diff --git a/cmake/soca_compiler_flags.cmake b/cmake/soca_compiler_flags.cmake
index cd8ca6a82..0131df335 100644
--- a/cmake/soca_compiler_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/soca_compiler_flags.cmake
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@
 
 add_definitions ( -Duse_libMPI -Duse_netCDF -DSPMD )
 
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 11)
+set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+set(CMAKE_C_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+set(CMAKE_FORTRAN_STANDARD 08)
+set(CMAKE_FORTRAN_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+set(CMAKE_FORTRAN_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+
 if( NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Debug" )
   add_definitions( -DNDEBUG )
 endif( )
diff --git a/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt b/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b586daa7..eaef05293 100644
--- a/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ target_include_directories(soca PUBLIC
   $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/..>
   $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include/soca>)
 
-target_compile_features( soca PUBLIC cxx_std_11 )
-
 target_link_libraries( soca PUBLIC NetCDF::NetCDF_Fortran )
 target_link_libraries( soca PUBLIC fckit )
 target_link_libraries( soca PUBLIC atlas )