diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a782c34..63f5e10 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -507,7 +507,12 @@
     message("   of Ceres that will require the use of C++11 in client code.")
     message("   ==============================================================")
     list(APPEND CERES_COMPILE_OPTIONS CERES_USE_CXX11)
-    if (COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG)
+    if (COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG AND
+        CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "2.8.12")
+      # For CMake versions > 2.8.12, the C++11 dependency is rolled into the
+      # Ceres target, and all dependent targets, but for older versions of CMake
+      # the flag must be specified explicitly both for Ceres and the
+      # examples/tests.
       set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
     endif()
   endif()
diff --git a/cmake/AddCeresCXX11RequirementsToTarget.cmake b/cmake/AddCeresCXX11RequirementsToTarget.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..107eb58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/AddCeresCXX11RequirementsToTarget.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# Ceres Solver - A fast non-linear least squares minimizer
+# Copyright 2017 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+# http://ceres-solver.org/
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+#
+# * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+#   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+# * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+#   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+#   and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+# * Neither the name of Google Inc. nor the names of its contributors may be
+#   used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without
+#   specific prior written permission.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+# AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+# IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+# ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
+# LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
+# CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
+# SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+# INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
+# CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+# ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
+# POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+# Author: alexs.mac@gmail.com (Alex Stewart)
+
+# Adds Ceres' C++11 requirements to a target such that they are exported when
+# the target is exported (if the version of CMake supports it).
+#
+#    add_ceres_cxx11_requirements_to_target( [target1 [target2 [...]]] )
+function(add_ceres_cxx11_requirements_to_target)
+  include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
+  check_cxx_compiler_flag("-std=c++11" COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG)
+
+  foreach(TARGET ${ARGN})
+    if (NOT TARGET ${TARGET})
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Specified target to append Ceres C++11 requirements "
+        "to: ${TARGET} is not a declared CMake target.")
+    endif()
+
+    if (COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG)
+      # IMPORTANT: It is not sufficient to specify the
+      #            CXX_STANDARD/CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED target properties
+      #            as these target properties are NOT exported.
+      if (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "2.8.12")
+        # CMake version < 2.8.12 does not support target_compile_options(), warn
+        # user that they will have to add compile flags to their own projects
+        # manually.
+        message(WARNING "-- Warning: Detected CMake version: ${CMAKE_VERSION} "
+          "< 2.8.12, which is the minimum required for compile options to be "
+          "included in an exported CMake target and the detected. compiler "
+          "requires -std=c++11. The client is responsible for adding "
+          "-std=c++11 when linking against: ${TARGET}.")
+      elseif (COMMAND target_compile_features)
+        # CMake >= 3.1, use new target_compile_features() to specify Ceres'
+        # C++11 requirements as used in the public API.  This assumes that
+        # C++11 STL features are available if the specified features are
+        # available.  We do not use the cxx_std_11 feature to specify this as
+        # this did not come in until CMake 3.8.
+        #
+        # The reason to prefer using target_compile_features() if it exists is
+        # that this handles 'upgrading' of the C++ standard required more
+        # gracefully, e.g. if a client of Ceres requires C++14, but Ceres was
+        # compiled against C++11 then target_compile_options() may not work as
+        # expected.
+        target_compile_features(
+          ${TARGET} PUBLIC cxx_alignas cxx_alignof cxx_constexpr)
+      else()
+        # CMake version >= 2.8.12 && < 3.1 supports target_compile_options()
+        # but not target_compile_features(). For these intermediary versions,
+        # we use target_compile_options() to manually specify the C++11 flag and
+        # export it for client targets that depend on the target iff they are
+        # NOT compiling for C.  We check for not C, rather than C++ as
+        # LINKER_LANGUAGE is often NOTFOUND and then uses the default (C++).
+        target_compile_options(${TARGET} PUBLIC
+          $<$<NOT:$<STREQUAL:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:LINKER_LANGUAGE>,C>>:-std=c++11>)
+      endif()
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+endfunction()
diff --git a/internal/ceres/CMakeLists.txt b/internal/ceres/CMakeLists.txt
index 5b6e99c..b113de5 100644
--- a/internal/ceres/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/internal/ceres/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -214,29 +214,9 @@
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "2.8.12")
-  # CMake version < 2.8.12 does not support target_compile_options(), warn
-  # user that they will have to add compile flags to their own projects
-  # manually if required.
-  if (CXX11 AND COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG)
-    message("-- Warning: Detected CMake version: ${CMAKE_VERSION} < 2.8.12, "
-      "which is the minimum required for compile options to be included in an "
-      "exported CMake target, but CERES_USE_CXX11 is enabled and the detected. "
-      "compiler requires -std=c++11. The client is responsible for adding "
-      "-std=c++11 when using Ceres.")
-  endif()
-else()
-  # CMake version >= 2.8.12 supports target_compile_options().
-  if (CXX11 AND COMPILER_HAS_CXX11_FLAG)
-    # If Ceres is compiled using C++11, and the compiler requires -std=c++11
-    # to be set, then ensure that this requirement is rolled into the exported
-    # CMake target, such that client code which uses Ceres will inherit it (if
-    # the CMake version supports it), iff they are NOT compiling for C.  We
-    # check for not C, rather than C++ as LINKER_LANGUAGE is often NOTFOUND and
-    # then uses the default (C++).
-    target_compile_options(ceres PUBLIC
-      $<$<NOT:$<STREQUAL:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:LINKER_LANGUAGE>,C>>:-std=c++11>)
-  endif()
+if (CXX11)
+  include(AddCeresCXX11RequirementsToTarget)
+  add_ceres_cxx11_requirements_to_target(ceres)
 endif()
 
 if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)