diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 163b8e7c2..0d42aba93 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # CMake 3.8 required for 17 to be a valid value for CXX_STANDARD
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.8)
+cmake_policy(SET CMP0092 NEW)
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeModules")
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/cmake-modules")
 include(DownloadExternals)
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@ CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(ENABLE_MF "Use Media Foundation decoder (preferred over F
 
 CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(COMPILE_WITH_DWARF "Add DWARF debugging information" ON "MINGW" OFF)
 
+option(USE_SYSTEM_BOOST "Use the system Boost libs (instead of the bundled ones)" OFF)
+
 if(NOT EXISTS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/.git/hooks/pre-commit)
     message(STATUS "Copying pre-commit hook")
     file(COPY hooks/pre-commit
@@ -124,25 +127,6 @@ set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/bin)
 # System imported libraries
 # ======================
 
-add_library(boost_libs INTERFACE)
-
-find_package(Boost 1.70.0 QUIET EXACT)
-if (NOT Boost_FOUND)
-    message(STATUS "Boost 1.70.0 not found, falling back to externals")
-
-    set(BOOST_ROOT "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/boost")
-    set(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/boost")
-    set(Boost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS ON)
-    add_definitions( -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB )
-    find_package(Boost QUIET REQUIRED)
-
-    # Boost external libraries
-    file(GLOB boost_serialization_SRC "externals/boost/libs/serialization/src/*.cpp")
-    add_library(boost_serialization STATIC ${boost_serialization_SRC})
-    target_link_libraries(boost_serialization PUBLIC Boost::boost)
-    target_link_libraries(boost_libs INTERFACE boost_serialization)
-endif()
-
 # Prefer the -pthread flag on Linux.
 set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
@@ -340,8 +324,21 @@ git_describe(GIT_DESC --always --long --dirty)
 git_branch_name(GIT_BRANCH)
 get_timestamp(BUILD_DATE)
 
+if (NOT USE_SYSTEM_BOOST)
+    add_definitions( -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB )
+endif()
+
 enable_testing()
 add_subdirectory(externals)
+
+# Boost
+if (USE_SYSTEM_BOOST)
+    find_package(Boost 1.70.0 QUIET REQUIRED)
+else()
+    add_library(Boost::boost ALIAS boost)
+    add_library(Boost::serialization ALIAS boost_serialization)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(src)
 add_subdirectory(dist/installer)
 
diff --git a/externals/CMakeLists.txt b/externals/CMakeLists.txt
index 63159a52b..47a92794c 100644
--- a/externals/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/externals/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,28 @@
 # Definitions for all external bundled libraries
 
+# Suppress warnings from external libraries
+if (CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "MSVC")
+    add_compile_options(/W0)
+endif()
+
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeModules)
 include(DownloadExternals)
 include(ExternalProject)
 
+# Boost
+set(BOOST_ROOT "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/boost")
+set(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/boost")
+set(Boost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS ON)
+add_library(boost INTERFACE)
+target_include_directories(boost SYSTEM INTERFACE ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+# Boost::serialization
+file(GLOB boost_serialization_SRC "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/boost/libs/serialization/src/*.cpp")
+add_library(boost_serialization STATIC ${boost_serialization_SRC})
+target_link_libraries(boost_serialization PUBLIC boost)
+
+# Add additional boost libs here; remember to ALIAS them in the root CMakeLists!
+
 # Catch
 add_library(catch-single-include INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(catch-single-include INTERFACE catch/single_include)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index c13337efe..d46641570 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ if (MSVC)
         /Zo
         /permissive-
         /EHsc
-        /std:c++latest
+        /std:c++17
         /volatile:iso
         /Zc:externConstexpr
         /Zc:inline
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ if (MSVC)
         add_compile_options(
             /MP
             /Zc:throwingNew
+            /experimental:external
+            /external:I "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/externals"
+            /external:anglebrackets
+            /external:W0
         )
     endif()
 
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 9ed9a856d..c6908c59a 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ endif()
 create_target_directory_groups(core)
 
 target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC common PRIVATE audio_core network video_core)
-target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC Boost::boost PRIVATE cryptopp fmt open_source_archives boost_libs)
+target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC Boost::boost PRIVATE cryptopp fmt open_source_archives Boost::serialization)
 if (ENABLE_WEB_SERVICE)
     target_compile_definitions(core PRIVATE -DENABLE_WEB_SERVICE)
     target_link_libraries(core PRIVATE web_service)
diff --git a/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
index 8dbf5d8e0..17e344aa4 100644
--- a/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ endif()
 create_target_directory_groups(video_core)
 
 target_link_libraries(video_core PUBLIC common core)
-target_link_libraries(video_core PRIVATE glad nihstro-headers boost_libs)
+target_link_libraries(video_core PRIVATE glad nihstro-headers Boost::serialization)
 
 if (ARCHITECTURE_x86_64)
     target_link_libraries(video_core PUBLIC xbyak)