diff --git a/cmake/FindOpenEXR.cmake b/cmake/FindOpenEXR.cmake
index acf684f7..d0d39c23 100644
--- a/cmake/FindOpenEXR.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindOpenEXR.cmake
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ find_package_handle_standard_args (OpenEXR
     REQUIRED_VARS ILMBASE_INCLUDE_PATH OPENEXR_INCLUDE_PATH
                   OPENEXR_IMATH_LIBRARY OPENEXR_ILMIMF_LIBRARY
                   OPENEXR_IEX_LIBRARY OPENEXR_HALF_LIBRARY
+    VERSION_VAR OPENEXR_VERSION
     )
 
 if (OPENEXR_FOUND)
diff --git a/src/ext/CMakeLists.txt b/src/ext/CMakeLists.txt
index bf0d0725..25b7e27a 100644
--- a/src/ext/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/ext/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ set (ZLIB_LIBRARIES ${ZLIB_LIBARIES} PARENT_SCOPE)
 ###########################################################################
 # OpenEXR
 
-find_package (OpenEXR)
+find_package (OpenEXR 2.3) # 2.3 is the first version compatible with C++17
 
 if (OPENEXR_FOUND)
   message (STATUS "Found OpenEXR version ${OPENEXR_VERSION}")