diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ee1b532a..009660aa 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@ else(WIN32)
   cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.8)
 endif(WIN32)
 
-if(NOT WIN32)
-    option( USE_NATIVE_ARCH  "build which -march=native" ON)
-endif(NOT WIN32)
+option( USE_NATIVE_ARCH  "build for native cpu architecture" ON)
 
 option( USE_GUI     "don't build netgen with GUI" ON )
 option( USE_PYTHON  "build with python interface" ON )
@@ -94,11 +92,6 @@ if(USE_CCACHE)
   endif(CCACHE_FOUND)
 endif(USE_CCACHE)
 
-#######################################################################
-if(USE_NATIVE_ARCH)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -march=native")
-endif(USE_NATIVE_ARCH)
-
 #######################################################################
 if(INTEL_MIC)
     set(MKL_ARCH "mic")
@@ -222,13 +215,9 @@ endmacro()
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 if(WIN32)
-    get_WIN32_WINNT(ver)
-    add_definitions(-D_WIN32_WINNT=${ver} -DWNT -DWNT_WINDOW -DNOMINMAX)
     set(CMAKE_MFC_FLAG 0)
-    add_definitions(-DMSVC_EXPRESS -D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS -DHAVE_STRUCT_TIMESPEC)
     # build convenience (aka object) libraries in windows)
     set(NG_LIB_TYPE OBJECT)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /MP")
 else(WIN32)
     # build shared libraries
     set(NG_LIB_TYPE SHARED)
@@ -411,6 +400,59 @@ if (USE_PYTHON)
 endif (USE_PYTHON)
 add_subdirectory(tests)
 
+#######################################################################
+if(USE_NATIVE_ARCH)
+    if(WIN32)
+        include(CheckCXXSourceRuns)
+        check_cxx_source_runs("
+                #include <immintrin.h>
+                int main()
+                {
+                    __m256d a{1.,2.,3.,4.};
+                    __m256d b{2.,0.,3.,5.};
+                    __m256d c = _mm256_mul_pd(a,b);
+                    return 0;
+                } " NG_HAVE_AVX)
+        check_cxx_source_runs("
+                #include <immintrin.h>
+                int main()
+                {
+                    __m256i a{1,2,3,4};
+                    __m256i b{2,0,3,5};
+                    __m256i c = _mm256_cmpgt_epi64 (a,b);
+                    return 0;
+                } " NG_HAVE_AVX2)
+        check_cxx_source_runs("
+                #include <immintrin.h>
+                int main()
+                {
+                    __m512d a{1.,2.,3.,4.};
+                    __m512d b{5.,6.,7.,8.};
+                    __m512d c = _mm512_mul_pd(a,b);
+                    return 0;
+                } " NG_HAVE_AVX512)
+
+        if(NG_HAVE_AVX512)
+            target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC "/arch:AVX512")
+            message(STATUS "Build for AVX512 CPU")
+        elseif(NG_HAVE_AVX2)
+            target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC "/arch:AVX2")
+            message(STATUS "Build for AVX2 CPU")
+        elseif(NG_HAVE_AVX)
+            target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC "/arch:AVX")
+            message(STATUS "Build for AVX CPU")
+        else()
+            message(STATUS "Build for generic CPU")
+        endif()
+    else()
+        target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC "-march=native")
+    endif(WIN32)
+    if(APPLE)
+        # work-around for bug in Xcode 11.3: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/121887
+        target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC "-fno-stack-check")
+    endif(APPLE)
+endif(USE_NATIVE_ARCH)
+
 
 #######################################################################
 # Debian packager
diff --git a/cmake/NetgenConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/NetgenConfig.cmake.in
index 0606332b..e8262666 100644
--- a/cmake/NetgenConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/NetgenConfig.cmake.in
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ set(NETGEN_USE_MPEG @USE_MPEG@)
 set(NETGEN_INTEL_MIC @INTEL_MIC@)
 set(NETGEN_INSTALL_PROFILES @INSTALL_PROFILES@)
 set(NETGEN_USE_CCACHE @USE_CCACHE@)
+set(NETGEN_USE_NATIVE_ARCH @USE_NATIVE_ARCH@)
 
 set(NETGEN_PYTHON_RPATH "@NETGEN_PYTHON_RPATH@")
 set(NETGEN_RPATH_TOKEN "@NG_RPATH_TOKEN@")
diff --git a/cmake/SuperBuild.cmake b/cmake/SuperBuild.cmake
index 36ec058f..a04e4164 100644
--- a/cmake/SuperBuild.cmake
+++ b/cmake/SuperBuild.cmake
@@ -20,18 +20,6 @@ if(WIN32)
   set (OCC_DOWNLOAD_URL_WIN "${DEPS_DOWNLOAD_URL}/occ_win64.zip" CACHE STRING INTERNAL)
   set (TCLTK_DOWNLOAD_URL_WIN "${DEPS_DOWNLOAD_URL}/tcltk_win64.zip" CACHE STRING INTERNAL)
   set (ZLIB_DOWNLOAD_URL_WIN "${DEPS_DOWNLOAD_URL}/zlib_win64.zip" CACHE STRING INTERNAL)
-  if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Intel")
-    string(REGEX REPLACE "/W[0-4]" "/W0" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_NEW ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS})
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_NEW} CACHE STRING "compile flags" FORCE)
-    string(REGEX REPLACE "/W[0-4]" "/W0" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_NEW ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE})
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_NEW} CACHE STRING "compile flags" FORCE)
-
-    string(REGEX REPLACE "/W[0-4]" "/W0" CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_NEW ${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS})
-    set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_NEW} /IGNORE:4217,4049" CACHE STRING "compile flags" FORCE)
-    string(REGEX REPLACE "/W[0-4]" "/W0" CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_NEW ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS})
-    set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS"${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_NEW}/IGNORE:4217,4049" CACHE STRING "compile flags" FORCE)
-
-  endif(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Intel")
 endif(WIN32)
 
 if(UNIX)
diff --git a/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt b/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 5c58e7e6..cb5eb36c 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,21 +23,21 @@ if(USE_PYTHON)
   target_compile_definitions(ngcore PUBLIC NETGEN_PYTHON NG_PYTHON)
 endif(USE_PYTHON)
 
-target_compile_definitions(ngcore PRIVATE NGCORE_EXPORTS)
-if(NOT WIN32)
-  target_compile_options(ngcore PRIVATE -fvisibility=hidden)
-endif(NOT WIN32)
-
 if(WIN32)
-  target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC /bigobj)
+  target_compile_options(ngcore PUBLIC /bigobj /MP /W1 /wd4068)
+  get_WIN32_WINNT(ver)
+  target_compile_definitions(ngcore PUBLIC _WIN32_WINNT=${ver} WNT WNT_WINDOW NOMINMAX MSVC_EXPRESS _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS HAVE_STRUCT_TIMESPEC)
+  target_link_options(ngcore PUBLIC /ignore:4273 /ignore:4217 /ignore:4049)
+else(WIN32)
+  target_compile_options(ngcore PRIVATE -fvisibility=hidden)
 endif(WIN32)
 
-target_compile_definitions(ngcore PUBLIC $<$<CONFIG:DEBUG>:NETGEN_ENABLE_CHECK_RANGE>)
+target_compile_definitions(ngcore PRIVATE NGCORE_EXPORTS)
 target_include_directories(ngcore INTERFACE $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE}> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE}/include>)
 
-if(CHECK_RANGE)
+if(CHECK_RANGE OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug" OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "DEBUG")
   target_compile_definitions(ngcore PUBLIC NETGEN_ENABLE_CHECK_RANGE)
-endif(CHECK_RANGE)
+endif(CHECK_RANGE OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug" OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "DEBUG")
 
 if(USE_SPDLOG)
   include_directories(${SPDLOG_INCLUDE_DIR})
diff --git a/libsrc/geom2d/CMakeLists.txt b/libsrc/geom2d/CMakeLists.txt
index ab292315..f496448d 100644
--- a/libsrc/geom2d/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libsrc/geom2d/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ endif(NOT WIN32)
 
 if(USE_GUI)
     add_library(geom2dvis ${NG_LIB_TYPE} vsgeom2d.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(geom2dvis PUBLIC ngcore)
     if(NOT WIN32)
-        target_link_libraries(geom2dvis geom2d)
+        target_link_libraries(geom2dvis PUBLIC geom2d)
         install( TARGETS geom2dvis ${NG_INSTALL_DIR})
     endif(NOT WIN32)
 endif(USE_GUI)
diff --git a/libsrc/occ/CMakeLists.txt b/libsrc/occ/CMakeLists.txt
index 39da5a89..7e7a2a65 100644
--- a/libsrc/occ/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libsrc/occ/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ add_library(occ ${NG_LIB_TYPE}
         )
 if(USE_GUI)
         add_library(occvis ${NG_LIB_TYPE} vsocc.cpp)
+        target_link_libraries(occvis PUBLIC ngcore)
 endif(USE_GUI)
 
 target_link_libraries(occ PUBLIC ngcore PRIVATE netgen_python)