diff --git a/gtsam/3rdparty/metis-5.1.0/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam/3rdparty/metis-5.1.0/CMakeLists.txt
index 827e50b34..8497973b2 100644
--- a/gtsam/3rdparty/metis-5.1.0/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gtsam/3rdparty/metis-5.1.0/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ if ("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang")
 endif()
 
 add_definitions(-Wno-unknown-pragmas)
-add_definitions(-Wunused-but-set-variable)
+
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
+  if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.6 OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL 4.6)
+    add_definitions(-Wno-unused-but-set-variable)
+  endif()
+endif()
 
 set(GKLIB_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/GKlib CACHE PATH "path to GKlib")
 set(SHARED FALSE CACHE BOOL "build a shared library")