diff --git a/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake b/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
index 0c853b1..c2bc717 100644
--- a/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/DefineOptions.cmake
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
 endif()
 CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(BUILD_CPP "Build C++ library" ON
                        "BUILD_LIBRARIES;WITH_CPP;Boost_FOUND" OFF)
-CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(WITH_PLUGIN "Build compiler plugin support" ON
+CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(WITH_PLUGIN "Build compiler plugin support" OFF
                        "BUILD_COMPILER;BUILD_CPP" OFF)
 
 # C GLib
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@
 message(STATUS "Build configuration Summary")
 message(STATUS "  Build Thrift compiler:                      ${BUILD_COMPILER}")
 message(STATUS "  Build compiler plugin support:              ${WITH_PLUGIN}")
-MESSAGE_DEP(PLUGIN_COMPILER_NOT_TOO_OLD "Disabled due to older compiler")
 message(STATUS "  Build with unit tests:                      ${BUILD_TESTING}")
 MESSAGE_DEP(HAVE_COMPILER "Disabled because BUILD_THRIFT=OFF and no valid THRIFT_COMPILER is given")
 message(STATUS "  Build examples:                             ${BUILD_EXAMPLES}")
diff --git a/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake b/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
index 496134c..f70ec0d 100644
--- a/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/DefinePlatformSpecifc.cmake
@@ -108,11 +108,8 @@
   endif()
 endif()
 
-# If gcc older than 4.8 is detected, disable new compiler plug-in support (see THRIFT-3937)
-set(PLUGIN_COMPILER_NOT_TOO_OLD ON) # simplifies messaging in DefineOptions summary
+# If gcc older than 4.8 is detected and plugin support was requested, fail fast
 if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU" AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS "4.8" AND WITH_PLUGIN)
-  message(STATUS "Disabling compiler plug-in support to work with older gcc compiler")
-  set(WITH_PLUGIN OFF)
-  set(PLUGIN_COMPILER_NOT_TOO_OLD OFF)
+  message(SEND_ERROR "Thrift compiler plug-in support is not possible with older gcc ( < 4.8 ) compiler")
 endif()