diff --git a/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py b/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py
index bdc4065..167e88a 100644
--- a/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py
+++ b/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py
@@ -1,40 +1,49 @@
 # -*- Mode: python; py-indent-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; coding: utf-8; -*-
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2014, Regents of the University of California
+#
+# GPL 3.0 license, see the COPYING.md file for more information
 
 from waflib import Logs, Configure
 
+def options(opt):
+    opt.add_option('--with-c++11', action='store_true', default=False, dest='use_cxx11',
+                   help='''Enable C++11 mode (experimental, may not work)''')
+    opt.add_option('--debug', '--with-debug', action='store_true', default=False, dest='debug',
+                   help='''Compile in debugging mode without all optimizations (-O0)''')
+
 def configure(conf):
     areCustomCxxflagsPresent = (len(conf.env.CXXFLAGS) > 0)
+    defaultFlags = []
+
+    if conf.options.use_cxx11:
+        defaultFlags += ['-std=c++0x', '-std=c++11']
+    else:
+        defaultFlags += ['-std=c++03']
+
+    defaultFlags += ['-pedantic', '-Wall', '-Wno-long-long']
+
     if conf.options.debug:
         conf.define('_DEBUG', 1)
-        defaultFlags = ['-O0', '-g3',
-                        '-Werror',
-                        '-Wall',
-                        '-fcolor-diagnostics', # only clang supports
-
-                        # to disable known warnings
-                        '-Wno-unused-variable', # cryptopp
-                        '-Wno-unused-function',
-                        '-Wno-deprecated-declarations',
+        defaultFlags += ['-O0',
+                         '-Og', # gcc >= 4.8
+                         '-g3',
+                         '-fcolor-diagnostics', # clang
+                         '-fdiagnostics-color', # gcc >= 4.9
+                         '-Werror'
                         ]
-
         if areCustomCxxflagsPresent:
             missingFlags = [x for x in defaultFlags if x not in conf.env.CXXFLAGS]
             if len(missingFlags) > 0:
                 Logs.warn("Selected debug mode, but CXXFLAGS is set to a custom value '%s'"
-                           % " ".join(conf.env.CXXFLAGS))
+                          % " ".join(conf.env.CXXFLAGS))
                 Logs.warn("Default flags '%s' are not activated" % " ".join(missingFlags))
         else:
-            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(cxxflags = defaultFlags)
+            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(defaultFlags)
     else:
-        defaultFlags = ['-O2', '-g', '-Wall',
-
-                        # to disable known warnings
-                        '-Wno-unused-variable', # cryptopp
-                        '-Wno-unused-function',
-                        '-Wno-deprecated-declarations',
-                        ]
+        defaultFlags += ['-O2', '-g']
         if not areCustomCxxflagsPresent:
-            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(cxxflags = defaultFlags)
+            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(defaultFlags)
 
 @Configure.conf
 def add_supported_cxxflags(self, cxxflags):
@@ -45,8 +54,8 @@
 
     supportedFlags = []
     for flag in cxxflags:
-        if self.check_cxx (cxxflags=[flag], mandatory=False):
+        if self.check_cxx(cxxflags=[flag], mandatory=False):
             supportedFlags += [flag]
 
-    self.end_msg (' '.join (supportedFlags))
-    self.env.CXXFLAGS += supportedFlags
+    self.end_msg(' '.join(supportedFlags))
+    self.env.CXXFLAGS = supportedFlags + self.env.CXXFLAGS