diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5569866e1..1ccd7b156 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -824,10 +824,25 @@ ELSEIF(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Clang")
         # remain unset.
 
         IF (APPLE)
-            # set standard lib, clang defaults to c++0x
-            set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD "c++98")
-            set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LIBRARY "libstdc++")
-            set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++98 -stdlib=libstdc++ -Wno-overloaded-virtual -Wno-conversion")
+            SET(OSG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD "C++11" CACHE STRING "set the c++ language standard (C++98 / C++11) for OSG" )
+            MARK_AS_ADVANCED(OSG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD)
+            # remove existing flags
+            REMOVE_CXX_FLAG(-std=c++98)
+            REMOVE_CXX_FLAG(-std=c++11)
+            REMOVE_CXX_FLAG(-stdlib=libstdc++)
+            REMOVE_CXX_FLAG(-stdlib=libc++)
+
+            IF(${OSG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD} STREQUAL "c++98" OR ${OSG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD} STREQUAL "C++98")
+                set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD "c++98")
+                set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LIBRARY "libstdc++")
+                set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++98 -stdlib=libstdc++")
+            ELSE()
+                set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LANGUAGE_STANDARD "c++11")
+                set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CLANG_CXX_LIBRARY "libc++")
+                set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11 -stdlib=libc++")
+            ENDIF()
+
+            set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wno-overloaded-virtual -Wno-conversion")
             set(WARNING_CFLAGS "")
         ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/CMakeModules/OsgMacroUtils.cmake b/CMakeModules/OsgMacroUtils.cmake
index 7575995ab..835457106 100644
--- a/CMakeModules/OsgMacroUtils.cmake
+++ b/CMakeModules/OsgMacroUtils.cmake
@@ -532,3 +532,7 @@ MACRO(HANDLE_MSVC_DLL)
 #     SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${LIB_NAME} PROPERTIES PREFIX "../../bin/osg${OPENSCENEGRAPH_SOVERSION}-")
 #     SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${LIB_NAME} PROPERTIES IMPORT_PREFIX "../")
 ENDMACRO(HANDLE_MSVC_DLL)
+
+MACRO(REMOVE_CXX_FLAG flag)
+  STRING(REPLACE "${flag}" "" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
+ENDMACRO()