diff --git a/src/CoolKernel/CoolKernel/VersionInfo.h b/src/CoolKernel/CoolKernel/VersionInfo.h
index 0d99af8ea39613e0073f905364f5061eefd588a2..d76617505dd040310b6cf0e8b207eb5a25554a9c 100644
--- a/src/CoolKernel/CoolKernel/VersionInfo.h
+++ b/src/CoolKernel/CoolKernel/VersionInfo.h
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
 // These switches are now hardcoded in all branches of the code (bug #92204).
 #define COOL290 1 // COOL 2.9.x or higher (COOL 2.8.x is no longer supported)
 
+// This switch is now hardcoded in all supported branches (CORALCOOL-2808), 
+// i.e. COOL 2.9.x or higher (COOL 2.8.x is no longer supported).
+// NEW! c++11 is used in COOL internals even if COOL_HAS_CPP11 is not defined!
+// TODO: eventually, remove COOL_HAS_CPP11 completely (CORALCOOL-2809)
+#define COOL_HAS_CPP11 1
+
 // COOL_VERSIONINFO_RELEASE is #defined in API as of COOL 2.8.4 (sr #111706)
 // COOL_VERSIONINFO_RELEASE_x are #defined as of COOL 2.8.15
 // Note that the former is defined within quotes, the latter are not!
@@ -45,20 +51,19 @@
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #ifdef COOL300
 #define COOL300CPP11 1 // API changes replacing Boost by c++11 std
-#define COOL_HAS_CPP11 1 // Also enable c++11 in the internal implementation
 #define COOL300TS 1 // API use coral::TimeStamp in cool::Time
 #define COOL300DP 1 // API remove previously deprecated calls
 #else
 #undef COOL300CPP11 // Do undef (do not leave the option to -D this explicitly)
-#undef COOL_HAS_CPP11 // Disable c++11 in internal implementation (temporary?)
 #undef COOL300TS // Do undef (do not leave the option to -D this explicitly)
 #undef COOL300DP // Do undef (do not leave the option to -D this explicitly)
 #endif
 
-// Sanity check: does this compiler support c++11?
-// NEW! c++11 is used in COOL internals even if COOL_HAS_CPP11 is not defined!
+// Sanity check: does this compiler support c++11? (see CORALCOOL-2808)
+#ifdef COOL300CPP11
 #if ( ! defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__) ) && (__cplusplus < 201103L )
-#error("ERROR: COOL >= 2.9.7 but this compiler does not support c++11")
+#error("ERROR: COOL >= 3.0.0 but this compiler does not support c++11")
+#endif
 #endif
 
 // Declare obsolete API calls as deprecated