diff --git a/cde/configure.ac b/cde/configure.ac
index d2b8ec153..eeeb992bc 100644
--- a/cde/configure.ac
+++ b/cde/configure.ac
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ case "${host_os}" in
                 OSMINORVERSION=15
                 SOURCE_CPP_DEFINES="${SOURCE_CPP_DEFINES} -D_POSIX_SOURCE \
 -D_DEFAULT_SOURCE -D_BSD_SOURCE -D_SVID_SOURCE"
-                CPP_COMPILER_FLAGS="-fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-write-strings \
--Wno-unused-result"
                  ;;
 	freebsd*)
 		build_freebsd=yes
@@ -306,6 +304,20 @@ AC_PROG_CC_C99
 AC_PATH_X
 AC_PATH_XTRA
 
+dnl check some compiler flags
+C_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-format-truncation])
+CXX_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-format-truncation])
+
+C_FLAG_CHECK([-fno-strict-aliasing])
+CXX_FLAG_CHECK([-fno-strict-aliasing])
+
+C_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-write-strings])
+CXX_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-write-strings])
+
+C_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-unused-result])
+CXX_FLAG_CHECK([-Wno-unused-result])
+
+
 dnl Add X11 goodies here
 EXTRA_LIBS="${X_LIBS} ${EXTRA_LIBS}"
 EXTRA_INCS="${X_CFLAGS} ${EXTRA_INCS}"
diff --git a/cde/m4/compiler_flag_chk.m4 b/cde/m4/compiler_flag_chk.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5ce3be74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cde/m4/compiler_flag_chk.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+dnl From stackoverflow, with some changes
+dnl @synopsis CXX_FLAGS_CHECK [compiler flags]
+dnl @summary check whether compiler supports given C++ flags or not
+AC_DEFUN([CXX_FLAG_CHECK],
+[dnl
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([if $CXX supports $1])
+  AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
+  ac_saved_cxxflags="$CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS"
+  CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS="-Werror $1"
+  AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([])],
+    [cxx_flag_check=yes],
+    [cxx_flag_check=no]
+  )
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([$cxx_flag_check])
+  CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS="$ac_saved_cxxflags"
+  if test "$cxx_flag_check" = yes
+  then
+    CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS="$CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS $1"
+  fi
+  AC_LANG_POP([C++])
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([C_FLAG_CHECK],
+[dnl
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([if $CC supports $1])
+  AC_LANG_PUSH([C])
+  ac_saved_ccflags="$C_COMPILER_FLAGS"
+  C_COMPILER_FLAGS="-Werror $1"
+  AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([])],
+    [cc_flag_check=yes],
+    [cc_flag_check=no]
+  )
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([$cc_flag_check])
+  C_COMPILER_FLAGS="$ac_saved_ccflags"
+  if test "$cc_flag_check" = yes
+  then
+    C_COMPILER_FLAGS="$C_COMPILER_FLAGS $1"
+  fi
+  AC_LANG_POP([C])
+])