diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c0b72c6..035551b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 from distutils.core import setup
+
+import setuptools
 from Cython.Build import cythonize
 from distutils.extension import Extension
+from setuptools.command.build_ext import build_ext
+import sys
 import numpy
 
 sourcefiles  = ['src/sent2vec.pyx',
@@ -24,7 +28,73 @@
             include_dirs=[numpy.get_include()],
             libraries=['rt'])]
 
+def has_flag(compiler, flags):
+    """Return a boolean indicating whether a flag name is supported on
+    the specified compiler.
+    """
+    import tempfile
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile('w', suffix='.cpp') as f:
+        f.write('int main (int argc, char **argv) { return 0; }')
+        try:
+            compiler.compile([f.name], extra_postargs=flags)
+        except setuptools.distutils.errors.CompileError:
+            return False
+    return True
+
+
+def cpp_flag(compiler):
+    """Return the -std=c++[0x/11/14] compiler flag.
+    The c++14 is preferred over c++0x/11 (when it is available).
+    """
+    standards = ['-std=c++14', '-std=c++11', '-std=c++0x']
+    for standard in standards:
+        if has_flag(compiler, [standard]):
+            return standard
+    raise RuntimeError(
+        'Unsupported compiler -- at least C++0x support '
+        'is needed!'
+    )
+
+
+class BuildExt(build_ext):
+    """A custom build extension for adding compiler-specific options."""
+    c_opts = {
+        'msvc': ['/EHsc'],
+        'unix': [],
+    }
+
+    def build_extensions(self):
+        if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+            all_flags = ['-stdlib=libc++', '-mmacosx-version-min=10.7']
+            if has_flag(self.compiler, [all_flags[0]]):
+                self.c_opts['unix'] += [all_flags[0]]
+            elif has_flag(self.compiler, all_flags):
+                self.c_opts['unix'] += all_flags
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    'libc++ is needed! Failed to compile with {} and {}.'.
+                    format(" ".join(all_flags), all_flags[0])
+                )
+        ct = self.compiler.compiler_type
+        opts = self.c_opts.get(ct, [])
+        if ct == 'unix':
+            opts.append('-DVERSION_INFO="%s"' % self.distribution.get_version())
+            opts.append(cpp_flag(self.compiler))
+            if has_flag(self.compiler, ['-fvisibility=hidden']):
+                opts.append('-fvisibility=hidden')
+        elif ct == 'msvc':
+            opts.append(
+                '/DVERSION_INFO=\\"%s\\"' % self.distribution.get_version()
+            )
+        for ext in self.extensions:
+            ext.extra_compile_args = opts
+            if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+                ext.libraries.remove('rt')
+        build_ext.build_extensions(self)
+
+
 setup(
   name='sent2vec',
-  ext_modules=cythonize(ext)
+  ext_modules=cythonize(ext),
+  cmdclass={'build_ext': BuildExt}
 )