diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/AMDiS/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 43444ccc422af3c4b3b3ac15c5700b3afb87cbf0..b2e14a996fe436b1c0c2701b0cc4abbea2fb6db8 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ endif()
 SET(LIB_DIR ${AMDIS_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)
 SET(SOURCE_DIR ${AMDIS_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
 
+#define the build type, empty can be everything and nothing
+if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "")
+        set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
+endif()
+
 #TODO: use the cmake build type
 SET(MTL_INCLUDE_DIR ${LIB_DIR}/mtl4/ CACHE PATH "mtl4 directory")
 
@@ -34,10 +39,6 @@ if(NOT AMDIS_MINOR)
 endif()
 list(APPEND COMPILEFLAGS "-DAMDIS_VERSION=${CurrentRevision}")
 
-#define the build type, empty can be everything and nothing
-if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "")
-	set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
-endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER MATCHES ".*icpc")
 	Message("Compiler: Intel")
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/AMDISConfig.cmake.in b/AMDiS/cmake3/AMDISConfig.cmake.in
index 6d5bbb2b222acaac1b3efb4eb29a19433a5bb785..d007f410ee6cfb7ecb3d9329bf9b5d77481324e7 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake3/AMDISConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/AMDISConfig.cmake.in
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ set(AMDIS_NEED_REINIT @ENABLE_REINIT@)
 set(AMDIS_NEED_COMPOSITE_FEM @ENABLE_COMPOSITE_FEM@)
 
 set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS @BUILD_SHARED_LIBS@)
+set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE @CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE@)
 
 add_library(amdis_base INTERFACE)
 add_library(AMDiS ALIAS amdis_base)
@@ -43,17 +44,11 @@ target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE
       $<$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Release>>:DEBUG=1>)
 
 if (AMDIS_NEED_CXX11)
-  target_compile_features(amdis_base INTERFACE
-      cxx_alias_templates
-      cxx_auto_type
-      cxx_lambdas
-      cxx_override
-      cxx_range_for
-      cxx_static_assert
-      cxx_variadic_templates)
-  target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=1)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+    target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=1)
 else ()
-  target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=0)
+    target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=0)
 endif (AMDIS_NEED_CXX11)
 
 
@@ -171,7 +166,7 @@ endif (AMDIS_NEED_REINIT)
 if (AMDIS_NEED_COMPOSITE_FEM)
     find_library(_COMPOSITE_FEM_LIB amdis_compositeFEM PATHS ${AMDIS_DIR}/../../lib/amdis/)
     if (_COMPOSITE_FEM_LIB)
-        target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR}/compositeFEM)
+        target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${AMDIS_INCLUDE_DIR}/compositeFEM)
         target_link_libraries(amdis_base INTERFACE ${_COMPOSITE_FEM_LIB})
     else ()
         message(ERROR "CompositeFEM library not found")
@@ -184,7 +179,7 @@ endif (AMDIS_NEED_COMPOSITE_FEM)
 # --------------------
 find_library(_MUPARSER_LIB muparser PATHS ${AMDIS_DIR}/../../lib/amdis/)
 if (_MUPARSER_LIB)
-    target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR}/muparser)
+    target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${AMDIS_INCLUDE_DIR}/muparser)
     target_link_libraries(amdis_base INTERFACE ${_MUPARSER_LIB})
 else ()
     message(ERROR "MuParser library not found")
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/CMakeLists.txt b/AMDiS/cmake3/CMakeLists.txt
index c988564ead10e37f323f391a94d01f83f98eef3c..858c75e9cff0850bf13f4a3c47a43a746e09f192 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,30 +7,44 @@ set(BASE_DIR ${AMDiS_SOURCE_DIR})
 set(SOURCE_DIR ${BASE_DIR}/src)
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${BASE_DIR}/cmake3)
 
-option(ENABLE_CXX11 "Enable C++11 compiler features" false)
+if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release" CACHE STRING "")
+endif ()
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#some options to control the build process
 option(ENABLE_PARALLEL_DOMAIN "Use parallel domain decomposition" false)
-option(ENABLE_UMFPACK "Enable support for the UMFPACK solver" false)
-option(ENABLE_COMPRESSION "Use output compression for vtu and arh files" false)
+option(ENABLE_UMFPACK "Enable support for the UMFPACK solver" true)
 option(ENABLE_EXTENSIONS "Use extensions for AMDiS" false)
 
 # enable/disable some more features
+option(ENABLE_COMPRESSION "Use output compression for vtu and arh files" true)
+mark_as_advanced(ENABLE_COMPRESSION)
+
 option(ENABLE_REINIT "Compile reinit library" true)
 mark_as_advanced(ENABLE_REINIT)
+
 option(ENABLE_COMPOSITE_FEM "Compile compositeFEM library" true)
 mark_as_advanced(ENABLE_COMPOSITE_FEM)
 
-option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build all libraries as shared or static, default: shared" ON)
+option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build all libraries as shared or static, default: shared" true)
+mark_as_advanced(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+
 if (MSVC)
 #    if (${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS "3.4")
-        set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
+        set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS false)
         mark_as_advanced(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-        message(WARNING "Currently we can only build static libraries wiht Visual Studio")
+        message(WARNING "Currently we can only build static libraries with Visual Studio")
 #    elseif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 #        set(CMAKE_WINDOWS_EXPORT_ALL_SYMBOLS true)
 #        set(MSVC_SHARED_LIBS true)
 #    endif ()
 endif (MSVC)
 
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# define an interface-library for flags and compile-definitions
 add_library(amdis_base INTERFACE)
 add_library(AMDiS::base ALIAS amdis_base)
 
@@ -38,16 +52,17 @@ target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${SOURCE_DIR})
 target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE
       $<$<CONFIG:Release>:DEBUG=0>
       $<$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Release>>:DEBUG=1>)
-    
+
+include(test_compile_features)
+test_compile_features(ENABLE_CXX11 amdis_base INTERFACE
+    cxx_alias_templates
+    cxx_auto_type
+    cxx_lambdas
+    cxx_override
+    cxx_range_for
+    cxx_static_assert
+    cxx_variadic_templates)
 if (ENABLE_CXX11)
-  target_compile_features(amdis_base INTERFACE 
-      cxx_alias_templates 
-      cxx_auto_type 
-      cxx_lambdas 
-      cxx_override
-      cxx_range_for
-      cxx_static_assert
-      cxx_variadic_templates)
   target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=1)
 else ()
   target_compile_definitions(amdis_base INTERFACE HAS_CXX11=0)
@@ -58,6 +73,8 @@ endif (ENABLE_CXX11)
 include(find_mtl4)  # -> target mtl4
 install(FILES ${BASE_DIR}/cmake3/find_mtl4.cmake DESTINATION share/amdis/)
 
+include(find_umfpack)
+
 include(find_boost) # -> target boost
 install(FILES ${BASE_DIR}/cmake3/find_boost.cmake DESTINATION share/amdis/)
 
@@ -186,7 +203,7 @@ add_library(amdis
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/time/RosenbrockMethod.cc
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/time/RosenbrockStationary.cc
 )
-    
+
 add_library(amdis_debug INTERFACE)
 target_sources(amdis_debug INTERFACE
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/Debug.cc
@@ -194,7 +211,13 @@ target_sources(amdis_debug INTERFACE
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/GlobalElementNumbering.cc  # not used by any other class
     ${SOURCE_DIR}/ProblemStatDbg.cc
 )
-    
+
+include(amdis_parallel)     # adds sources to amdis
+include(amdis_extensions)   # -> target AMDiS::extensions
+include(muparser)           # -> target muparser
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 if (ENABLE_COMPRESSION)
     target_compile_definitions(amdis PRIVATE HAVE_COMPRESSION=1)
 endif (ENABLE_COMPRESSION)
@@ -202,8 +225,6 @@ endif (ENABLE_COMPRESSION)
 if (ENABLE_UMFPACK)
     target_compile_definitions(amdis PRIVATE HAVE_UMFPACK=1)
 endif (ENABLE_UMFPACK)
-    
-include(amdis_parallel)     # adds sources to amdis
 
 if (ENABLE_REINIT)
   include(amdis_reinit)       # -> target AMDiS::reinit
@@ -213,17 +234,15 @@ if (ENABLE_COMPOSITE_FEM)
   include(amdis_compositeFEM) # -> target AMDiS::compositeFEM
 endif (ENABLE_COMPOSITE_FEM)
 
-include(amdis_extensions)   # -> target AMDiS::extensions
-include(muparser)           # -> target muparser
-
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 if (MSVC)
-    target_compile_definitions(amdis PRIVATE 
-        _SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS 
+    target_compile_definitions(amdis PRIVATE
+        _SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
         _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS)
 endif (MSVC)
 
-target_link_libraries(amdis AMDiS::base muparser 
+target_link_libraries(amdis AMDiS::base muparser
     $<$<CONFIG:Debug>:amdis_debug>)
 
 # specify how to install this target:
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/amdis_extensions.cmake b/AMDiS/cmake3/amdis_extensions.cmake
index 0cd47fcd819d25627a8667241d3e905a445b11f3..a6efc90b11bc5be6f0138ec7514789e5b576b070 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake3/amdis_extensions.cmake
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/amdis_extensions.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 if (ENABLE_EXTENSIONS)
     option(ENABLE_BASE_PROBLEMS "Use base_problems" true)
+    mark_as_advanced(ENABLE_BASE_PROBLEMS)
 
     find_path(EXTENSIONS_DIR NAMES Helpers.h
         HINTS ${BASE_DIR}/../extensions
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/dummy.cc b/AMDiS/cmake3/dummy.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/find_mtl4.cmake b/AMDiS/cmake3/find_mtl4.cmake
index f273dc1a66fdfcda99b772d636cc63d45e012102..868833a4c01f71b61a3c552c9a4422798ac157fc 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake3/find_mtl4.cmake
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/find_mtl4.cmake
@@ -6,20 +6,21 @@ else ()
     target_include_directories(mtl4 INTERFACE ${BASE_DIR}/lib/mtl4)
 endif (IS_AMDISCONFIG)
 
-if (ENABLE_CXX11)
-    target_compile_features(mtl4 INTERFACE
-        cxx_rvalue_references
-        cxx_auto_type 
-        cxx_range_for 
-        cxx_generalized_initializers
-        cxx_static_assert
-        cxx_defaulted_functions)
-    
+include(test_compile_features)
+test_compile_features(MTL_ENABLE_CXX11 mtl4 INTERFACE
+    cxx_rvalue_references
+    cxx_auto_type
+    cxx_range_for
+    cxx_generalized_initializers
+    cxx_static_assert
+    cxx_defaulted_functions)
+
+if (MTL_ENABLE_CXX11)
     set (CXX_ELEVEN_FEATURE_LIST "MOVE" "AUTO" "RANGEDFOR" "INITLIST" "STATICASSERT" "DEFAULTIMPL")
     foreach (feature ${CXX_ELEVEN_FEATURE_LIST})
         target_compile_definitions(mtl4 INTERFACE MTL_WITH_${feature})
     endforeach ()
-endif (ENABLE_CXX11)
+endif (MTL_ENABLE_CXX11)
 
 
 if (ENABLE_OPENMP)
@@ -34,8 +35,6 @@ endif (ENABLE_OPENMP)
 
 
 if (NOT IS_AMDISCONFIG)
-    include(find_umfpack)  
-        
     # specify how to install this target:
     # -----------------------------------
     install(DIRECTORY ${BASE_DIR}/lib/mtl4/
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/find_umfpack.cmake b/AMDiS/cmake3/find_umfpack.cmake
index be041474c1137c1c9cf8f32212471ca64b9ad2cc..138f171b52a099e3585390e7047e3912b2091a21 100644
--- a/AMDiS/cmake3/find_umfpack.cmake
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/find_umfpack.cmake
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ if (ENABLE_UMFPACK OR AMDIS_NEED_UMFPACK)
     # try to use a cmake-package of suitesparse
     find_package(SuiteSparse QUIET HINTS ${AMDIS_SuiteSparse_DIR})
     if (SuiteSparse_FOUND)
+        message(STATUS "Found SuiteSparse CMake-library")
         include(${USE_SuiteSparse})
         target_link_libraries(amdis_base INTERFACE ${SuiteSparse_LIBRARIES})
         target_include_directories(amdis_base INTERFACE ${SuiteSparse_INCLUDE_DIR} ${SuiteSparse_METIS_INCLUDE_DIR})
diff --git a/AMDiS/cmake3/test_compile_features.cmake b/AMDiS/cmake3/test_compile_features.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cf92edf83977ccbfc78bdbe7de348074decf7592
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AMDiS/cmake3/test_compile_features.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+
+macro(test_compile_features RESULT_VAR TARGET SCOPE) # feature1 feature2 feature3 ...)
+    set(_FEATURES "")
+    foreach(FEATURE ${ARGN})
+        set(_FEATURES "${_FEATURES} ${FEATURE}")
+    endforeach()
+
+    # test only of variable RESULT_VAR not yet set manually or by a
+    # previous call to this macro
+    if (DEFINED ${RESULT_VAR})
+        return ()
+    endif ()
+
+    set(_DIR ${BASE_DIR}/cmake3/tmp)
+
+    message(STATUS "Test for cxx11 features for target ${TARGET}")
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${_DIR})
+    file(WRITE ${_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt "
+        cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1 FATAL_ERROR)
+        project(TestCxx LANGUAGES CXX)
+        add_library(test_cxx ${BASE_DIR}/cmake3/dummy.cc)
+        target_compile_features(test_cxx PRIVATE ${_FEATURES})")
+
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} ${_DIR}
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${_DIR}
+        RESULT_VARIABLE _RES_VAR OUTPUT_QUIET)
+
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory ${_DIR})
+
+    if ("${_RES_VAR}" STREQUAL "0")
+        set(${RESULT_VAR} true CACHE BOOL "Enable C++11 compiler features")
+        target_compile_features(${TARGET} ${SCOPE} ${ARGN})
+    else ()
+        set(${RESULT_VAR} false CACHE BOOL "Enable C++11 compiler features")
+    endif ()
+    mark_as_advanced(${RESULT_VAR})
+
+    unset(_RES_VAR)
+    unset(_DIR)
+    unset(_FEATURES)
+endmacro(test_compile_features)
\ No newline at end of file