diff --git a/.cmake/ConfigureCompilerFlags.cmake b/.cmake/ConfigureCompilerFlags.cmake
index bdf79f36b..c558c9336 100644
--- a/.cmake/ConfigureCompilerFlags.cmake
+++ b/.cmake/ConfigureCompilerFlags.cmake
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++17 -Wno-unused-result -Wno-deprecated-declarations")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DDEBUG -g -frtti -fexceptions")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -std=c++17 -DDEBUG -g -frtti -fexceptions")
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DDEBUG")
 
 # enable for additional memory checking with fsanitize
 # set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -g3 -fsanitize=address,undefined")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -O2 -frtti -fexceptions -Wno-psabi")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -std=c++17 -O2 -frtti -fexceptions -Wno-psabi")
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE} -O2 -Wno-psabi")
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f09cd125..931501a41 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ if(NOT HAVE_CXX_ATOMICS_WITHOUT_LIB)
   endif()
 endif()
 
+if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 9.0)
+  message(STATUS "[build] detected old gcc, manually adding -lstdc++fs")
+  set (musikcube_LINK_LIBS ${musikcube_LINK_LIBS} stdc++fs)
+endif()
+
 message(STATUS "[build] musikcube_LINK_LIBS: " ${musikcube_LINK_LIBS})
 
 add_subdirectory(src/musikcore)