diff --git a/include/rice/rice.hpp b/include/rice/rice.hpp
index 74d8eb4f..5ca3cf6c 100644
--- a/include/rice/rice.hpp
+++ b/include/rice/rice.hpp
@@ -1205,9 +1205,18 @@ namespace Rice::detail
 // =========   cpp_protect.hpp   =========
 
 #include <regex>
-#include <filesystem>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#if __has_include(<filesystem>)
+  #include <filesystem>
+  namespace fs = std::filesystem;
+#elif __has_include(<experimental/filesystem>)
+  #include <experimental/filesystem>
+  namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#else
+  #error "no filesystem include found :'("
+#endif
+
 
 namespace Rice::detail
 {
@@ -1247,7 +1256,7 @@ namespace Rice::detail
       {
         rb_exc_raise(rb_exc_new2(rb_eArgError, ex.what()));
       }
-      catch (std::filesystem::filesystem_error const& ex)
+      catch (fs::filesystem_error const& ex)
       {
         rb_exc_raise(rb_exc_new2(rb_eIOError, ex.what()));
       }
diff --git a/lib/mkmf-rice.rb b/lib/mkmf-rice.rb
index 9473e101..952dbff1 100644
--- a/lib/mkmf-rice.rb
+++ b/lib/mkmf-rice.rb
@@ -126,5 +126,7 @@ def cpp_command(outfile, opt="")
 if IS_DARWIN
   have_library('c++')
 elsif !IS_MSWIN
-  have_library('stdc++')
+  if !have_library('stdc++fs')
+    have_library('stdc++')
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rice/detail/cpp_protect.hpp b/rice/detail/cpp_protect.hpp
index 4ed0ec4d..4956acce 100644
--- a/rice/detail/cpp_protect.hpp
+++ b/rice/detail/cpp_protect.hpp
@@ -2,9 +2,18 @@
 #define Rice__detail__cpp_protect__hpp_
 
 #include <regex>
-#include <filesystem>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#if __has_include(<filesystem>)
+  #include <filesystem>
+  namespace fs = std::filesystem;
+#elif __has_include(<experimental/filesystem>)
+  #include <experimental/filesystem>
+  namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#else
+  #error "no filesystem include found :'("
+#endif
+
 #include "Jump_Tag.hpp"
 #include "../Exception_defn.hpp"
 
@@ -46,7 +55,7 @@ namespace Rice::detail
       {
         rb_exc_raise(rb_exc_new2(rb_eArgError, ex.what()));
       }
-      catch (std::filesystem::filesystem_error const& ex)
+      catch (fs::filesystem_error const& ex)
       {
         rb_exc_raise(rb_exc_new2(rb_eIOError, ex.what()));
       }