diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py b/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
index 92fa1ac4dbccde713dfe39a13515e454c88aaeae..d5ea85a7b7bf546e4530f1a922c0c9b86bc057d7 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
@@ -183,6 +183,16 @@ def cxx14_flag(self):
             "If you think it should, please edit the compiler subclass and",
             "submit a pull request or issue.")
 
+    # This property should be overridden in the compiler subclass if
+    # C++17 is supported by that compiler
+    @property
+    def cxx17_flag(self):
+        # If it is not overridden, assume it is not supported and warn the user
+        tty.die(
+            "The compiler you have chosen does not currently support C++17.",
+            "If you think it should, please edit the compiler subclass and",
+            "submit a pull request or issue.")
+
     #
     # Compiler classes have methods for querying the version of
     # specific compiler executables.  This is used when discovering compilers.
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
index 14dc9d6476456eeb63528550243f955189fc8dfd..3d68a37c4469bfd10eb2b1243a64de0809ecda85 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
@@ -70,14 +70,50 @@ def openmp_flag(self):
     @property
     def cxx11_flag(self):
         if self.is_apple:
-            # FIXME: figure out from which version Apple's clang supports c++11
-            return "-std=c++11"
+            # Adapted from CMake's AppleClang-CXX rules
+            # Spack's AppleClang detection only valid form Xcode >= 4.6
+            if self.version < ver('4.0.0'):
+                tty.die("Only Apple LLVM 4.0 and above support c++11")
+            else:
+                return "-std=c++11"
         else:
             if self.version < ver('3.3'):
                 tty.die("Only Clang 3.3 and above support c++11.")
             else:
                 return "-std=c++11"
 
+    @property
+    def cxx14_flag(self):
+        if self.is_apple:
+            # Adapted from CMake's rules for AppleClang
+            if self.version < ver('5.1.0'):
+                tty.die("Only Apple LLVM 5.1 and above support c++14.")
+            elif self.version < ver('6.1.0'):
+                return "-std=c++1y"
+            else:
+                return "-std=c++14"
+        else:
+            if self.version < ver('3.4'):
+                tty.die("Only Clang 3.4 and above support c++14.")
+            elif self.version < ver('3.5'):
+                return "-std=c++1y"
+            else:
+                return "-std=c++14"
+
+    @property
+    def cxx17_flag(self):
+        if self.is_apple:
+            # Adapted from CMake's rules for AppleClang
+            if self.version < ver('6.1.0'):
+                tty.die("Only Apple LLVM 6.1 and above support c++17.")
+            else:
+                return "-std=c++1z"
+        else:
+            if self.version < ver('3.5'):
+                tty.die("Only Clang 3.5 and above support c++17.")
+            else:
+                return "-std=c++1z"
+
     @property
     def pic_flag(self):
         return "-fPIC"
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/gcc.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/gcc.py
index 80d24910c36cc4e7c0a8bc4082ed07c450b28db6..304f82a492e211d67837e73e3c8830870092f9fc 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/gcc.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/gcc.py
@@ -71,9 +71,18 @@ def cxx11_flag(self):
     def cxx14_flag(self):
         if self.version < ver('4.8'):
             tty.die("Only gcc 4.8 and above support c++14.")
+        elif self.version < ver('4.9'):
+            return "-std=c++1y"
         else:
             return "-std=c++14"
 
+    @property
+    def cxx17_flag(self):
+        if self.version < ver('5.0'):
+            tty.die("Only gcc 5.0 and above support c++17.")
+        else:
+            return "-std=c++1z"
+
     @property
     def pic_flag(self):
         return "-fPIC"
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/intel.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/intel.py
index 4ff7185c846a85240290afc1d66225ee2f6c4b5d..8461753962f77a3ed67b26d55c5139739cf3f6f1 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/intel.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/intel.py
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ def cxx11_flag(self):
         else:
             return "-std=c++11"
 
+    @property
+    def cxx14_flag(self):
+        # Adapted from CMake's Intel-CXX rules.
+        if self.version < ver('15'):
+            tty.die("Only intel 15.0 and above support c++14.")
+        elif self.version < ver('15.0.2'):
+            return "-std=c++1y"
+        else:
+            return "-std=c++14"
+
     @property
     def pic_flag(self):
         return "-fPIC"