diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 577606e1f5..a817d51837 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -96,11 +96,12 @@ if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_CLANGXX)
     configure_file(config.h.cmake ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/config.h)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_CONFIG_H)
 
-    if(${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C++17")
+    # Escape the two plus chars as otherwise cmak complains about invalid regex
+    if(${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C\\+\\+17")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++17")
-    elseif(${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C++14")
+    elseif(${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C\\+\\+14")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++14")
-    elseif (${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C++11")
+    elseif (${BUILD_ENABLE_CXX_STD} MATCHES "C\\+\\+11")
         set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
     endif()