diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9673485d..bf0879db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure C++11
       shell: bash
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
         cmake -S . -B build
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
@@ -163,7 +162,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure
       shell: bash
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
         cmake -S . -B build
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
@@ -210,7 +208,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure
       shell: bash
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
         cmake -S . -B build
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
@@ -256,7 +253,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure
       shell: bash
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
         cmake -S . -B build
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
diff --git a/.github/workflows/configure.yml b/.github/workflows/configure.yml
index a23276a3..96904341 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/configure.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/configure.yml
@@ -34,24 +34,10 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Make build directories
       run: |
-        mkdir build2.8
         mkdir build3.7
+        mkdir build3.11
         mkdir build3.18
 
-    - name: Setup CMake 2.8
-      uses: jwlawson/actions-setup-cmake@v1.3
-      with:
-        cmake-version: 2.8
-
-    - name: Configure 2.8
-      working-directory: build2.8
-      run: >
-        cmake --version &&
-        cmake ..
-        -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
-        -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
-        -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)")
-
     - name: Setup CMake 3.7
       uses: jwlawson/actions-setup-cmake@v1.3
       with:
@@ -60,7 +46,19 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure 3.7
       working-directory: build3.7
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
+        cmake ..
+        -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
+        -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
+        -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)")
+
+    - name: Setup CMake 3.11
+      uses: jwlawson/actions-setup-cmake@v1.3
+      with:
+        cmake-version: 3.11
+
+    - name: Configure 3.11
+      working-directory: build3.11
+      run: >
         cmake ..
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
@@ -74,7 +72,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: Configure 3.18
       working-directory: build3.18
       run: >
-        cmake --version &&
         cmake ..
         -DPYBIND11_WERROR=ON
         -DDOWNLOAD_CATCH=ON
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 85ecd902..2227559d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,31 +5,102 @@
 # All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 
-if (POLICY CMP0048)
-  # cmake warns if loaded from a min-3.0-required parent dir, so silence the warning:
-  cmake_policy(SET CMP0048 NEW)
-endif()
-
-# CMake versions < 3.4.0 do not support try_compile/pthread checks without C as active language.
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.4.0)
-  project(pybind11)
+# VERSION 3.7...3.18, but some versions of VS have a patched CMake 3.11
+# that do not work properly with this syntax, so using the following workaround:
+if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.18)
+    cmake_policy(VERSION ${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION})
 else()
-  project(pybind11 CXX)
+    cmake_policy(VERSION 3.18)
 endif()
 
+# Extract project version from source
+file(
+  STRINGS
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/pybind11/detail/common.h"
+  pybind11_version_defines
+  REGEX
+    "#define PYBIND11_VERSION_(MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH|TYPE) ")
+
+foreach(ver ${pybind11_version_defines})
+    if (ver MATCHES [=[#define PYBIND11_VERSION_(MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH|TYPE) +"?([^ ^"]+)"?$]=])
+        set(PYBIND11_VERSION_${CMAKE_MATCH_1} "${CMAKE_MATCH_2}")
+    endif()
+endforeach()
+
+project(
+    pybind11
+  LANGUAGES
+    CXX
+  VERSION
+    "${PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR}.${PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH}"
+)
+
+# Standard includes
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)
+include(CMakeDependentOption)
+
 # Check if pybind11 is being used directly or via add_subdirectory
-set(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT OFF)
-if (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
-  set(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT ON)
+if(CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
+    set(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT ON)
+    message(STATUS "pybind11 v${pybind11_VERSION} ${PYBIND11_VERSION_TYPE}")
+    message(STATUS "CMake ${CMAKE_VERSION}")
+
+    if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+    endif()
+else()
+    set(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT OFF)
+    set(pybind11_system SYSTEM)
 endif()
 
 option(PYBIND11_INSTALL "Install pybind11 header files?" ${PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT})
-option(PYBIND11_TEST    "Build pybind11 test suite?"     ${PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT})
+option(PYBIND11_TEST "Build pybind11 test suite?" ${PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT})
+option(PYBIND11_CLASSIC_LTO "Use the classic LTO flag algorithm, even on CMake 3.9+" OFF)
+cmake_dependent_option(
+    USE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR
+    "Install pybind11 headers in Python include directory instead of default installation prefix" OFF
+    "PYBIND11_INSTALL" OFF
+)
 
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/tools")
+# NB: when adding a header don't forget to also add it to setup.py
+set(PYBIND11_HEADERS
+    include/pybind11/detail/class.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/common.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/descr.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/init.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
+    include/pybind11/detail/typeid.h
+    include/pybind11/attr.h
+    include/pybind11/buffer_info.h
+    include/pybind11/cast.h
+    include/pybind11/chrono.h
+    include/pybind11/common.h
+    include/pybind11/complex.h
+    include/pybind11/options.h
+    include/pybind11/eigen.h
+    include/pybind11/embed.h
+    include/pybind11/eval.h
+    include/pybind11/functional.h
+    include/pybind11/numpy.h
+    include/pybind11/operators.h
+    include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+    include/pybind11/pytypes.h
+    include/pybind11/stl.h
+    include/pybind11/stl_bind.h
+)
+# cmake 3.12 added list(TRANSFORM <list> PREPEND
+# But we can't use it yet
+string(REPLACE "include/" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/"
+       PYBIND11_HEADERS "${PYBIND11_HEADERS}")
 
+
+# Classic mode
+
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/tools")
 include(pybind11Tools)
 
 # Cache variables so pybind11_add_module can be used in parent projects
@@ -40,118 +111,131 @@ set(PYTHON_MODULE_PREFIX ${PYTHON_MODULE_PREFIX} CACHE INTERNAL "")
 set(PYTHON_MODULE_EXTENSION ${PYTHON_MODULE_EXTENSION} CACHE INTERNAL "")
 set(PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR ${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} CACHE INTERNAL "")
 set(PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR ${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR} CACHE INTERNAL "")
+set(PYTHON_IS_DEBUG "${PYTHON_IS_DEBUG}" CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
-# NB: when adding a header don't forget to also add it to setup.py
-set(PYBIND11_HEADERS
-  include/pybind11/detail/class.h
-  include/pybind11/detail/common.h
-  include/pybind11/detail/descr.h
-  include/pybind11/detail/init.h
-  include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
-  include/pybind11/detail/typeid.h
-  include/pybind11/attr.h
-  include/pybind11/buffer_info.h
-  include/pybind11/cast.h
-  include/pybind11/chrono.h
-  include/pybind11/common.h
-  include/pybind11/complex.h
-  include/pybind11/options.h
-  include/pybind11/eigen.h
-  include/pybind11/embed.h
-  include/pybind11/eval.h
-  include/pybind11/functional.h
-  include/pybind11/numpy.h
-  include/pybind11/operators.h
-  include/pybind11/pybind11.h
-  include/pybind11/pytypes.h
-  include/pybind11/stl.h
-  include/pybind11/stl_bind.h
-)
-string(REPLACE "include/" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/"
-       PYBIND11_HEADERS "${PYBIND11_HEADERS}")
 
-if (PYBIND11_TEST)
-  add_subdirectory(tests)
+if(PYBIND11_TEST OR (BUILD_TESTING AND PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT))
+    add_subdirectory(tests)
 endif()
 
-include(GNUInstallDirs)
-include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)
 
-# extract project version from source
-file(STRINGS "${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}/pybind11/detail/common.h" pybind11_version_defines
-     REGEX "#define PYBIND11_VERSION_(MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH) ")
-foreach(ver ${pybind11_version_defines})
-  if (ver MATCHES "#define PYBIND11_VERSION_(MAJOR|MINOR|PATCH) +([^ ]+)$")
-    set(PYBIND11_VERSION_${CMAKE_MATCH_1} "${CMAKE_MATCH_2}" CACHE INTERNAL "")
-  endif()
-endforeach()
-set(${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION ${PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR}.${PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH})
-message(STATUS "pybind11 v${${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION}")
-
-option (USE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR "Install pybind11 headers in Python include directory instead of default installation prefix" OFF)
-if (USE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR)
+if(USE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR)
     file(RELATIVE_PATH CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
 
-if(NOT (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0))  # CMake >= 3.0
-  # Build an interface library target:
-  add_library(pybind11 INTERFACE)
-  add_library(pybind11::pybind11 ALIAS pybind11)  # to match exported target
-  target_include_directories(pybind11 INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}>
-                                                $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}>
-                                                $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}>)
-  target_compile_options(pybind11 INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}>)
+# Note: when creating targets, you cannot use if statements at configure time -
+# you need generator expressions, because those will be placed in the target file.
 
-  add_library(module INTERFACE)
-  add_library(pybind11::module ALIAS module)
-  if(NOT MSVC)
-    target_compile_options(module INTERFACE -fvisibility=hidden)
-  endif()
-  target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE pybind11::pybind11)
-  if(WIN32 OR CYGWIN)
-    target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>)
-  elseif(APPLE)
-    target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE "-undefined dynamic_lookup")
-  endif()
+# Build an interface library target:
+add_library(pybind11 INTERFACE)
+add_library(pybind11::pybind11 ALIAS pybind11)  # to match exported target
 
-  add_library(embed INTERFACE)
-  add_library(pybind11::embed ALIAS embed)
-  target_link_libraries(embed INTERFACE pybind11::pybind11 $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>)
+target_include_directories(pybind11 ${pybind11_system} INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}>
+                                                                 $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}>)
+# Only add Python for build - must be added during the import for config since it has to be re-discovered.
+target_include_directories(pybind11 SYSTEM INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}>)
+
+if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.13)
+    target_compile_features(
+        pybind11
+      INTERFACE
+        cxx_auto_type
+        cxx_constexpr
+        cxx_defaulted_functions
+        cxx_lambdas
+        cxx_nullptr
+        cxx_range_for
+        cxx_right_angle_brackets
+        cxx_strong_enums
+        cxx_user_literals
+        cxx_variadic_templates
+      )
+else()
+    # This was added in CMake 3.8, but we are keeping a consistent breaking
+    # point for the config file at 3.13. A config generated by CMake 3.13+
+    # can ony be read in 3.13+ due to the SHELL usage later, so this is safe to do.
+    target_compile_features(pybind11 INTERFACE cxx_std_11)
 endif()
 
-if (PYBIND11_INSTALL)
-  install(DIRECTORY ${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}/pybind11 DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR})
-  # GNUInstallDirs "DATADIR" wrong here; CMake search path wants "share".
-  set(PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR "share/cmake/${PROJECT_NAME}" CACHE STRING "install path for pybind11Config.cmake")
+add_library(module INTERFACE)
+add_library(pybind11::module ALIAS module)
 
-  configure_package_config_file(tools/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake.in
-                                "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake"
-                                INSTALL_DESTINATION ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
-  # Remove CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P from ConfigVersion.cmake since the library does
-  # not depend on architecture specific settings or libraries.
-  set(_PYBIND11_CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P ${CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P})
-  unset(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P)
-  write_basic_package_version_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}ConfigVersion.cmake
-                                   VERSION ${${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION}
-                                   COMPATIBILITY AnyNewerVersion)
-  set(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P ${_PYBIND11_CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P})
-  install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake
-                ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}ConfigVersion.cmake
-                tools/FindPythonLibsNew.cmake
-                tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
-          DESTINATION ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
+target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE pybind11::pybind11)
+
+# See https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/blob/master/Modules/CMakePlatformId.h.in for platform IDs
+# Note: CMake 3.15 allows $<PLATFORM_ID:Windows,Cygwin>
+target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE "$<$<OR:$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>,$<PLATFORM_ID:Cygwin>>:$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>>")
+
+if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.13)
+    target_link_libraries(module INTERFACE "$<$<PLATFORM_ID:Darwin>:-undefined dynamic_lookup>")
+else()
+    # SHELL (3.12+) forces this to remain together, and link_options was added in 3.13+
+    target_link_options(module INTERFACE "$<$<PLATFORM_ID:Darwin>:SHELL:-undefined dynamic_lookup>")
+endif()
+
+
+message(STATUS "CXX Compiler version: ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION}")
+
+set(clang_4plus "$<AND:$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>,$<NOT:$<VERSION_LESS:$<CXX_COMPILER_VERSION>,3.9>>>")
+set(no_register "$<OR:${clang_4plus},$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>>")
+target_compile_options(pybind11 INTERFACE "$<${no_register}:-Wno-register;-Wno-deprecated-register>")
+
+add_library(embed INTERFACE)
+add_library(pybind11::embed ALIAS embed)
+target_link_libraries(embed INTERFACE pybind11::pybind11 $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>)
+
+if(PYBIND11_INSTALL)
+    install(DIRECTORY ${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}/pybind11 DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR})
+    # GNUInstallDirs "DATADIR" wrong here; CMake search path wants "share".
+    set(PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR "share/cmake/${PROJECT_NAME}" CACHE STRING "install path for pybind11Config.cmake")
+
+    configure_package_config_file(tools/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake.in
+                                  "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake"
+                                  INSTALL_DESTINATION ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
+
+    if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.14)
+        # Remove CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P from ConfigVersion.cmake since the library does
+        # not depend on architecture specific settings or libraries.
+        set(_PYBIND11_CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P ${CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P})
+        unset(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P)
+
+        write_basic_package_version_file(
+            ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}ConfigVersion.cmake
+          VERSION
+            ${PROJECT_VERSION}
+          COMPATIBILITY
+            AnyNewerVersion
+        )
+
+        set(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P ${_PYBIND11_CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P})
+    else()
+        write_basic_package_version_file(
+            ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}ConfigVersion.cmake
+          VERSION
+            ${PROJECT_VERSION}
+          COMPATIBILITY
+            AnyNewerVersion
+          ARCH_INDEPENDENT
+        )
+    endif()
+
+    install(
+      FILES
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}ConfigVersion.cmake
+        tools/FindPythonLibsNew.cmake
+        tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
+      DESTINATION
+        ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
 
-  if(NOT (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0))
     if(NOT PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME)
-      set(PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME "${PROJECT_NAME}Targets")
+        set(PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME "${PROJECT_NAME}Targets")
     endif()
 
     install(TARGETS pybind11 module embed
             EXPORT "${PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME}")
-    if(PYBIND11_MASTER_PROJECT)
-      install(EXPORT "${PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME}"
-              NAMESPACE "${PROJECT_NAME}::"
-              DESTINATION ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
-    endif()
-  endif()
+
+    install(EXPORT "${PYBIND11_EXPORT_NAME}"
+            NAMESPACE "pybind11::"
+            DESTINATION ${PYBIND11_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/docs/compiling.rst b/docs/compiling.rst
index bfb1cd80..dce44c87 100644
--- a/docs/compiling.rst
+++ b/docs/compiling.rst
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ extension module can be created with just a few lines of code:
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
-    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
     project(example)
 
     add_subdirectory(pybind11)
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ function with the following signature:
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
     pybind11_add_module(<name> [MODULE | SHARED] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL]
-                        [NO_EXTRAS] [SYSTEM] [THIN_LTO] source1 [source2 ...])
+                        [NO_EXTRAS] [THIN_LTO] source1 [source2 ...])
 
 This function behaves very much like CMake's builtin ``add_library`` (in fact,
 it's a wrapper function around that command). It will add a library target
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ latter optimizations are never applied in ``Debug`` mode.  If ``NO_EXTRAS`` is
 given, they will always be disabled, even in ``Release`` mode. However, this
 will result in code bloat and is generally not recommended.
 
-By default, pybind11 and Python headers will be included with ``-I``. In order
-to include pybind11 as system library, e.g. to avoid warnings in downstream
-code with warn-levels outside of pybind11's scope, set the option ``SYSTEM``.
-
 As stated above, LTO is enabled by default. Some newer compilers also support
 different flavors of LTO such as `ThinLTO`_. Setting ``THIN_LTO`` will cause
 the function to prefer this flavor if available. The function falls back to
@@ -100,25 +96,22 @@ regular LTO if ``-flto=thin`` is not available.
 Configuration variables
 -----------------------
 
-By default, pybind11 will compile modules with the C++14 standard, if available
-on the target compiler, falling back to C++11 if C++14 support is not
-available.  Note, however, that this default is subject to change: future
-pybind11 releases are expected to migrate to newer C++ standards as they become
-available.  To override this, the standard flag can be given explicitly in
-`CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.17/variable/CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD.html>`_:
+By default, pybind11 will compile modules with the compiler default or the
+minimum standard required by PyBind11, whichever is higher.  You can set the
+standard explicitly with
+`CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/variable/CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD.html>`_:
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
     # Use just one of these:
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17) # Experimental C++17 support
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-    add_subdirectory(pybind11)  # or find_package(pybind11)
 
-Note that this and all other configuration variables must be set **before** the
-call to ``add_subdirectory`` or ``find_package``. The variables can also be set
-when calling CMake from the command line using the ``-D<variable>=<value>`` flag.
+The variables can also be set when calling CMake from the command line using
+the ``-D<variable>=<value>`` flag. You can also manually set ``CXX_STANDARD``
+on a target or use ``target_compile_features`` on your targets - anything that
+CMake supports.
 
 The target Python version can be selected by setting ``PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION``
 or an exact Python installation can be specified with ``PYTHON_EXECUTABLE``.
@@ -128,7 +121,7 @@ For example:
 
     cmake -DPYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION=3.6 ..
     # or
-    cmake -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=path/to/python ..
+    cmake -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)") ..
 
 find_package vs. add_subdirectory
 ---------------------------------
@@ -139,7 +132,7 @@ See the `Config file`_ docstring for details of relevant CMake variables.
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
-    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
     project(example)
 
     find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
@@ -171,13 +164,13 @@ Advanced: interface library target
 When using a version of CMake greater than 3.0, pybind11 can additionally
 be used as a special *interface library* . The target ``pybind11::module``
 is available with pybind11 headers, Python headers and libraries as needed,
-and C++ compile definitions attached. This target is suitable for linking
+and C++ compile features attached. This target is suitable for linking
 to an independently constructed (through ``add_library``, not
 ``pybind11_add_module``) target in the consuming project.
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
-    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
     project(example)
 
     find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)  # or add_subdirectory(pybind11)
@@ -201,6 +194,17 @@ to an independently constructed (through ``add_library``, not
     Studio (``/bigobj``).  The :ref:`FAQ <faq:symhidden>` contains an
     explanation on why these are needed.
 
+    If you want to add these in yourself, you can use:
+
+    .. code-block:: cmake
+
+        cmake_minimum_required(3.9)
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
+        set(CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION ON)
+
+    or set teh corisponding property (without the ``CMAKE_``) on the targets
+    manually.
+
 Embedding the Python interpreter
 --------------------------------
 
@@ -213,7 +217,7 @@ information about usage in C++, see :doc:`/advanced/embedding`.
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
 
-    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
     project(example)
 
     find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)  # or add_subdirectory(pybind11)
diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
index 33805e0f..2d83e482 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR 2
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 6
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH 0
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_TYPE "dev"
+
 #define PYBIND11_NAMESPACE_BEGIN(name) namespace name {
 #define PYBIND11_NAMESPACE_END(name) }
 
@@ -96,10 +101,6 @@
 #  define PYBIND11_MAYBE_UNUSED __attribute__ ((__unused__))
 #endif
 
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR 2
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 5
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH dev1
-
 /* Don't let Python.h #define (v)snprintf as macro because they are implemented
    properly in Visual Studio since 2015. */
 #if defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index fda6aac8..37a8b81b 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,16 +5,26 @@
 # All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
+
+# VERSION 3.7...3.18, but some versions of VS have a patched CMake 3.11
+# that do not work properly with this syntax, so using the following workaround:
+if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.18)
+    cmake_policy(VERSION ${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION})
+else()
+    cmake_policy(VERSION 3.18)
+endif()
+
+# There's no harm in including a project in a project
+project(pybind11_tests CXX)
 
 option(PYBIND11_WERROR  "Report all warnings as errors"  OFF)
+option(DOWNLOAD_EIGEN "Download EIGEN (requires CMake 3.11+)" OFF)
 set(PYBIND11_TEST_OVERRIDE "" CACHE STRING "Tests from ;-separated list of *.cpp files will be built instead of all tests")
 
-if (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
+if(CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
     # We're being loaded directly, i.e. not via add_subdirectory, so make this
     # work as its own project and load the pybind11Config to get the tools we need
-    project(pybind11_tests CXX)
-
     find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED CONFIG)
 endif()
 
@@ -97,8 +107,6 @@ set(PYBIND11_CROSS_MODULE_GIL_TESTS
   test_gil_scoped.py
 )
 
-option(DOWNLOAD_EIGEN "Download EIGEN (requires CMake 3.11+)" OFF)
-
 # Check if Eigen is available; if not, remove from PYBIND11_TEST_FILES (but
 # keep it in PYBIND11_PYTEST_FILES, so that we get the "eigen is not installed"
 # skip message).
@@ -130,14 +138,13 @@ if(PYBIND11_TEST_FILES_EIGEN_I GREATER -1)
     set(EIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR ${eigen_SOURCE_DIR})
     set(EIGEN3_FOUND TRUE)
   else()
-    if (NOT CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-      find_package(Eigen3 3.2.7 QUIET CONFIG)
-      if (EIGEN3_FOUND)
-        if (EIGEN3_VERSION_STRING AND NOT EIGEN3_VERSION_STRING VERSION_LESS 3.3.1)
-          set(PYBIND11_EIGEN_VIA_TARGET TRUE)
-        endif()
+    find_package(Eigen3 3.2.7 QUIET CONFIG)
+    if (EIGEN3_FOUND)
+      if (EIGEN3_VERSION_STRING AND NOT EIGEN3_VERSION_STRING VERSION_LESS 3.3.1)
+        set(PYBIND11_EIGEN_VIA_TARGET TRUE)
       endif()
     endif()
+
     if (NOT EIGEN3_FOUND)
       # Couldn't load via target, so fall back to allowing module mode finding, which will pick up
       # tools/FindEigen3.cmake
@@ -178,6 +185,7 @@ function(pybind11_enable_warnings target_name)
     endif()
   endif()
 
+  # Needs to be readded since the ordering requires these to be after the ones above
   if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
     if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
       target_compile_options(${target_name} PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
@@ -259,15 +267,9 @@ if(NOT PYBIND11_PYTEST_FOUND)
   set(PYBIND11_PYTEST_FOUND TRUE CACHE INTERNAL "")
 endif()
 
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.2)
-  set(PYBIND11_USES_TERMINAL "")
-else()
-  set(PYBIND11_USES_TERMINAL "USES_TERMINAL")
-endif()
-
 # A single command to compile and run the tests
 add_custom_target(pytest COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -m pytest ${PYBIND11_PYTEST_FILES}
-                  DEPENDS ${test_targets} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${testdir} ${PYBIND11_USES_TERMINAL})
+                  DEPENDS ${test_targets} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${testdir} USES_TERMINAL)
 
 if(PYBIND11_TEST_OVERRIDE)
   add_custom_command(TARGET pytest POST_BUILD
@@ -279,14 +281,19 @@ add_custom_target(check DEPENDS pytest)
 
 # The remaining tests only apply when being built as part of the pybind11 project, but not if the
 # tests are being built independently.
-if (NOT PROJECT_NAME STREQUAL "pybind11")
+if(CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
   return()
 endif()
 
 # Add a post-build comment to show the primary test suite .so size and, if a previous size, compare it:
-add_custom_command(TARGET pybind11_tests POST_BUILD
-  COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/libsize.py
-  $<TARGET_FILE:pybind11_tests> ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/sosize-$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:pybind11_tests>.txt)
+add_custom_command(
+  TARGET
+    pybind11_tests
+  POST_BUILD COMMAND
+    ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../tools/libsize.py
+    $<TARGET_FILE:pybind11_tests>
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/sosize-$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:pybind11_tests>.txt)
 
 # Test embedding the interpreter. Provides the `cpptest` target.
 add_subdirectory(test_embed)
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/CMakeLists.txt
index cf9a9ca9..fd8c8030 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,26 +1,22 @@
 add_custom_target(test_cmake_build)
 
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.1)
-  # 3.0 needed for interface library for subdirectory_target/installed_target
-  # 3.1 needed for cmake -E env for testing
-  return()
-endif()
 
-include(CMakeParseArguments)
 function(pybind11_add_build_test name)
   cmake_parse_arguments(ARG "INSTALL" "" "" ${ARGN})
 
-  set(build_options "-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/mock_install"
+  set(build_options "-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${pybind11_BINARY_DIR}/mock_install"
                     "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}"
-                    "-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}"
-                    "-DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}"
-                    "-DPYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD=${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}")
+                    "-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
+
+  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
+    list(APPEND build_options "-DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD}")
+  endif()
+
   if(NOT ARG_INSTALL)
-    list(APPEND build_options "-DPYBIND11_PROJECT_DIR=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}")
+    list(APPEND build_options "-DPYBIND11_PROJECT_DIR=${pybind11_SOURCE_DIR}")
   endif()
 
   add_custom_target(test_${name} ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND}
-    --quiet --output-log ${name}.log
     --build-and-test "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${name}"
                      "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${name}"
     --build-config Release
@@ -45,8 +41,8 @@ endif()
 
 if(PYBIND11_INSTALL)
   add_custom_target(mock_install ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-    "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/mock_install"
-    -P "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/cmake_install.cmake"
+    "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${pybind11_BINARY_DIR}/mock_install"
+    -P "${pybind11_BINARY_DIR}/cmake_install.cmake"
   )
 
   pybind11_add_build_test(installed_function INSTALL)
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_embed/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_embed/CMakeLists.txt
index 6ab3efd4..80ac2f0e 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_embed/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_embed/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_installed_embed CXX)
 
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "")
@@ -14,11 +14,3 @@ target_link_libraries(test_cmake_build PRIVATE pybind11::embed)
 set_target_properties(test_cmake_build PROPERTIES NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED ON)
 
 add_custom_target(check $<TARGET_FILE:test_cmake_build> ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/../test.py)
-
-if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-  else()
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_function/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_function/CMakeLists.txt
index e0c20a8a..a8c0130d 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_function/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_function/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_installed_module CXX)
 
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "")
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_target/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_target/CMakeLists.txt
index 38520fa9..a172c20c 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_target/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/installed_target/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_installed_target CXX)
 
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "")
@@ -20,11 +20,3 @@ set_target_properties(test_cmake_build PROPERTIES NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED ON)
 
 add_custom_target(check ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env PYTHONPATH=$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:test_cmake_build>
                   ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/../test.py ${PROJECT_NAME})
-
-if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-  else()
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_embed/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_embed/CMakeLists.txt
index 003e93c2..170ec530 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_embed/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_embed/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_subdirectory_embed CXX)
 
 set(PYBIND11_INSTALL ON CACHE BOOL "")
@@ -23,13 +23,3 @@ install(TARGETS test_embed_lib
         RUNTIME DESTINATION lib)
 install(EXPORT      test_export
         DESTINATION lib/cmake/test_export/test_export-Targets.cmake)
-
-if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-    target_compile_options(test_embed_lib PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-  else()
-    target_compile_options(test_embed_lib PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_function/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_function/CMakeLists.txt
index 278007ae..f4d4e358 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_function/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_function/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_subdirectory_module CXX)
 
 add_subdirectory(${PYBIND11_PROJECT_DIR} pybind11)
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_target/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_target/CMakeLists.txt
index 507cb8b9..01acba42 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_target/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/subdirectory_target/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
 project(test_subdirectory_target CXX)
 
 add_subdirectory(${PYBIND11_PROJECT_DIR} pybind11)
@@ -13,11 +13,3 @@ set_target_properties(test_cmake_build PROPERTIES PREFIX "${PYTHON_MODULE_PREFIX
 
 add_custom_target(check ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env PYTHONPATH=$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:test_cmake_build>
                   ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/../test.py ${PROJECT_NAME})
-
-if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-  else()
-    target_compile_options(test_cmake_build PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tests/test_embed/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/test_embed/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e0ebde7..495b0fcb 100644
--- a/tests/test_embed/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/test_embed/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,18 +20,12 @@ add_executable(test_embed
 target_include_directories(test_embed PRIVATE "${CATCH_INCLUDE_DIR}")
 pybind11_enable_warnings(test_embed)
 
-if(NOT CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  target_link_libraries(test_embed PRIVATE pybind11::embed)
-else()
-  target_include_directories(test_embed PRIVATE "${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR}" "${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
-  target_compile_options(test_embed PRIVATE "${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}")
-  target_link_libraries(test_embed PRIVATE "${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
-endif()
+target_link_libraries(test_embed PRIVATE pybind11::embed)
 
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
-target_link_libraries(test_embed PUBLIC ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
+target_link_libraries(test_embed PUBLIC Threads::Threads)
 
-add_custom_target(cpptest COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:test_embed>
+add_custom_target(cpptest COMMAND "$<TARGET_FILE:test_embed>"
                   WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
 
 pybind11_add_module(external_module THIN_LTO external_module.cpp)
@@ -43,13 +37,3 @@ endforeach()
 add_dependencies(cpptest external_module)
 
 add_dependencies(check cpptest)
-
-if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-    target_compile_options(test_embed PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-    target_compile_options(external_module PUBLIC -Wno-deprecated-register)
-  else()
-    target_compile_options(test_embed PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-    target_compile_options(external_module PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tools/pybind11Config.cmake.in b/tools/pybind11Config.cmake.in
index 58426887..8121aa6d 100644
--- a/tools/pybind11Config.cmake.in
+++ b/tools/pybind11Config.cmake.in
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR})
 
 include(pybind11Tools)
 
-if(NOT (CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0))
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Don't include targets if this file is being picked up by another
 # project which has already built this as a subproject
@@ -85,20 +84,14 @@ if(NOT TARGET ${PN}::pybind11)
 
     find_package(PythonLibsNew ${PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION} MODULE REQUIRED)
     set_property(TARGET ${PN}::pybind11 APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    set_property(TARGET ${PN}::pybind11 APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     set_property(TARGET ${PN}::embed APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
     if(WIN32 OR CYGWIN)
       set_property(TARGET ${PN}::module APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
     endif()
 
-    if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.3)
-      set_property(TARGET ${PN}::pybind11 APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_COMPILE_OPTIONS "${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}")
-    else()
-      set_property(TARGET ${PN}::pybind11 APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_COMPILE_OPTIONS $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>:${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}>)
-    endif()
-
     get_property(_iid TARGET ${PN}::pybind11 PROPERTY INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
     get_property(_ill TARGET ${PN}::module PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
     set(${PN}_INCLUDE_DIRS ${_iid})
     set(${PN}_LIBRARIES ${_ico} ${_ill})
 endif()
-endif()
diff --git a/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake b/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
index be536e6b..3a141dd6 100644
--- a/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
+++ b/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
@@ -5,56 +5,41 @@
 # All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.7)
+
+# VERSION 3.7...3.18, but some versions of VS have a patched CMake 3.11
+# that do not work properly with this syntax, so using the following workaround:
+if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.18)
+    cmake_policy(VERSION ${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION})
+else()
+    cmake_policy(VERSION 3.18)
+endif()
 
 # Add a CMake parameter for choosing a desired Python version
 if(NOT PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION)
-  set(PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION "" CACHE STRING "Python version to use for compiling modules")
+    set(PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION "" CACHE STRING "Python version to use for compiling modules")
 endif()
 
-set(Python_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4)
+# A user can set versions manually too
+set(Python_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS "3.9;3.8;3.7;3.6;3.5;3.4" CACHE INTERNAL "")
 find_package(PythonLibsNew ${PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION} REQUIRED)
 
 include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
 include(CMakeParseArguments)
 
 # Use the language standards abstraction if CMake supports it with the current compiler
-if(NOT CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.1)
-  if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
-    if(CMAKE_CXX14_STANDARD_COMPILE_OPTION)
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
-    elseif(CMAKE_CXX11_STANDARD_COMPILE_OPTION)
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
+if(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD)
+    message(WARNING "USE -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=11 instead of PYBIND11_PYTHON_VERSION")
+    if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
+        string(REGEX MATCH
+            [=[..^]=]
+            VAL
+            "${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}")
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD ${VAL})
     endif()
-  endif()
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
-  endif()
 endif()
 
-# Fall back to heuristics
-if(NOT PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD AND NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
-  if(MSVC)
-    set(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD /std:c++14)
-  else()
-    check_cxx_compiler_flag("-std=c++14" HAS_CPP14_FLAG)
-    if(HAS_CPP14_FLAG)
-      set(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD -std=c++14)
-    else()
-      check_cxx_compiler_flag("-std=c++11" HAS_CPP11_FLAG)
-      if(HAS_CPP11_FLAG)
-        set(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD -std=c++11)
-      endif()
-    endif()
-  endif()
 
-  if(NOT PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Unsupported compiler -- pybind11 requires C++11 support!")
-  endif()
-  set(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD ${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD} CACHE STRING
-      "C++ standard flag, e.g. -std=c++11, -std=c++14, /std:c++14.  Defaults to C++14 mode." FORCE)
-endif()
 
 # Checks whether the given CXX/linker flags can compile and link a cxx file.  cxxflags and
 # linkerflags are lists of flags to use.  The result variable is a unique variable name for each set
@@ -117,16 +102,18 @@ function(_pybind11_add_lto_flags target_name prefer_thin_lto)
 
   # Enable LTO flags if found, except for Debug builds
   if (PYBIND11_LTO_CXX_FLAGS)
-    target_compile_options(${target_name} PRIVATE "$<$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Debug>>:${PYBIND11_LTO_CXX_FLAGS}>")
+    set(not_debug "$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Debug>>")
+    set(cxx_lang "$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>")
+    target_compile_options(${target_name} PRIVATE "$<$<AND:${not_debug},${cxx_lang}>:${PYBIND11_LTO_CXX_FLAGS}>")
   endif()
   if (PYBIND11_LTO_LINKER_FLAGS)
-    target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE "$<$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Debug>>:${PYBIND11_LTO_LINKER_FLAGS}>")
+    target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE "$<${not_debug}:${PYBIND11_LTO_LINKER_FLAGS}>")
   endif()
 endfunction()
 
 # Build a Python extension module:
 # pybind11_add_module(<name> [MODULE | SHARED] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL]
-#                     [NO_EXTRAS] [SYSTEM] [THIN_LTO] source1 [source2 ...])
+#                     [NO_EXTRAS] [THIN_LTO] source1 [source2 ...])
 #
 function(pybind11_add_module target_name)
   set(options MODULE SHARED EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL NO_EXTRAS SYSTEM THIN_LTO)
@@ -148,29 +135,13 @@ function(pybind11_add_module target_name)
 
   add_library(${target_name} ${lib_type} ${exclude_from_all} ${ARG_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS})
 
+  target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE pybind11::module)
+
   if(ARG_SYSTEM)
-    set(inc_isystem SYSTEM)
-  else()
-    set(inc_isystem "")
+      message(STATUS "Warning: this does not have an effect - use NO_SYSTEM_FROM_IMPORTED if using imported targets")
   endif()
 
-  set(PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR_SELECTED "")
-  if(PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR)
-    # from project CMakeLists.txt
-    set(PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR_SELECTED ${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR})
-  elseif(pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR)
-    # from pybind11Config
-    set(PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR_SELECTED ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR})
-  else()
-    message(FATAL "No pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR available. Use "
-      "find_package(pybind11) before calling pybind11_add_module.")
-  endif()
-
-  target_include_directories(${target_name} ${inc_isystem}
-    PRIVATE ${PYBIND11_INCLUDE_DIR_SELECTED}
-    PRIVATE ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-
-  # Python debug libraries expose slightly different objects
+  # Python debug libraries expose slightly different objects before 3.8
   # https://docs.python.org/3.6/c-api/intro.html#debugging-builds
   # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39161202/how-to-work-around-missing-pymodule-create2-in-amd64-win-python35-d-lib
   if(PYTHON_IS_DEBUG)
@@ -189,54 +160,25 @@ function(pybind11_add_module target_name)
   set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET "hidden")
   set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES CUDA_VISIBILITY_PRESET "hidden")
 
-  if(WIN32 OR CYGWIN)
-    # Link against the Python shared library on Windows
-    target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-  elseif(APPLE)
-    # It's quite common to have multiple copies of the same Python version
-    # installed on one's system. E.g.: one copy from the OS and another copy
-    # that's statically linked into an application like Blender or Maya.
-    # If we link our plugin library against the OS Python here and import it
-    # into Blender or Maya later on, this will cause segfaults when multiple
-    # conflicting Python instances are active at the same time (even when they
-    # are of the same version).
-
-    # Windows is not affected by this issue since it handles DLL imports
-    # differently. The solution for Linux and Mac OS is simple: we just don't
-    # link against the Python library. The resulting shared library will have
-    # missing symbols, but that's perfectly fine -- they will be resolved at
-    # import time.
-
-    target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE "-undefined dynamic_lookup")
-
-    if(ARG_SHARED)
-      # Suppress CMake >= 3.0 warning for shared libraries
-      set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES MACOSX_RPATH ON)
-    endif()
-  endif()
-
-  # Make sure C++11/14 are enabled
-  if(PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD)
-    if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.3)
-      target_compile_options(${target_name} PUBLIC ${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD})
-    else()
-      target_compile_options(${target_name} PUBLIC $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>:${PYBIND11_CPP_STANDARD}>)
-    endif()
-  endif()
-
-  # Python 2 doesn't really support C++17, Clang warns/errors over it
-  if(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD
-     AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang"
-     AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0
-     AND NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD LESS 17)
-       target_compile_options(${target_name} PUBLIC -Wno-register)
-  endif()
 
   if(ARG_NO_EXTRAS)
-    return()
+      return()
   endif()
 
-  _pybind11_add_lto_flags(${target_name} ${ARG_THIN_LTO})
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.9 OR PYBIND11_CLASSIC_LTO)
+      _pybind11_add_lto_flags(${target_name} ${ARG_THIN_LTO})
+  else()
+      include(CheckIPOSupported)
+      check_ipo_supported(RESULT supported OUTPUT error)
+      if(supported)
+          set_property(
+            TARGET
+              ${target_name}
+            PROPERTY
+              INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION TRUE
+            )
+      endif()
+  endif()
 
   if (NOT MSVC AND NOT ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE} MATCHES Debug|RelWithDebInfo)
     # Strip unnecessary sections of the binary on Linux/Mac OS