diff --git a/build/cmake/functions.cmake b/build/cmake/functions.cmake
index 1c74202845..b9d862bbe8 100644
--- a/build/cmake/functions.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/functions.cmake
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ function(wx_set_common_target_properties target_name)
     cmake_parse_arguments(wxCOMMON_TARGET_PROPS "DEFAULT_WARNINGS" "" "" ${ARGN})
 
     if(DEFINED wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD AND NOT wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD STREQUAL COMPILER_DEFAULT)
-        # TODO: implement for older CMake versions ?
-        set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES CXX_STANDARD ${wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD})
         if(
             APPLE AND
             CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET VERSION_LESS 10.9 AND
diff --git a/build/cmake/init.cmake b/build/cmake/init.cmake
index 32513f1241..659ce94da6 100644
--- a/build/cmake/init.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/init.cmake
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 # Licence:     wxWindows licence
 #############################################################################
 
+if(DEFINED wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD AND NOT wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD STREQUAL COMPILER_DEFAULT)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD ${wxBUILD_CXX_STANDARD})
+endif()
+
 if(MSVC)
     # Determine MSVC runtime library flag
     set(MSVC_LIB_USE "/MD")