diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 044a71aec..63ba4f9e4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,3 +7,6 @@ set(WITH_2DECOMPFFT ON CACHE BOOL
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
 add_subdirectory(tests)
+
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
+include(SelectBackend)
diff --git a/cmake/SelectBackend.cmake b/cmake/SelectBackend.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5cd205326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/SelectBackend.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Defines the backend selection for x3d2.
+#
+# Currently available backends
+# - GPU/CUDAFortran (nvfort only)
+# - CPU/OMP (all)
+
+set(X3D2_BACKEND_OPTIONS "OMP/CPU")
+if (${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "PGI" OR
+    ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "NVHPC")
+  set(X3D2_BACKEND_DEFAULT "CUDA/GPU")
+  list(APPEND X3D2_BACKEND_OPTIONS ${X3D2_BACKEND_DEFAULT})
+else()
+  set(X3D2_BACKEND_DEFAULT "OMP/CPU")
+endif()
+
+set(X3D2_BACKEND
+  ${X3D2_BACKEND_DEFAULT}
+  CACHE
+  STRING
+  "Select the backend. Current options are ${X3D2_BACKEND_OPTIONS}")
+set_property(CACHE
+  X3D2_BACKEND
+  PROPERTY STRINGS
+  ${X3D2_BACKEND_OPTIONS})
+message(STATUS "Using ${X3D2_BACKEND} backend")