool` \
 `#      make`
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# C++ dependencies` \
 `# libevent and OpenSSL are needed by D too` \
       libboost-dev \
@@ -66,14 +73,14 @@
       qtbase5-dev \
       qtbase5-dev-tools
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Java dependencies` \
       ant \
       ant-optional \
       openjdk-7-jdk \
       maven
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Python dependencies` \
 `# TODO:` \
 `# Install twisted and zope.interface via pip. we need twisted at ./configure time, otherwise` \
@@ -91,7 +98,7 @@
       python3-setuptools \
       python3-pip
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Ruby dependencies` \
       ruby \
       ruby-dev \
@@ -103,7 +110,7 @@
       libio-socket-ssl-perl \
       libnet-ssleay-perl
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Php dependencies` \
       php5 \
       php5-dev \
@@ -122,7 +129,7 @@
       erlang-tools \
       rebar
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Haskell dependencies` \
       ghc \
       cabal-install \
@@ -131,18 +138,18 @@
       neko-dev \
       libneko0
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# Node.js dependencies` \
       nodejs \
       nodejs-dev \
       nodejs-legacy
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# CSharp dependencies` \
       libmono-system-web2.0-cil \
       mono-devel
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 `# D dependencies` \
       xdg-utils \
 `# Dart dependencies` \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bb25495..0c628da 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@
 
 AC_LANG([C++])
 AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX_11([noext], [optional])
+if test "$ac_success" = "no"; then
+  CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wno-variadic-macros -Wno-long-long -Wno-c++11-long-long"
+fi
+CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wno-deprecated-register"
 
 AM_EXTRA_RECURSIVE_TARGETS([style])
 AC_SUBST(CPPSTYLE_CMD, 'find . -type f \( -iname "*.h" -or -iname "*.cpp" -or -iname "*.cc" -or -iname "*.tcc" \) -printf "Reformatting: %h/%f\n" -exec clang-format -i {} \;')
@@ -198,8 +202,8 @@
 
 echo "OpenSSL check"
 if test "$have_cpp" = "yes" -o "$have_c_glib" = "yes";  then
-	echo "Have cpp or c so we check for OpenSSL"
-	AX_CHECK_OPENSSL()
+  echo "Have cpp or c so we check for OpenSSL"
+  AX_CHECK_OPENSSL()
 fi
 
 AX_THRIFT_LIB(csharp, [C#], yes)