diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c77c8653..57985c0a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,47 +4,60 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1 FATAL_ERROR)
 project(lemonbuddy CXX)
 
+option(CXXLIB_CLANG "Link against libc++"    OFF)
+option(CXXLIB_GCC   "Link against stdlibc++" OFF)
+
 # Include local cmake modules
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules)
 
+# Export compile commands used for custom targets
+set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
+
 # Load cmake utility functions
 include(cmake/utils.cmake)
 
-# Warn if using an unsupported compiler
-if(NOT "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL Clang)
-  message_colored(WARNING "Unsupported compiler!" 31)
-endif()
-
 # Set default build type if not specified
 if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
   message_colored(STATUS "No build type specified; using Release" 33)
   set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
 endif()
 
-# Export compile commands used for custom targets
-set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
-
 # Generic compiler flags
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++14")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -stdlib=libc++")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -pedantic")
-#set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -pedantic-errors")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wextra")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Werror")
 
 # Debug specific compiler flags
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DDEBUG")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -pedantic-errors")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -Werror")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -O0")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -g2")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -pedantic")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -pedantic-errors")
 
 # Release specific compiler flags
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -O2")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -O3")
 
-# Generic linker flags
-set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -lc++ -lc++abi")
+# Compiler specific flags
+if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL Clang)
+  message_colored(STATUS "Using supported compiler ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" 32)
+elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL GNU)
+  message_colored(STATUS "Using supported compiler ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" 32)
+else()
+  message_colored(WARNING "Using unsupported compiler ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} !" 31)
+endif()
+
+# Set compiler and linker flags for preferred C++ library
+if(CXXLIB_CLANG)
+  message_colored(STATUS "Linking against libc++" 32)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -stdlib=libc++")
+  set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -lc++ -lc++abi")
+elseif(CXXLIB_GCC)
+  message_colored(STATUS "Linking against libstdc++" 32)
+  set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -lstdc++")
+else()
+  message_colored(STATUS "No preferred c++lib specified... linking against system default" 33)
+endif()
 
 # Project settings {{{
 
@@ -123,6 +136,13 @@ elseif(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "MinSizeRel")
 elseif(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "RelWithDebInfo")
   message(STATUS " + relwithdebinfo flags:: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 endif()
+if(CXXLIB_CLANG)
+  message(STATUS "Linking C++ library: libc++")
+elseif(CXXLIB_GCC)
+  message(STATUS "Linking C++ library: libstdc++")
+else()
+  message(STATUS "Linking C++ library: system default")
+endif()
 message(STATUS "---------------------------")
 message(STATUS " Build testsuite        ${BUILD_TESTS}")
 message(STATUS " Enable ccache support  ${ENABLE_CCACHE}")
diff --git a/include/components/builder.hpp b/include/components/builder.hpp
index 5cd8c89c..f1cb92b1 100644
--- a/include/components/builder.hpp
+++ b/include/components/builder.hpp
@@ -460,4 +460,4 @@ class builder {
   int m_fontindex = 1;
 };
 
-LEMONBUDDY_NS_END;
+LEMONBUDDY_NS_END
diff --git a/include/components/command_line.hpp b/include/components/command_line.hpp
index 8c68d815..10d99ed0 100644
--- a/include/components/command_line.hpp
+++ b/include/components/command_line.hpp
@@ -33,11 +33,7 @@ namespace command_line {
      */
     explicit option(
         string flag, string flag_long, string desc, string token = "", const choices c = {})
-        : flag(flag)
-        , flag_long(flag_long)
-        , desc(desc)
-        , token(token)
-        , values(c) {}
+        : flag(flag), flag_long(flag_long), desc(desc), token(token), values(c) {}
   };
 
   // }}}
@@ -101,7 +97,7 @@ namespace command_line {
       }
 
       for (auto& opt : m_opts) {
-        int pad = maxlen - opt.flag_long.length() - opt.token.length();
+        size_t pad = maxlen - opt.flag_long.length() - opt.token.length();
 
         std::cout << "  " << opt.flag << ", " << opt.flag_long;
 
diff --git a/include/components/controller.hpp b/include/components/controller.hpp
index fa0467bd..c28902ee 100644
--- a/include/components/controller.hpp
+++ b/include/components/controller.hpp
@@ -563,7 +563,6 @@ namespace {
   di::injector<T> configure_controller(inotify_watch_t& confwatch) {
     // clang-format off
     return di::make_injector(
-        di::bind<controller>().to<controller>(),
         di::bind<>().to(confwatch),
         configure_connection(),
         configure_logger(),
diff --git a/include/components/logger.hpp b/include/components/logger.hpp
index b9daf0f8..5714fe35 100644
--- a/include/components/logger.hpp
+++ b/include/components/logger.hpp
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ class logger {
   template <typename T>
   decltype(auto) convert(T&& arg) const {
     return forward<T>(arg);
-  };
+  }
 
   /**
    * Convert string to const char*
    */
   const char* convert(string arg) const {
     return arg.c_str();
-  };
+  }
 
   /**
    * Write the log message to the output channel
@@ -150,10 +150,14 @@ class logger {
     auto suffix = m_suffixes.find(level)->second;
 
 // silence the compiler
+#if defined(__clang__)
 #pragma clang diagnostic push
 #pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wformat-security"
+#endif
     dprintf(m_fd, (prefix + format + suffix + "\n").c_str(), convert(values)...);
+#if defined(__clang__)
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop
+#endif
   }
 
  private:
diff --git a/include/components/types.hpp b/include/components/types.hpp
index 4b2f44dc..69a8eed4 100644
--- a/include/components/types.hpp
+++ b/include/components/types.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ struct bar_settings {
     };
     snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "%dx%d+%d+%d", width, height, x, y);
     return string{*buffer};
-  };
+  }
 };
 
 struct tray_settings {
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ struct action_block {
 #endif
 };
 
-struct wmsettings_bspwm {
-};
+struct wmsettings_bspwm {};
 
 LEMONBUDDY_NS_END
diff --git a/include/components/x11/color.hpp b/include/components/x11/color.hpp
index e88d788f..6ec1f842 100644
--- a/include/components/x11/color.hpp
+++ b/include/components/x11/color.hpp
@@ -7,21 +7,16 @@
 
 LEMONBUDDY_NS
 
-#pragma clang diagnostic push
-#pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wgnu-anonymous-struct"
-
 union rgba {
   struct {
     uint8_t r;
     uint8_t g;
     uint8_t b;
     uint8_t a;
-  };
+  } _;
   uint32_t v;
 };
 
-#pragma clang diagnostic pop
-
 static map<string, class color> g_colorstore;
 
 class color {
@@ -29,9 +24,9 @@ class color {
   explicit color(string hex) : m_hex(string_util::upper(hex)) {
     m_rgba.v = static_cast<uint32_t>(strtoul(&hex[1], nullptr, 16));
     // premultiply alpha
-    m_rgba.r = m_rgba.r * m_rgba.a / 255;
-    m_rgba.g = m_rgba.g * m_rgba.a / 255;
-    m_rgba.b = m_rgba.b * m_rgba.a / 255;
+    m_rgba._.r = m_rgba._.r * m_rgba._.a / 255;
+    m_rgba._.g = m_rgba._.g * m_rgba._.a / 255;
+    m_rgba._.b = m_rgba._.b * m_rgba._.a / 255;
   }
 
   explicit color(uint32_t v) {
diff --git a/include/components/x11/draw.hpp b/include/components/x11/draw.hpp
index 01f3de17..106d169c 100644
--- a/include/components/x11/draw.hpp
+++ b/include/components/x11/draw.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace draw_util {
    * Code: http://wmdia.sourceforge.net/
    */
   auto xcb_poly_text_16_patched(xcb_connection_t* conn, xcb_drawable_t d, xcb_gcontext_t gc,
-      int16_t x, int16_t y, uint32_t len, uint16_t* str) {
+      int16_t x, int16_t y, uint8_t len, uint16_t* str) {
     static const xcb_protocol_request_t xcb_req = {
         5,                 // count
         0,                 // ext
diff --git a/include/utils/inotify.hpp b/include/utils/inotify.hpp
index e4b1fb74..73d6f487 100644
--- a/include/utils/inotify.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/inotify.hpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ namespace inotify_util {
   inline auto make_watch(string path) {
     di::injector<inotify_watch_t> injector = di::make_injector(di::bind<>().to(path));
     return injector.create<inotify_watch_t>();
-  };
+  }
 }
 
 LEMONBUDDY_NS_END
diff --git a/include/utils/scope.hpp b/include/utils/scope.hpp
index bccb4cc6..62b16e7b 100644
--- a/include/utils/scope.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/scope.hpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace scope_util {
   template <typename Fn = function<void()>, typename... Args>
   decltype(auto) make_exit_handler(Fn&& fn, Args&&... args) {
     return make_unique<on_exit<Args...>>(forward<Fn>(fn), forward<Args>(args)...);
-  };
+  }
 }
 
 LEMONBUDDY_NS_END
diff --git a/include/utils/string.hpp b/include/utils/string.hpp
index 49409b95..05b0b85b 100644
--- a/include/utils/string.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/string.hpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace string_util {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < haystack.length(); i++) {
       if (haystack.compare(i, needle.length(), needle) == 0) {
         replaced += replacement;
-        i += needle.length()-1;
+        i += needle.length() - 1;
       } else {
         replaced += haystack[i];
       }