diff --git a/plugins/editor/cmake/Vstgui.cmake b/plugins/editor/cmake/Vstgui.cmake
index 8c0d4ca5..51d1c26f 100644
--- a/plugins/editor/cmake/Vstgui.cmake
+++ b/plugins/editor/cmake/Vstgui.cmake
@@ -208,7 +208,9 @@ endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Windows")
     # higher C++ requirement on Windows
-    set_property(TARGET sfizz_vstgui PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD 14)
+    if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD OR CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 14)
+        set_property(TARGET sfizz_vstgui PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD 14)
+    endif()
     # Windows 10 RS2 DDI for custom fonts
     target_compile_definitions(sfizz_vstgui PRIVATE "NTDDI_VERSION=0x0A000003")
     # disable custom fonts while dwrite3 API is unavailable in MinGW
diff --git a/plugins/vst/cmake/Vst3.cmake b/plugins/vst/cmake/Vst3.cmake
index 449467ce..eceaaf17 100644
--- a/plugins/vst/cmake/Vst3.cmake
+++ b/plugins/vst/cmake/Vst3.cmake
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ function(plugin_add_vst3sdk NAME)
             "${VST3SDK_BASEDIR}/public.sdk/source/common/threadchecker_win32.cpp"
             "${VST3SDK_BASEDIR}/public.sdk/source/vst/vstgui_win32_bundle_support.cpp"
             "${VST3SDK_BASEDIR}/public.sdk/source/main/dllmain.cpp")
-        set_property(TARGET "${NAME}" PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD 14)
+        if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD OR CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 14)
+            set_property(TARGET "${NAME}" PROPERTY CXX_STANDARD 14)
+        endif()
     elseif(APPLE)
         target_sources("${NAME}" PRIVATE
             "${VST3SDK_BASEDIR}/public.sdk/source/main/macmain.cpp")