diff --git a/CI/ci-mac.sh b/CI/ci-mac.sh
index caefdeb6..bc29c2b4 100755
--- a/CI/ci-mac.sh
+++ b/CI/ci-mac.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ fi
 
 cd build-release
 
-cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DOPENMESH_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS=TRUE $OPTIONS ../
+cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DOPENMESH_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS=TRUE -DSTL_VECTOR_CHECKS=ON -DOPENMESH_BUILD_PYTHON_UNIT_TESTS=ON $OPTIONS ../
 
 #build it
 make
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ cd Unittests
 #execute tests
 ./unittests --gtest_color=yes --gtest_output=xml
 
+# Execute Python unittests
+cd Python-Unittests
+
+rm -f openmesh.so
+cp ../Build/python/openmesh.so .
+python -m unittest discover -v
+
+cd ..
 cd ..
 cd ..
 
@@ -59,7 +67,7 @@ fi
 
 cd build-debug
 
-cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DOPENMESH_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS=TRUE $OPTIONS ../
+cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DOPENMESH_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS=TRUE -DSTL_VECTOR_CHECKS=ON -DOPENMESH_BUILD_PYTHON_UNIT_TESTS=ON $OPTIONS ../
 
 #build the unit tests
 make unittests
@@ -74,4 +82,9 @@ cd Unittests
 # Run the unittests
 ./unittests --gtest_color=yes --gtest_output=xml
 
+# Execute Python unittests
+cd Python-Unittests
 
+rm -f openmesh.so
+cp ../Build/python/openmesh.so .
+python -m unittest discover -v
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Decimating/DecimaterViewerWidget.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Decimating/DecimaterViewerWidget.hh
index 8b3f11e7..dd54f59d 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Decimating/DecimaterViewerWidget.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Decimating/DecimaterViewerWidget.hh
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public:
   typedef Decimater::ModNormalFlippingT< mesh_t >::Handle mod_nf_t;
 
   // object types
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
   typedef std::unique_ptr< decimater_t   >   decimater_o;
 #else
   typedef std::auto_ptr< decimater_t   >   decimater_o;
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Unsupported/OsgViewer/osgviewer.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Unsupported/OsgViewer/osgviewer.cc
index a3c43e90..c5f8a9d0 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Unsupported/OsgViewer/osgviewer.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Apps/Unsupported/OsgViewer/osgviewer.cc
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public:
 
   bool bind( osg::GeometryPtr geo )
   {
-    #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+    #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
       std::unique_ptr<mesh_t> obj(new mesh_t);
     #else
       std::auto_ptr<mesh_t> obj(new mesh_t);
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
index 5e2aca6f..713637e9 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 // macro expansion and preprocessor defines
 // don't work properly.
 
-#if (__cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)) && !defined(OPENMESH_VECTOR_LEGACY)
+#if (_MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)) && !defined(OPENMESH_VECTOR_LEGACY)
 #include "Vector11T.hh"
 #else
 #ifndef DOXYGEN
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/System/mostream.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/System/mostream.hh
index a0367251..f079b454 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/System/mostream.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/System/mostream.hh
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <algorithm>
 
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
   #include <mutex>
 #endif
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ protected:
   virtual int sync() 
   {
     // If working on multiple threads, we need to serialize the output correctly (requires c++11 headers)
-    #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+    #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
        std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lck (serializer_);
     #endif
 
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ protected:
     char c = traits_type::to_char_type(_c);
 
     // If working on multiple threads, we need to serialize the output correctly (requires c++11 headers)
-    #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+    #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
        {
          std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lck (serializer_);
          buffer_.push_back(c);
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ private:
   bool         enabled_;
 
   // If working on multiple threads, we need to serialize the output correctly (requires c++11 headers)
-  #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+  #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
      std::mutex serializer_;
   #endif
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/PropertyManager.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/PropertyManager.hh
index 88b495b0..529ee120 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/PropertyManager.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/PropertyManager.hh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace OpenMesh {
  */
 template<typename PROPTYPE, typename MeshT>
 class PropertyManager {
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
     public:
         PropertyManager(const PropertyManager&) = delete;
         PropertyManager& operator=(const PropertyManager&) = delete;
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class PropertyManager {
 
         MeshT &getMesh() const { return *mesh_; }
 
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
         /// Only for pre C++11 compatibility.
 
         typedef PropertyManager<PROPTYPE, MeshT> Proxy;
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.cc
index 6dfb489d..f8e3d9f8 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.cc
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ template<class Mesh>
 DecimaterT<Mesh>::DecimaterT(Mesh& _mesh) :
   BaseDecimaterT<Mesh>(_mesh),
     mesh_(_mesh),
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
   heap_(nullptr)
 #else
   heap_(NULL)
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ size_t DecimaterT<Mesh>::decimate(size_t _n_collapses) {
   // initialize heap
   HeapInterface HI(mesh_, priority_, heap_position_);
 
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
   heap_ = std::unique_ptr<DeciHeap>(new DeciHeap(HI));
 #else
   heap_ = std::auto_ptr<DeciHeap>(new DeciHeap(HI));
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ size_t DecimaterT<Mesh>::decimate_to_faces(size_t _nv, size_t _nf) {
 
   // initialize heap
   HeapInterface HI(mesh_, priority_, heap_position_);
-  #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+  #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
     heap_ = std::unique_ptr<DeciHeap>(new DeciHeap(HI));
   #else
     heap_ = std::auto_ptr<DeciHeap>(new DeciHeap(HI));
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.hh
index 02d284d4..bb7523a2 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/DecimaterT.hh
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ private: //------------------------------------------------------- private data
   Mesh&      mesh_;
 
   // heap
-  #if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
+  #if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined( __GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__ )
     std::unique_ptr<DeciHeap> heap_;
   #else
     std::auto_ptr<DeciHeap> heap_;
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Utils/HeapT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Utils/HeapT.hh
index 545cfb5e..47e0b184 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Utils/HeapT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Utils/HeapT.hh
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 #include "Config.hh"
 #include <vector>
 #include <OpenMesh/Core/System/omstream.hh>
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
 #include <utility>
 #endif
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public:
   /// Constructor
   HeapT() : HeapVector() {}
   
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
   /// Construct with a given \c HeapIterface. 
   HeapT(HeapInterface _interface)
   : HeapVector(),  interface_(std::move(_interface))
diff --git a/src/Unittests/unittests_cpp_11_features.cc b/src/Unittests/unittests_cpp_11_features.cc
index 72915491..f50e0a9c 100644
--- a/src/Unittests/unittests_cpp_11_features.cc
+++ b/src/Unittests/unittests_cpp_11_features.cc
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class OpenMesh_Triangle : public OpenMeshBase {
  * ====================================================================
  */
 
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
 
 /*
  */
diff --git a/src/Unittests/unittests_vector_type.cc b/src/Unittests/unittests_vector_type.cc
index 8ca929ca..7c1dd5a1 100644
--- a/src/Unittests/unittests_vector_type.cc
+++ b/src/Unittests/unittests_vector_type.cc
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ TEST_F(OpenMeshVectorTest, VectorCasting) {
 
 }
 
-#if __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
+#if _MSC_VER >= 1900 || __cplusplus > 199711L || defined(__GXX_EXPERIMENTAL_CXX0X__)
 TEST_F(OpenMeshVectorTest, cpp11_constructors) {
     OpenMesh::Vec3d vec1 { 1.2, 2.0, 3.0 };