diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-gcc13.yaml b/.github/workflows/linux-gcc13.yaml
index fb0b7ceb..92c26f7c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-gcc13.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-gcc13.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
           { "name": "Static",  "option": "OFF"}
         ]
     env:
-      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DCMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
+      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DDEV_MODE=ON -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
     steps:
       - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yaml b/.github/workflows/linux.yaml
index 8ae292e1..c38b9b2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
     name: libebml
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DCMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
+      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DDEV_MODE=ON -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
     steps:
       - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos.yaml b/.github/workflows/macos.yaml
index 3683143a..daa9fa31 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         arch:   [x86_64, arm64]
     env:
-      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DCMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
+      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DDEV_MODE=ON -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
     steps:
       - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/uwp.yaml b/.github/workflows/uwp.yaml
index b27e1c6c..21276638 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/uwp.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/uwp.yaml
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ jobs:
           { "name": "arm64", "option": "arm64"},
         ]
     env:
-      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DCMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS=OFF -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME="WindowsStore" -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION="10.0" -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-DWINVER=0x0A00 -DWINAPI_FAMILY=WINAPI_FAMILY_PC_APP"
+      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DDEV_MODE=ON -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME="WindowsStore" -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION="10.0" -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-DWINVER=0x0A00 -DWINAPI_FAMILY=WINAPI_FAMILY_PC_APP"
       # TODO use CreateFile2 and add -DENABLE_WIN32_IO=ON
     steps:
       - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
 
       - name: Get pushed code
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      
+
       - name: Configure
         run: cmake -S . -B _build ${{ env.CMAKE_OPTIONS }} -A ${{ matrix.arch.option }} -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yaml b/.github/workflows/windows.yaml
index a7fbf6a0..8c3152f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
           { "name": "arm64", "option": "arm64", "env": "ARM64"},
         ]
     env:
-      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DENABLE_WIN32_IO=ON -DCMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS=OFF -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-DWINVER=0x0501" -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
+      CMAKE_OPTIONS: -DENABLE_WIN32_IO=ON -DDEV_MODE=ON -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-DWINVER=0x0501" -DBUILD_TESTING=ON
     steps:
       - uses: lukka/get-cmake@latest
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b48d6358..debe4c62 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,12 +8,37 @@ option(DISABLE_PKGCONFIG "Disable PkgConfig module generation" OFF)
 option(DISABLE_CMAKE_CONFIG "Disable CMake package config module generation" OFF)
 cmake_dependent_option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build libebml as a shared library (except Windows)" OFF "NOT WIN32" OFF)
 option(BUILD_TESTING "Build tests" OFF)
+option(DEV_MODE "Developer mode with extra compilation checks" OFF)
 
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 
+include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
+include(CMakeParseArguments)
+function(add_cxx_flag_if_supported)
+  foreach(flagname ${ARGN})
+    string(REPLACE "-" "_" TEST_RESULT ${flagname})
+    check_cxx_compiler_flag(${flagname} HAVE_FLAG_${TEST_RESULT})
+    # message(STATUS "supported ${flagname}: ${HAVE_FLAG_${TEST_RESULT}}")
+
+    if (HAVE_FLAG_${TEST_RESULT})
+      add_compile_options(${flagname})
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+endfunction()
+
+if(DEV_MODE)
+  message(STATUS "Using developer mode for ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+  add_cxx_flag_if_supported(-Wall -Wno-comment -Wfatal-errors -fstack-protector-strong -Wnon-virtual-dtor -Wextra
+                            -Wunused -Wpedantic -Woverloaded-virtual -Wshadow
+                            -Wno-self-assign -Wno-mismatched-tags -Wno-inconsistent-missing-override
+                            -Wno-potentially-evaluated-expression -Wno-extra-semi -Wno-gnu-zero-variadic-macro-arguments)
+  add_cxx_flag_if_supported(-Qunused-arguments)
+endif()
+
 set(libebml_SOURCES
   src/EbmlBinary.cpp
   src/EbmlContexts.cpp